Mother of the Year Award Goes To...

I recently enrolled George and Henry into swimming lessons on the north shore because their swimming skills were seriously lacking considering we live on the beach and the vast ocean is 25 feet from my back door. Consequently, Henry is enrolled into the same swim class as a somewhat famous local singer's son (Jack Johnson) so I often have the chance to talk with him or his wife while our sons learn to swim. Since we are at the pool for about an hour each time, it is nice to sit and small talk with the other parents. And since Mark has been working from home in the afternoons, I have been relieved to leave Theodore at home to take a nap while I whisk the boys off to swimming lessons.

Unfortunately on Thursday, Theodore was a bear (hahaha...Teddy bear) and he wouldn't take his afternoon nap. At the last minute, Mark put him out in the van for me while I loaded up the boys for swim lessons. We were running a few minutes late so when we got to swim lessons I told the boys to hurry in. Henry jumped out of the van and tried to slam the van door closed. His attempt was unsuccessful and the door bounded back. He tried three more times, each attempt being as unsuccessful as the first. Frustrated, I snapped at him to just run into swim lessons and I would shut the van door. I walked over and slammed it closed, mumbling about the piece of c#%* van that I drove, and I quickly followed the boys into swim lessons.

I walked into the pool area and checked to see if Henry and George were settled in. I picked up their scattered slippers and towels and scanned for a seat. Frustrated and overwhelmed with the list of things I had to do that night I huffed as I plopped down next to my friend Donnette. Donnette gazed up and smiled warmly. Feeling a little release of tense stress, I half-smiled back and asked as cheerfully as I could, "Hey Donnete. How are you today?" She mentioned that she was busy as normal and then asked, "Where is your baby today?"
A fog muddled my brain as I stumbled on saying that he was at home with Mark again...and then the fog cleared and my worst mommy reality shot straight to the forefront of my mind. "AAAAGGGhhhhhh!!!" I screamed, "I left Theodore in the van!!!" As bewildered thoughts of how I could leave my baby coursed their way through my mind, I raced out of swim lessons and to my car. On my frantic dash to reach Theodore, I noticed that another van was parked unreasonably close to mine and that parent was on the side by my van unloading his kids. His all too familiar face glanced up at me as I came bounding wildly towards the vans. "Hey how's it going?" Jack asked. In a high pitch, almost hysterical voice I replied, "Not so good, Can you please mooooove cause I left my BABY in the van and I have to get him NOW." He laughed as I felt utterly mortified at the embarassment of having left my baby in the van and then it being made known to another parent, namely Jack Johnson. He leaned over and squished himself into his van as I plucked my sweaty Theodore out of his car seat.
At least to make me feel a little bit better Jack mentioned that it happens to everyone and he had done the same thing just a few days before.

Visitors and Sight Seeing

Over the last month and for the next few weeks, we have had visitors. Since our visitors want to see the sights, we have been able to see more and more of Hawaii. Mark's mission buddy and his wife came to visit the day after my sister left and then the last day that they were here, my friend from my BYU days came to visit.
This picture is taken just outside our backdoor. The tide was really low and the beach was so calm, so we took the kids out first thing in the morning.
oops! I thought I rotated these pictures, but I guess I didn't do it right. The little mommy play group that Henry and I go to took a hike to Wiamea waterfalls. Since the mommy group was going, I thought it would be a great time for my friend, Diana, to see the sights.
One unexpected sight we saw was this crazy peacock that walked right up to the visitors center and poked his head around.

Study, Work, Eat, Sleep alittle...Study

I am pleased to announce that the MBA excursion that we have taken to Hawaii is now coming to a close...well maybe. Yes, Mark will be graduating on Sunday August 12th at the Stan Sherriff Center at University of Hawaii. This post is premature because any readers of this blog who are interested in coming, you are welcome to come that week and celebrate with us. As for leaving the island right after he graduates, that idea has changed from 90 percent sure to 68 percent sure. I will be updating my blog on this matter in the near future.

Mark finished up his last semester of classes the end of April. He now is working on a final internship and a local business consultation project. So, since he has finished classes, I thought I would get one last picture of him studying hard!

Mom

When I was 16 I swore that I would never be like my mother. What "good" mother would require her daugther to be home at 11:30 on a Friday night or make her daughter cover her bare shoulders? What "good" mother would make her daughter do chores before leaving the house or pay for her own outings with friends? In my eyes, my mother was absolutely ridiculous with her harsh rules and expectations...

On this mothers day I want to give my mom a piece of my mind...to say THANK YOU. Thank you for teaching me the basics of cooking so I can now prepare healthy well balanced meals for my own family. Thank you for teaching me the value of house work so I now I know how to keep my own home in ship shape condition. Thank you for reminding me to date appropriately and dress modestly so I was prepared to marry a righteous man. Thank you for making me pay for clothing, college and life, so I now know how to balance my own budget and provide for the necessities that my family needs. I love you mom, and I think you for giving me "Peace" of mind to know I can be successful being a mother to my own family.

In addition, here are 10 great tips my mother taught me:

1. If you don't brush your teeth, your breath will smell like chicken poop. (Generally this will most likely occur right in the middle of sacrement meeting, and you will need to be reminded loudly by your mother)

2. If you feed your dog turkey during Thanksgiving dinner, you dog will get the most horrid, unbearable turkey farts!

3. If you want something really bad, just spit in one hand and want in the other and then you just have to see what you will get more of.

4. For life's everyday illnesses, the magic pills are....m&ms!

5. For every other illness you can just find the cure and 100 other articles on WebMD.

6. Bright pink and bright orange do not match unless you are filipino.

7. What could be better than Harry Potter...oh yeah, Harry Potter on tape.

8. Sometimes Po-doggies are treated better than the humans in the calabio house.

9. If you ever leave the door open you are clearly born in a barn.

10. If you ever leave the door open, the worshipped po-doggie will escape and can only be lured back in by her loving master...MOM!

I love you mom!

AaaaaaPUGH!

Over the last week, my sister Leslie and her daughter, Emily came to visit us in Hawaii. We had a lot of fun gorging on the local cuisine and visiting the beaches. We spent time with my sister Rachel and her family and played games. On Sunday when Rachel came over we went out to my beach and took pictures. Then the other nights we played Settlers of Catan (if you have not played this game, find someone who has it and play it...you will love it)

I just have to humbly admit that I won Settlers all three nights that we played! hahahaha...I AM A WINNER!!! Anyway, hanging out with Leslie was lots and lots of fun. It is too bad that they live so far away.
Here is a picture of Rachel's kids, Leslie's daughter Emily and my boys! Yes I know that Rachel's baby is bigger than my baby...and he is two months younger! That kid is a mammoth!
"Oh Mom, what big hair you have," Emily commented as she gazed lovingly at her mother...

May Day

In Hawaii May Day is a huge celebration to remember Hawaiian heritage and to recognize other cultures. For months the students at the local schools prepare preformances. The students in every grade level preform dances and songs to present to the Hawaiian Ali'i (royalty)...not actual royalty, but chosen students to stand as each island's royalty.
Since my sister Leslie is here to visit us this week she came with us to see George's school May Day preformance. After the Ali'i came out and preformed their hulas, each of the grade levels preformed a cultural skit/presentation. The kindergarteners represented the United States of America and their songs were patriotic. They sang a big band 40s style song and then "I'm proud to be an American." I have to say, it was the Kindergarteners that stole the show! Here are a few shots from May Day

These little girls were so cute! They sang a 40's big band war song and danced.
You can see how hard George is concentrating on getting the dance moves just right.

Rat-too-tee means RAT

When you come to Hawaii, we will be sure to take you all around and show you all the lovely sights. Among the beauty of Hawaii you will also have a chance to see Hawaii's stunning wildlife, take for example the rat in the above picture.

My sister Leslie arrived yesterday from Washington state to visit for a week. As we drove from the airport she commented on the lush green fertile landscape and the bright blue of where the sky meets the ocean. I promised to take her to see the sea turtles (as mentioned in my previous post) and the humpback whales. Think how surprised we were this morning to find out that we could also add rat to the list of exciting wildlife to see. Yes, it is sad that there are rats that infest this land and sneak into my home, but what a great "hawaiian" experience for my sister Leslie. I promise all who visit me that I will try to share with them the real Hawaii that we have grown to love!
Here is Mark the Rat Hunter. For many moons he has fret over this persistant, oatmeal eating creature. Since he ate through the container that held Mark's special "Coach's Oats Cracked Oatmeal", Mark has vowed to get revenge! Look who the winner is now! That will teach you mister Rat!!! SUMMERILLS ARE WINNERS!

Honu means Turtle

Since we moved here almost 2 years ago, I have been offering our home to friends and family to stay at, but sadly the only people who have been able to take us up on that offer have been my parents and Mark's mission buddy, Josh and his wife. We were so excited when are PG, settlers-playing buddies, told us they were coming for a week. The Hales came last week Wednesday and left this evening. While they were here I took them all over the island, from Makapu light house to Haleiwa for shave ice. In fact, we were lucky to see humpback whales on Saturday and then giant Honu (sea turtles) today. It turned out to be perfect. Today for their last day in Hawaii I drove them out to Lanis (or turtle beach). This beach is popular because the Honu love to sun bathe on its shore. After a yummy breakfast of portuguese sausage and eggs at Hukilau Cafe, we drove to lanis just in time to see 5 or 6 Honu playing in the waves. After we watched them for about 10 minutes one of the turtles bobbed his way onto the shore and slowly crawled up on the sand. After he came out, another turtle followed in his path. It was great to watch the beautiful turtles make their way out of the ocean and onto the beach. Wish you could be there too....ahh, I sure do love living in Hawaii.

This guy was pretty big. Henry had a great time watching him crawl up on shore, and since he was so slow, we had some fun photo opps!
Here is me and Haley at Makapu light house look out. We spent the morning hiking up and we were both pretty tired at the end. From the lookout we could see Molokai and a group of Humpback whales doing pectoral fin slaps on the water.
I couldn't resist a picture of the turtle butt! If you are feeling saggy and overcome with cellulite, just imagine, it could be worse. This guy needs to do some serious butt crunches.

Tongue, Drool, Drool, Drool, Tongue

Hi, I am Theodore! If you are looking for a good time, so am I. I would love to sit and listen to you talk. My friends say I am a good listener because I am so attentive. I will watch your every movement while you gab on and on, but please talk about me. I love when people gush about me.
My idea of a good time would entitle a lot of lip service...hahaha...

Ok Here are some pictures of me playing with Theodore this morning. He was acting like a little crabby demon baby because I wasn't giving him my undivided attention. When I finally sat down to hold him, he cheered right up. He just wanted to play I guess. I can't hardly believe that he is 6 1/2 months old. It goes by so fast! He loves to sit and drool. I think that he must be teething because the amount of drool coming out of his mouth has increased 10 fold. His favorite thing to do is stick out his tounge. If you stick out yours too, he giggles and then does it again. My little Teddy bear is such a cutie.

One more thing I did in Utah...

Ok, so I have bad mouthed MLMs for as long as I can remember my first experience with one...ugh...that was unpleasant. Well it seems that I have to once again, eat my own words. I have just signed up with the ranks of Lia Sophia Jewelry. As you know, I am a shoe/clothing/jewelry freak. I love, LOVE, LOVE to buy, own, posses, rub, look at, admire, smell, touch, gaze upon pretty things that I can wear. While I was in Utah, Ella my scrapbooking, crafting, beading, quilting and now jewlery friend introduced me to a Lia Sophia party. At first I was standoffish because of the price, but upon further investigation of design and quality, I fell head over heals in love with their jewelry, so much so that I decided to have my own party. I had a small party in Utah so I could get free jewelry and have a huge discount, because that is obviously what I am always looking for. After my party, I loved the jewelry so much that I decided to sign up to sell it. So, call me what you will, but I now am a "distributer" of Lia Sophia Jewelry. If you want to see what I have gone crazy about, you can check out the website at www.liasophia.com/erinsummerill. Also, if you want to throw a party, give me a call because I am looking to book some starter shows and I would always love to do it with someone I know. If you don't live in the same state as me, you can do a catalog show if you are interested. Either way, let me know.

Back to Hawaii

If you didn't know, I took a quick trip to Utah on a whim. Having realized that I had a flight voucher that was about to expire and trying to ward off increasing signs of post partum, I took a quick jaunt to visit my family and friends. When I first got to Utah, I spent an evening of what I thought was going to be scrapbooking with a group of friends, but when I arrived, I realized that most of the women were quilting! Of course I am one to follow the croud (ha ha) so I went home that evening and announced to my mom that I would like to make a quilt. It wasn't long before I found a pattern that I felt I could tackle and cute material out of my mom's never-ending stash. In the first evening, under the direction of my mom, I was able to cut out most of my pieces and begin sewing them together. Over the next few days while my mom was at work, I went to Ella's, my former scrapbooking/beading buddy who also turned quilter, house to complete the piecing together. Ella was great to abandon her projects to assist me. After I finished the piecing, my mom helped me hook up the quilt top to the batting and bottom on the quilting machine so I could machine quilt it...I have decided that this is my favorite part. I was able to use her machine quilter to create stitch designs all over my quilt. I made, swirly lines, hearts, flowers and of course, hidden messages!!! I wrote all the names of my boys and other thoughts throughout the quilt. If you look closely at the picture, you can see part of Theodore's name. The quilt I made is twin size, so I could use it in the boys' room.
In fact, I had so much fun, that while I was there I also picked up fabric to make three more projects, and quilting tools (of course in pink)! Happy Quilting! Aren't these brown and blues cute? I love polka dots, so for each of my next few projects, I got polkadot prints to match each project. These blue and brown prints are going to just make a throw.
I love the "dick and jane" style kid prints. I am going to make a cute pottery barn style quilt for the boys' bedroom.
I absolutely love these colors, and eventhough I don't have a girl, I am going to make a pretty pink and green quilt for my bedroom.

The Ocho Dos!

This is a post from me, Mark, and I take full responsibility for what is contained in it.

There was a reality show a while back called "Beauty and the Geek" where they paired up beautiful girls with really geeky guys. It was hilarious. Whoever came up with the idea for that show must have been inspired by Erin and myself. I think that show was based on my life, except for the fact that none of the girls on that show could hold a candle to Erin. She is so amazing compared to any of the girls that they had on that show. I honestly feel like I am the luckiest guy in the world. I am such a schmuck and to be lucky enough to have a bombshell like Erin fall for me just blows my mind every time I think about it.

From the first time I met Erin I felt that there was something really special about her and I couldn't get enough of it. From the first time we went out with each other I felt like we had known each other forever. It really was magical being with her and I have never felt that way with anyone else. I fell in love with her right away. I can still remember vividly how after we had been dating for a couple of weeks that Erin went to visit a friend of hers at Rick's College. That weekend I went on a hike up to the 'Y' in Provo with my sister Debra and her boyfriend John (who is now her husband). We were hiking at night and it was so beautiful. I wished so badly that Erin could be there with me. I couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she was and how much fun I would be having if she were with me. I desperately missed her and wished that she was there with me. There was a true yearning in my heart to be with her. A yearning I had not felt before for anyone.

Since that time I have gotten to know Erin a lot better and understand a lot more about what makes her so special, and ever since I saw Erin's post recently, "The Ocho!", I really wanted to share with everyone what I love about her and why I think she is so enchanting. What follows is my list of eight things that I love about her. It is just a small sampling of why I think she is so wonderful.

1. Erin Is Patient – Erin has been such a patient person since I met her. We really have seen a lot of problems since we have been married and Erin has been more patient than anyone could ever imagine. I love you Erin. Thanks for always waiting for me.

2. Erin Is Thoughtful – If anyone is a friend of Erin then they will know how thoughtful she is. She is always finding some way to be thoughtful or kind to family, friends, or anyone she comes in contact with. A good example is all the things that she has done for the young women that she has taught over the years while being a young womens leader in church calling. I don’t know how many times we have been late for church because she was making bracelets, necklaces, cookies, or cards for the girls she was teaching at the time. It doesn't matter if we are ten minutes late, she wants those girls to know how important they are. If they knew how much effort Erin put into doing special things for them they would be blown away. That effort that she puts into helping the young women comes out of love not duty and that same love extends to everyone she cares about. If you have ever received anything that was handmade by Erin I hope you know how important that means you are to her. She puts her whole heart into those gifts. People would be shocked if they knew how much she really cared about them. I always tell her that she is doing too much but her love for others always pushes her to go the extra mile to show people how important they are to her even if they won't ever really appreciate it. Her gifts are imperfect representations or expressions or her love for her family, and friends in spite of how nice they are.

3. Erin Is A Great Mother – Erin puts more thought into the care and raising of our children than I can even comprehend. The crazy thing is that I am sure we can count on one hand how many times she babysat before we were married. She has become the most amazing mother though. She is the ultimate mother. She is a professional. If there is a book that might have worthwhile ideas on how to raise children, there is a good chance that she has read it. She has had so many ideas about what to do with our children and her ideas have been fantastic. I know she worries a lot about our kids and how they will turn out, but I really don’t think she has anything to worry about. If only half of what she is trying to teach them sticks then they will be the most fantastic adults that anyone has ever met.

4. Erin Is A Fantastic Cook – Erin really knows how to cook if you know what I mean. While I am writing this Erin is actually in Utah visiting family and I not only miss her, but I really, really miss her cooking. I think I have lost five pounds so far since she has been gone and it has only been a few days. I have to admit that when Erin and I got married I really felt like it was a leap of faith for me in many ways. When I first met Erin she was very driven to chase some important dreams she had related to school and work. I don’t believe that becoming a great cook was on her list at the time of things she wanted to be amazing at. In spite of that she has really become an amazing cook. I would prefer Erin’s cooking over eating out any day. A good example of her talent with cooking is her Magelby’s rolls. We ate at Magelby’s a number of years ago and we really loved their rolls. She went home an played around with a roll recipe a number of times until she came up with something that was very similar to Magelby’s. In fact it was so close in taste that I couldn’t tell the difference. She didn’t stop there though, she kept playing around with it until it was way better and now I don’t really care if I ever have another Magelby’s roll. I would much prefer to help her make her version. I can't tell you how many recipes she has done this. Yummy! I would definitely be extremely overweight if I did not have such a high metabolism.

5. Erin Is An Amazing Homemaker – Most of you who know Erin understand what an amazing homemaker she is. I don’t think that there is ever a night that we go to bed that there is something out of place, other than on my desk. Some people think she has a bit of an OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) but that is okay with me. Our house is always amazing. She goes to great lengths to make our home a beautiful place. Not only is our home always clean, but it is always very nice. The furniture is always in good condition and if it isn’t she makes sure that she replaces it with something that is. She always gets the best discount of course though. She always seems to be able to find a few thousand dollars worth of furniture for just a few hundred dollars. It always amazes me to see what she has found on Craig’s List. She is the most amazing shopper I have ever met, but that she be another point on my list. What else can I really say? Our house is such a welcoming place because of her.

6. Erin Is Smart – Smart as a whip. Her smarts have really made me lazy. If there is ever a challenge in our lives I just ask Erin what she thinks and she has a solution. I don’t think we have come across a mental challenge yet that she has not been able to tackle. If anyone has played a game with Erin they know how true this is.

She has an incredible ability to focus her mind and think. That same focus Erin has for playing games can be seen in everything she does. She really thinks about what she is doing and it really makes a big difference in our family.

7. Erin Is Fun – This is one of Erin’s attributes that I loved the most about her when we were dating and one of the things that really drew me to her. Erin just has a love for life, and she always has fun with what she is doing. When we started dating I had so much fun that I would regularly stay up till 2 a.m. with her just talking and laughing. That fun has never stopped from the day we first met. When we were dating we had so much fun jumping in the canal (don't tell her parents), washing cars, skipping work and school, sitting in the moonlight with our feet dangling in the irrigation ditch, and many other experiences. Since getting married we have had fun cruisiing to Mexico, visiting Disneyland and Disney World, camping in Mona Utah, playing scrabble on our bed, going sledding, playing in the surf, and most recently running.

From when I first met Erin I have had fun like I had never experienced before with anyone else. I don’t know quite how to explain it but Erin has an amazing energy that really makes being around her enjoyable and anyone that knows her well will hopefully understand what I am talking about. Maybe it is just me that feels this way, but that is okay with me. It is in fact one of the reasons that I married. Aside from knowing that I would get to wake up to someone so gorgeous every morning I knew that I would really have a fun life with her. Literally I really thought and knew that before we got married and that is how it has been. How lucky am I. You might be able to say some things about Erin, but one thing you cannot say is that she is boring. I really love how much fun she is.

8. Erin Is Beautiful – Erin is really beautiful. She is the most beautiful girl that I have ever met. I can’t believe I was so lucky to catch her. I still have to pinch myself when I think about the fact that she fell for a geek like me. Erin really turns a lot of heads. Wherever we go I always catch other guys watching her as we go by. I can only imagine that they are wondering why such a gorgeous girl is hanging all over me. I can’t count how many times I am out and about and people will tell me how beautiful she is, and I just have to agree with them. I know she hates when I say this so I don't ever say it, but she is my Polynesian Princess. I remember when we were dating how I loved the soft curves of her face and I still do.

She is quite the sight for sore eyes, and these sore eyes can't wait to look at her again when she gets back in a week. I really do miss "seeing" her. Erin really sparkles.

Well there are eight things that make Erin amazing. I could write more and more and more about why she is so beautiful though. In all my writing though there would still be something missing. I think there will always be something special about Erin that I will never be able to explain. Maybe during the next eight years I will be able to figure it out but I kind of doubt it. There something really magical about her that I think will always be unexplainable. I don't care if I never figure it out though, I just desperately want to be with her all the time. I am so lucky that I get to have her all to myself forever. I really love Erin and I can't wait to see what the next eight years bring for us.

Hopping Fun Easter

On Saturday our boys went to the annual Gunstock Ranch Easter Egg Hunt. If you look at the field in the back of the first picture, you will see peoplw walking back in from the end of the Easter egg hunt. The hunt is widespread over a few acres of land, but there are hundreds of kids that participate. The people who hide the eggs spare no creativity when hiding the eggs, the boys found eggs under parking cones and cow patties. After the hunt, the ranch offered free horse rides to the children. George and Henry enjoyed taking pictures in front of the "bunny" horse (look close for his bunny ears) and riding the horses.
For the most part we enjoyed our morning at Gunstock ranch. I have to admit, I am a little competitive, so when Henry's little legs weren't moving fast enough, I helped in dragging him along and giving him helpful coaching. After I showed him the grab and drop (into the basket) manuever for speed and agility a few times, he turned to me and said, "ok Mom I got it, grab and drop, grab and drop." I said, "Good Job Henry you will do great." and he rolled his eyes and said, "I know mom." I guess he didn't need my friendly "coaching" so much.


Here are my two big boys on Easter morning. I didn't get a picture of Theodore because he was sleeping. The boys loved looking around the house for their baskets and then reading the love note from the bunny! The note mentioned their wonderful qualities...things that I love about them. Then we attended church which I thought was so peaceful and meaningful especially on Easter. What a wonderful Easter weekend. I hope yours was just as great and gooey!

George Summerill--SUPER STAR

Ok, so I know the costume is a little bit of a stretch, but George was in a play this last weekend. He played the part of a Monkey in the Children's Theater Group of Oahu production of Aladin. Although he didn't like the goopy makeup, he loved running around with the other 80 kids in the play and learning the songs and dances. The first night was like a deer caught in the head lights. Poor George had his first experience with stage fright, but after the first night, George got into the act.

Hawaii--giving more meaning to the "aloha" state

Disclaimer: Please refrain from reading the following blog if you are sensitive to discussing bodily functions, if you have eaten anytime in the last 2 hours or if you had the notion that I was above discussing my own bodily functions. If you fall under any of the above noted categories, you should refrain from reading the rest of this blog entry. Hence forth, you have been forewarned.

Hawaii, the 50th state, is most often called the "aloha" state, meaning the state that shares love freely. This last Tuesday I had the opportunity in the bathroom stall of a Ross Dress for Less store to witness Hawaii's spirit of "aloha" first hand.

Earlier in the day, Mark and I decided to eat at a restaurant that we had never been to before. (This restaurant shall remain nameless, because it is quite a popular restaurant and I wouldn't want to sway any readers from eating at this restaurant.) The food tasted excellent and I whole heartedly devoured my dish. We left the restaurant and ran a few errands which ended up taking 4 or 5 hours. As we were finishing our errands Mark and I stopped at a shopping center that had a Ross Dress for Less. Mark needed to find another pair of nice dress pants for work, so he went into the Ross while I went next door to Pier 1 (a fabulous store to buy home decor). Within minutes of entering the Pier 1, I found the cutest set of designer decor pillows, and my stomach felt like it was erupting within. All of a sudden I felt light headed and an intense clenching in my stomach and intestinal track. As small beads of perspiration formed on my head and nick, I quickly dropped the pillows of at the register, mumbling to the cashier that she would have to hold the pillows for me, and I exited the store. I ran/clenched/ran to the bathrooms at the back of the Ross and entered into one of two stalls in the small bathroom. I sat down and found immediate relief...at least from that end. It seems I was in the throws of food poisoning! As I sat haunched over the toilet in the restroom, I glanced down and noticed that toilet paper was strewn all over the floor of the restroom, but no toilet paper hung in the dispenser! "Great, there is no toilet paper," I muttered as I scanned the restroom floor inspecting the toilet paper on the ground...I was going to have to be resourceful!

Then in the other stall of the small, two-stall restroom, I heard the distinct accent of an older Filipino woman. "Eh you, you got da diarrhea o' wat?" I couldn't believe my ears, was she asking me about my bodily projections? "Um, yes," I timidly returned. "You no sound so good. I got da paper. You need?" She continued. "Yes, thank you." was all I could say, thinking our conversation was over when she handed me a wad of toilet paper under the stall wall. But to my surprise and amusement, she continued. "I tink you need more." Apparently she was listening to me...She passed another large wad of toilet paper. "I got the diarrhea too. I ate da Saimin and I no feel so good too. Wat You eat?" Well, I could see at this point a conversation was going to ensue, so I, thankful for the shared toilet paper, engaged in the Restroom spirit of Aloha. We talked about what we ate, her recent gal bladder surgery, my 2nd and 3rd rounds, and 10 minutes later when it was all over, I found that I had made a new, old Filipino friend.

May the spirit of Aloha be with you too!

Cake CAKE and more Cake!!!

Eventhough Henry's birthday isn't until Sunday, his "friends of Shrek" party is Saturday. Henry will be turning four, so he chose some friends from his play group and church to come and enjoy a day playing Shrek themed games, dressing up like Shrek and then eating Shrek cake. I made the cake tonight so I wouldn't have to worry about it before the party tomorrow. Here are a few pictures of my Shrek cake. I will post party pictures later.

George is 6!!!

Here is the birthday boy!

I can hardly believe that George is already 6! It seems like just a short time has pessed since Mark and I were struggling students, living in Orem and expecting our first baby. Yesterday we celebrated George's birthday by having a superhero training camp party. When George's friends showed up they each recieved a superhero name (i.e. Frost Man, Blaster, Speed o boy). As the kids arrived they were given a superhero mask to color and decorate and once they finished, they were awarded a special superhero cape (old cut up sheets with ribbon sewn as ties). We played superhero training games like pass the Kryptonite, toss the bomb away, save the musical planets and superhero superhero FLASH. After the games the kids ate corn dogs, chips, and veggies and then we cut into the superhero cake. The party was a lot of work, and I think next year we will just have a family outing, but George absolutely loved his party, so it made it worth the effort. Also, eventhough it sounds like this party would be expensive it actually cost just under 30 dollars for EVERYTHING!!! Thus, that is why I tried to be creative, I am always looking for a way to cut expenses.