Post-Holiday Blues

Has anyone else got 'em??? For the last month one of the first things I've done each morning is plug in the Christmas tree. The thought of not having that cozy tree-light feeling in our home everyday makes me so sad. Apparently it makes CJ sad, too. This afternoon while the girls were at school I went upstairs to the toy room to take down the little "tacky tree," I like to call it. It has been decorated in neon lights, bulbs and stars the past 3 Christmas Seasons. The kids love it. Anyway, I first took off the ornaments, then the lights and last began to disassemble the tree. CJ came running from across the room just sobbing. At first I thought "What happened? Is he hurt?" Then he laid down on top of the tree and hugged it. He kept trying to pick it up and pull the limbs back down on it. It absolutely broke my heart. I feel your pain, CJ.

Where is Your "Home"

A good friend of mine had this post on her blog that made me think about "home."

This will always be my "home." Northern Alabama...The cudzu, the cotton fields, the miles of green trees all speak peace to my mind. Strangers waving as they pass you on the road, making a new friend each time you wait in the check out line at the grocery store and the genuine people that may have little but are rich in happiness.

Many times when I am rude to a phone or door solicitor I come away feeling guilty. That wasn't the way I was raised. I was reminded of this last Christmas season at the mall with my dad. We were stopped by a salesman with a booth filled with wind chimes in the middle of the mall. Shiny, metal, tacky windchimes. Rather than blowing him off, my dad stopped, smiled, made eye contact and listened for what seemed like hours as this guy with a foreign accent rambled on about his wind chimes and how beautiful they were. After he'd finished the entire explanation, my dad politely told him that they were beautiful but that he would have to pass on them this time. As we walked away I tought to myself, "lesson learned."

I love Utah. It is a great place to raise a family. I am grateful to be here. But in my heart, my "home" will always be Alabama.

Where is your "home"??

Happy Birthday Liz-O!

I can't believe you are 7 already. It really isn't fair how quickly time passes. I feel like the craziness of the past two years with the twins has robbed me of watching you turn into the little lady that you are becoming. You love to set your alarm and get up in the mornings to do your reading and your hair. You can't wait to grab the babies out of their cribs when they wake up and you are always doing a perfomance of some kind for us (lately it is dancing and singing to Mama Mia or Natasha Beddingfield.) You are a very responsible, fun, loving and dramatic little girl. This year you wanted a little motor-scooter for your birthday. After we told you that we really couldn't afford one, you decided that you would save up to pay for half of it. You did chores every day for 3 months. When it came time to buy the scooter, you had a really hard time handing over your savings. You had to think about it for a few days before you knew for sure that it was worth giving up your loot. For your little party you invited over a few friends for cupcake decorating and games.


You are such a joy in our family. We would be lost without you!

Tribute to my mother

Tommorrow is Thanksgiving Day and my 31st birthday and all day I've been thinking of my mother. Probably a little because the twins have been extremely clingy today, a little because I'n always homesick at the holidays and a little because before Craig and the children... she was my life. Not to discredit my dad at all. He was a wonderful father, provider, teacher of wisdom, etc and I will always share a special bond with him. But it was my mother that I spent countless hours with every day. It was my mother that made me go back into the store to apologize for stealing bubble gum. It was my mother that sat beside me at teacher conferences and held my back my hair while I threw up with a stomach flu. It was my mother that learned to give me shots every night while I was going through in vitro (despite the fact that she almost passed out every time.)

Looking back at the two-thirds of my life spent in her prescence I can say she is the most unselfish person I've ever known. Whenever someone she loved was sick, she could be found caring for them, many times sacrificing her own sleep, interests and health. Whenever someone was lonely, she could be found sitting across from them on the couch, asking about their childhood, their families, their passions. Whenever someone was grieving, she could be found at their side, a shoulder to cry on with a chicken pot pie on the table.

I still call my mom every few days. Usually it is around midnight. No matter how late it is or how long she's been asleep, whenever I ask if I woke her she says, "Oh no. I was just resting my eyes." No matter how hard life seems, when I hear her voice on the other end of the line life suddenly isn't that bad. She has been my sounding board time after time. Sometimes sympathizing, other times telling me to be tough. "No matter how hard life seems...you WILL get through it, " she's told me many times.

Thank you, Mother. For 31 years of service to me. For singing me through months of the colic, saving my life with the blue bulb syringe, teaching me to love imagination and stories, showing me how to love others and think outside myself, and loving me despite what I may have said or done. I will forever be in debt to you.

Love Always, Lora

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!

Hello Everyone. I am sending a beg for volunteers on behalf of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The Taste of Salt Lake is coming up next weekend, Sat. Nov. 8th. It is The CF foundation's biggest annual fundraiser bringing over 15 of Salt Lake's best restaraunts to one place where attendees are welcome to taste each of their specialties as much as they want! They are expecting 800 attendees this year and the event will be held at the Grand America Hotel. Craig and I have attended the last 4 years and LOVE it. We volunteered our first year and it was such a neat opportunity to see people so generous to help us find a cure.
If you are interested PLEASE contact me ASAP. They will need you to attend one training session either tomorrow (Sat) at 11 am or Wed., Nov. 5th. at 7pm. Matt Haberman is in charge of organizing volunteers and can be reached at 243-6754. Also the night of the event be there by 4:45 for dinner then get ready for the big night! It is a lot of fun and I promise you won't be sorry if you volunteer. Tickets to attend are $100 per person if you have a connection to CF and $175.00 if you don't have a connection so if you've ever considered going to the event but not sure if it is worth the money, volunteering is a great way to decide!
Let me know if you have any question! I appreciate you all for your unending support to our cause!
Lora

Hotdogs and Smores

Sunday night we decided to turn some old wood into a campfire. The girls loved it. The babies were afraid of it and screamed most of the time. We fed them as fast as we could then put them to bed so the rest of us could enjoy it. Sitting around a fire has always been one of our families favorite things to do together. We love the food, the stories and the company. The brisk night air reminds us that the lazy days of summer are truly coming to an end.

Where go Yogo?

A few days ago I kept giving Hallie Yogo's and two seconds later she'd be back for more. "Where the heck are you putting the Yogo's" I finally asked her. She'd just run around the island then come back for more. So I followed her and this is what I found. She was sticking them down in her diaper then going back for them later. Yeah, it was pretty gross. I hope she ditches this habit before too long. Today I found a binkie down in her diaper!