I just thought I'd share something I've been pondering a bit lately. The subject came about from a combination of two sources: my Sunday School lesson this last Sunday and the bits of the blessing that Russ gave Cindy (as told to me by Cindy).
My lesson this last Sunday was about Abinadi (we're a week behind most people because of the snow day we had). We started out by talking about different people throughout the scriptures who accepted difficult missions. Like in Isaiah 6 (and 2 Ne. 16) where Isaiah responds to the Lord's question, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" with a very bold and faithful, "Here am I, send me." Isaiah, along with the many others we discussed, such as Noah, Moses, Lehi, Esther, and Samuel the Lamanite, all knew that the missions would be difficult. They knew that the people may not want to hear and that they would resist and possibly even try to kill them, but they accepted anyway.
In Cindy's blessing, she was told that her baby knew the challenges he'd face before coming to the earth, and that he eagerly accepted them.
So it made me wonder what challenges we eagerly accepted before we came to earth. Did Cindy know that her 5th child would have something wrong with his heart and she eagerly accepted the challenge of caring for him (knowing Cindy, I'd say that it's a very distinct possibility)? Did my friend Katie know that she would lose her husband and have to raise their son alone for a couple of years before she'd remarry? Would knowing about these challenges in advance make them easier or harder?
I always admire those who have the really big challenges and yet never seem to waver, the people who are rocks. I would describe Cindy that way, for sure. It may be a struggle and she may have the sorrow and cry at times, but she remains stalwart and is a great example to me.
My patriarchal blessing tells me that I came here knowing that there would be times of sorrow, and hurt, and challenge, but that I would be able to hear and understand the gospel principles, that I understood them clearly before. With all the examples from the scriptures, they were all people who had a clear understanding of gospel principles. They had strong faith and a determination to do God's will, no matter the consequence. I'm sure that Cindy takes comfort in knowing that her baby eagerly accepted his challenges, and I know that Katie takes comfort in the knowledge that she will she her husband again and that they are sealed for all eternity. I know that for me, it's much easier to go through whatever challenges that come my way when I try to look at them from an eternal perspective, when I know that "all these things will give thee experience and shall be for thy good."
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Preschool graduation
Today was Alex's last day of preschool. It's amazing how fast the school year has gone by. He always looked forward to Mondays and Wednesdays when he would be able to go and learn letters and numbers and play with the other kids.
As it ended up, the last time was at our house. We learned about the number 10 and then I decided to do a little graduation ceremony for them, since it seemed a bit anti-climatic to just do the number 10.
I made little graduation caps and diplomas for them and bought cupcakes with graduation star rings in them for a snack. I also made (well, painted) little picture frames for each of them so I could take their pictures in their caps and then print them and put them in the frames so they could have a reminder of the day. We ended up not really having time to print them off, so I gave their parents the frames and am emailing them the pictures. Most of the moms were there for it, so they got pictures too. One ended up taking the "official" pictures of them after they got their diplomas.
It ended up being fun for them, but their favorite part was getting the cupcakes.
Here's Alex in his cap. He's pretty cool:
This is the graduating preschool class. From left to right, Peter, Dani, Danae, Alex, Ashtyn, Owen:
As it ended up, the last time was at our house. We learned about the number 10 and then I decided to do a little graduation ceremony for them, since it seemed a bit anti-climatic to just do the number 10.
I made little graduation caps and diplomas for them and bought cupcakes with graduation star rings in them for a snack. I also made (well, painted) little picture frames for each of them so I could take their pictures in their caps and then print them and put them in the frames so they could have a reminder of the day. We ended up not really having time to print them off, so I gave their parents the frames and am emailing them the pictures. Most of the moms were there for it, so they got pictures too. One ended up taking the "official" pictures of them after they got their diplomas.
It ended up being fun for them, but their favorite part was getting the cupcakes.
Here's Alex in his cap. He's pretty cool:
This is the graduating preschool class. From left to right, Peter, Dani, Danae, Alex, Ashtyn, Owen:
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Poor Alex. He had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Well, parts of it anyway. Despite that, he's been pretty happy and as energetic as ever.
It started this morning after we dropped Ben off at school for his field trip. We left the school building and went across the street to get in the van. Alex was running ahead of us as usual. He tripped and fell, scraping both knees. It looked like his shoes had suddenly been stapled to the ground. His feet stopped, but the rest of him just kept going. He cried the whole way home. Drama queen? Not Alex.
At home later, he fell off the side of the couch when he was trying to climb over it. He came to complain to me just so he could get a hug, then went back to playing.
The next incident happened when we went to the bus stop to pick Ben up after school. Alex didn't want to wear his shoes, so he rode in the wagon with Chris and Daniel. Just as we were about to stop to wait for the bus, Alex fell out of the wagon backwards and landed on his head. Surprisingly, he didn't cry that time.
Then came the big one. Kyle came over to play late this afternoon and Ben, Chris, and Kyle all went out back to play. Alex waited a while, then finally got on his shoes so he could go out and play with them. While he was doing that, I took Daniel up for his bath. I heard Bryce downstairs saying, "Alex, are you okay?" Then I heard some, "It's okay, we'll clean it off. Blood won't hurt you." After I had drained the water in the bath, Bryce called me to come down, where he showed me the top and back of Alex's head. He had a nice gash where Kyle had hit him with a long two by four we have in the back yard. I took Daniel back upstairs and put him in bed, then took Alex over to the Quick Care.
We got out of the van at the Quick Care and had parked next to an island thing. Alex insisted on walking on the curb there, despite me saying that he'd had a rough day and that maybe he should just walk on the ground. Yep, he fell into the bushes. "That one didn't hurt, Mom." At least there was that. Of course, when we walked into the Quick Care, they told us they were closed even though they were supposed to be open for another hour. Their computers had gone down 2 hours earlier and still hadn't come back. So when they couldn't verify who people were, they couldn't treat them. They told me that the other Quick Care on 12th Avenue was also closed for the same reason. So I took Alex to Primary Health (it's also like a Quick Care) despite being fairly certain that they aren't on our preferred provider list with insurance. That means insurance will only cover 60% of the cost, but I thought it would be better than driving in to Meridian to go to the ER.
When we walked up to the receptionist, Alex told her that he didn't need any shots. She told him to make sure he told the doctor that. Then the doctor came out and had a quick look at Alex's head and said that they just had to clean the room, then we'd be able to go back. Another kid was just leaving who had to have stitches in his chin. Lucky Alex was going to get 2 or 3 staples in his head. He was actually pretty brave for the whole thing, even when he saw the doctor filling up the needle to numb his head. It looked like it was hurting him to numb it, but he didn't cry, just kind of whimpered and ducked his head down a little tiny bit. After they numbed him, he did get 3 staples. He didn't mind so much when he got to choose whether to go to Cold Stone or McDonald's for a treat after. He chose McDonald's and is very excited about his Spped Racer toy.
(These are kind of hard to see, but if you look close, you might see the 3 staples ... or you can click on the picture to see a bigger version)
Let's just hope that tomorrow is better for him.
It started this morning after we dropped Ben off at school for his field trip. We left the school building and went across the street to get in the van. Alex was running ahead of us as usual. He tripped and fell, scraping both knees. It looked like his shoes had suddenly been stapled to the ground. His feet stopped, but the rest of him just kept going. He cried the whole way home. Drama queen? Not Alex.
At home later, he fell off the side of the couch when he was trying to climb over it. He came to complain to me just so he could get a hug, then went back to playing.
The next incident happened when we went to the bus stop to pick Ben up after school. Alex didn't want to wear his shoes, so he rode in the wagon with Chris and Daniel. Just as we were about to stop to wait for the bus, Alex fell out of the wagon backwards and landed on his head. Surprisingly, he didn't cry that time.
Then came the big one. Kyle came over to play late this afternoon and Ben, Chris, and Kyle all went out back to play. Alex waited a while, then finally got on his shoes so he could go out and play with them. While he was doing that, I took Daniel up for his bath. I heard Bryce downstairs saying, "Alex, are you okay?" Then I heard some, "It's okay, we'll clean it off. Blood won't hurt you." After I had drained the water in the bath, Bryce called me to come down, where he showed me the top and back of Alex's head. He had a nice gash where Kyle had hit him with a long two by four we have in the back yard. I took Daniel back upstairs and put him in bed, then took Alex over to the Quick Care.
We got out of the van at the Quick Care and had parked next to an island thing. Alex insisted on walking on the curb there, despite me saying that he'd had a rough day and that maybe he should just walk on the ground. Yep, he fell into the bushes. "That one didn't hurt, Mom." At least there was that. Of course, when we walked into the Quick Care, they told us they were closed even though they were supposed to be open for another hour. Their computers had gone down 2 hours earlier and still hadn't come back. So when they couldn't verify who people were, they couldn't treat them. They told me that the other Quick Care on 12th Avenue was also closed for the same reason. So I took Alex to Primary Health (it's also like a Quick Care) despite being fairly certain that they aren't on our preferred provider list with insurance. That means insurance will only cover 60% of the cost, but I thought it would be better than driving in to Meridian to go to the ER.
When we walked up to the receptionist, Alex told her that he didn't need any shots. She told him to make sure he told the doctor that. Then the doctor came out and had a quick look at Alex's head and said that they just had to clean the room, then we'd be able to go back. Another kid was just leaving who had to have stitches in his chin. Lucky Alex was going to get 2 or 3 staples in his head. He was actually pretty brave for the whole thing, even when he saw the doctor filling up the needle to numb his head. It looked like it was hurting him to numb it, but he didn't cry, just kind of whimpered and ducked his head down a little tiny bit. After they numbed him, he did get 3 staples. He didn't mind so much when he got to choose whether to go to Cold Stone or McDonald's for a treat after. He chose McDonald's and is very excited about his Spped Racer toy.
(These are kind of hard to see, but if you look close, you might see the 3 staples ... or you can click on the picture to see a bigger version)
Let's just hope that tomorrow is better for him.
Marriage and laws
Today the Supreme Court in California overruled the voters' wishes and legalized gay marriage. I think that even if I weren't against gay marriage (for a varitey of reasons, but I won't go into that here...if you want to know why, post a comment or email me or something), I would be upset at that ruling. Especially if I were a resident of the State of California. Laws are based on the morals and beliefs of the majority. If the majority has expressed through votes that they do not want something to be legal, it should not be legal. A court, even a court that is as liberal as the one in San Francisco where the ruling was made, should not have power to change the laws so contrary to the majority belief. It suggests a lack of regard for those people who put them in the position to uphold the laws, or at the very least, an arrogance in thinking that their views and knowledge and beliefs are more important than those who voted against it in the first place. It also begins to lead us down the road away from the democracy that has made this nation great. I sincerely hope that the rest of the nation doesn't follow the example of this one state and overthrow the wishes of its citizens. The minority, while important, should not have precedence over the majority. When that begins to happen, our very rights as a nation are in jeopardy and we should consider if we really want it to happen.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Anniversary
Today is Bryce's and my 9th anniversary. It's strange to think that we've been married for that long. With much of the world today, 9 years is a lifetime to be married, but I still feel like we're babies in the marriage department. My sister will have been married for twice as long as I have this year.
Bryce got up this morning and said, "Hey, we're 9 this year." I think that's actually a good way to describe a marriage. It's almost like we're children continuing to grow and mature together. We comprehend and understand more now than we did when we were first married. We've had experiences that have helped us grow closer together and grow stronger. I think of how many in the world today so easily and readily throw away marriages, usually in the infancy of their marriage, and don't try to work things out. While in some cases it's definitely the best thing for them, I believe that in many cases, if they worked a little harder, they'd get through it stronger and wiser. They'd have grown up a few years.
In our 9 short years together, we've added a few pounds, 4 kids, and one big dog. We've lived in 2 states, 5 cities, lived in 3 apartments, 3 houses, and 6 different wards. We've either used or owned 5 different cars and still have 2 of them, although one has just sat in the garage for over a year. Together we've had 8 different jobs. We've gained two sisters-in-law and 19 neices and nephews, with 2 more (that we know of) on the way. We've also lost 2 uncles, 2 grandparents, and two nephews.
So all in all, we've had a pretty good life so far. I look forward to going through what's ahead hand in hand with my best friend.
Bryce got up this morning and said, "Hey, we're 9 this year." I think that's actually a good way to describe a marriage. It's almost like we're children continuing to grow and mature together. We comprehend and understand more now than we did when we were first married. We've had experiences that have helped us grow closer together and grow stronger. I think of how many in the world today so easily and readily throw away marriages, usually in the infancy of their marriage, and don't try to work things out. While in some cases it's definitely the best thing for them, I believe that in many cases, if they worked a little harder, they'd get through it stronger and wiser. They'd have grown up a few years.
In our 9 short years together, we've added a few pounds, 4 kids, and one big dog. We've lived in 2 states, 5 cities, lived in 3 apartments, 3 houses, and 6 different wards. We've either used or owned 5 different cars and still have 2 of them, although one has just sat in the garage for over a year. Together we've had 8 different jobs. We've gained two sisters-in-law and 19 neices and nephews, with 2 more (that we know of) on the way. We've also lost 2 uncles, 2 grandparents, and two nephews.
So all in all, we've had a pretty good life so far. I look forward to going through what's ahead hand in hand with my best friend.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day
Today is Mother's Day, the day when we celebrate moms of all kinds for the hard and all too often unhearalded work that they do. It's a typical tradition in most wards in the Church to give a gift to all the women over 18 on Mother's Day. I always knew that they did it that way so they wouldn't make women who weren't able to be married or to be moms feel left out like they might if they just gave things to the women who actually had children, but before I was married at the age of 24, I always felt a bit silly getting a present. This year, we were given a little tile that said, "Who I am does make a difference."
I thought of my mom and the difference she made in my life. I have a great mom. She did her best to attend all our soccer games, even when all 6 kids had games on the same day. She was always there when we needed her and is still there to take the oars when we need someone else to worry about things for us for a while. I will always attribute my sense of humor to my mom, as well as my ability to laugh at some of the little stupid things I do sometimes. I honestly think that there were times my friends came over to hang out with me just so they could hang out with my mom. I really have been blessed with a loving, caring mom, one I wish I could be more like. So thanks, Mom!
I've also been blessed with many wonderful church leaders and now a Mother-in-law who have always supported me and given me strength and advice when I need it. When I think of all these women in my life, I think of one of my favorite quotes from a General Conference. It was in a talk titled, "Because She Was a Mother" by Jeffrey R. Holland. He said, "Yours is the grand tradition of Eve, the mother of all the human family, the one who understood that she and Adam had to fall in order that 'men [and women] might be' and that there would be joy. Yours is the grand tradition of Sarah and Rebekah and Rachel, without whom there could not have been those magnificent patriarchal promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob which bless us all. Yours is the grand tradition of Lois and Eunice and the mothers of the 2,000 stripling warriors. Yours is the grand tradition of Mary, chosen and foreordained from before this world was, to conceive, carry, and bear the Son of God Himself. We thank all of you, including our own mothers, and tell you there is nothing more important in this world than participating so directly in the work and glory of God, in bringing to pass the mortality and earthly life of His daughters and sons, so that immortality and eternal life can come in those celestial realms on high."
So thank you to all the wonderful moms and women I've had in my life. I couldn't have gotten here without you!
I thought of my mom and the difference she made in my life. I have a great mom. She did her best to attend all our soccer games, even when all 6 kids had games on the same day. She was always there when we needed her and is still there to take the oars when we need someone else to worry about things for us for a while. I will always attribute my sense of humor to my mom, as well as my ability to laugh at some of the little stupid things I do sometimes. I honestly think that there were times my friends came over to hang out with me just so they could hang out with my mom. I really have been blessed with a loving, caring mom, one I wish I could be more like. So thanks, Mom!
I've also been blessed with many wonderful church leaders and now a Mother-in-law who have always supported me and given me strength and advice when I need it. When I think of all these women in my life, I think of one of my favorite quotes from a General Conference. It was in a talk titled, "Because She Was a Mother" by Jeffrey R. Holland. He said, "Yours is the grand tradition of Eve, the mother of all the human family, the one who understood that she and Adam had to fall in order that 'men [and women] might be' and that there would be joy. Yours is the grand tradition of Sarah and Rebekah and Rachel, without whom there could not have been those magnificent patriarchal promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob which bless us all. Yours is the grand tradition of Lois and Eunice and the mothers of the 2,000 stripling warriors. Yours is the grand tradition of Mary, chosen and foreordained from before this world was, to conceive, carry, and bear the Son of God Himself. We thank all of you, including our own mothers, and tell you there is nothing more important in this world than participating so directly in the work and glory of God, in bringing to pass the mortality and earthly life of His daughters and sons, so that immortality and eternal life can come in those celestial realms on high."
So thank you to all the wonderful moms and women I've had in my life. I couldn't have gotten here without you!
Friday, May 9, 2008
The Neverending Doctor Visits
If you've been reading my blog on a fairly regular basis over the last few months, you're probably aware of how we've had one type of doctor appointment after another. Yes, I've been getting pretty tired of going to see the doctor or dentist. But apparently we decided we needed to have more fun of going, since I got to take Daniel to the doctor again this morning.
Daniel had been getting a cold since Tuesday; congestion and cough mostly. Because of his bout of pneumonia at the end of February/beginning of March that he's never completely gotten over, I was watching him a bit more carefully. Yesterday his congestion seemed to be going away a bit, so I thought he was getting better and I wouldn't have to take him in to the doctor. He didn't eat as much as usual yesterday, but I figured that wasn't a big deal, since I know when I'm really congested, food doesn't taste as good. He did have a temperature of 100.2 last night, so I gave him some Tylenol before I put him in bed. He slept through the night, which isn't unusual. This morning I went in when he had been crying for a second and picked him up. He promptly fell asleep on me, which if you know him, definitely isn't normal for him. So when I put him back in bed and he kept sleeping, then got him out a half hour or so later and changed his clothes, where he fell asleep in the middle, and put him back in bed, I decided I needed to call the doctor. His regular doctor was booked today, so we went to the doctor physician's assistant (or something like that).
We got to the doctor and were called back fairly quickly (thanks to Katie for watching Ben and Alex and letting me use her car and her carseats). They didn't have us undress Daniel, but still checked his weight and he was 2 ounces lighter than the last time. The nurse then checked his blood oxygen level, which was at 94%. Then the doctor came in and looked at his ears. Daniel had lots of fluid in one ear and the other ear was infected. So right there I was glad I had taken him in. The doctor then listened to his lungs and thought that he didn't sound like he had pneumonia, that he had a lot of junk in there, but it was upper respiratory and not pneumonia. He was a little concerned about the blood ox level though, so had them do a nebulizer while we were in the office to see how he responded. The doctor checked his blood ox level after the nebulizer and it had gone up to 97%. He listened to Daniel's lungs again and did hear that he had pneumonia this time. We got to keep the mask and things they used on the nebulizer, and the doctor gave us an air chamber thing to use with an inhaler for him. He also prescribed some antibiotics and told us to call his regular doctor on Monday. Hopefully the medicine will work quickly and Daniel will be back to normal. It was pretty sad watching him falling asleep in the cart at Costco when we went to pick up the prescriptions.
If you would keep Daniel in your prayers though, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt.
Daniel had been getting a cold since Tuesday; congestion and cough mostly. Because of his bout of pneumonia at the end of February/beginning of March that he's never completely gotten over, I was watching him a bit more carefully. Yesterday his congestion seemed to be going away a bit, so I thought he was getting better and I wouldn't have to take him in to the doctor. He didn't eat as much as usual yesterday, but I figured that wasn't a big deal, since I know when I'm really congested, food doesn't taste as good. He did have a temperature of 100.2 last night, so I gave him some Tylenol before I put him in bed. He slept through the night, which isn't unusual. This morning I went in when he had been crying for a second and picked him up. He promptly fell asleep on me, which if you know him, definitely isn't normal for him. So when I put him back in bed and he kept sleeping, then got him out a half hour or so later and changed his clothes, where he fell asleep in the middle, and put him back in bed, I decided I needed to call the doctor. His regular doctor was booked today, so we went to the doctor physician's assistant (or something like that).
We got to the doctor and were called back fairly quickly (thanks to Katie for watching Ben and Alex and letting me use her car and her carseats). They didn't have us undress Daniel, but still checked his weight and he was 2 ounces lighter than the last time. The nurse then checked his blood oxygen level, which was at 94%. Then the doctor came in and looked at his ears. Daniel had lots of fluid in one ear and the other ear was infected. So right there I was glad I had taken him in. The doctor then listened to his lungs and thought that he didn't sound like he had pneumonia, that he had a lot of junk in there, but it was upper respiratory and not pneumonia. He was a little concerned about the blood ox level though, so had them do a nebulizer while we were in the office to see how he responded. The doctor checked his blood ox level after the nebulizer and it had gone up to 97%. He listened to Daniel's lungs again and did hear that he had pneumonia this time. We got to keep the mask and things they used on the nebulizer, and the doctor gave us an air chamber thing to use with an inhaler for him. He also prescribed some antibiotics and told us to call his regular doctor on Monday. Hopefully the medicine will work quickly and Daniel will be back to normal. It was pretty sad watching him falling asleep in the cart at Costco when we went to pick up the prescriptions.
If you would keep Daniel in your prayers though, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Cinco de Mayo and Taco Bell
Since it was Cinco de Mayo yesterday, I was going to cook us some mexican food for dinner. I was first going to make some chimis, but noticed I was out of green chilis. Then I was just going to make tacos, but noticed we were out of hamburger meat. I probably should have just made quesadillas after that, but if I had, I wouldn't have this story to tell.
I decided that if I was going to have to go buy something to be able to make mexican food, I'd rather just buy it pre-made. So Ben, Alex, Chris, and I got in the van and drove over to Taco Bell to pick up some tacos. I knew it would not be a very original idea, so I expected it to be crowded. As I drove around the side towards the drive-through entrance, I did see about 5 or so cars sitting in line. The parking lot was mostly empty however, so I figured it wouldn't be too bad. I pulled up behind the last car and then sat there for the next 20 minutes. Didn't move. One car had pulled up behind me and left after just a few minutes of waiting. I could only see the two cars immediately in front of me, so I couldn't tell where the hold-up was. At least until the car two cars in front of me was finally able to leave from in front of the ordering speaker. When he left, he was able to pull all the way around, so it appeared that the hold-up was with him somehow. But then I got to watch as the car in front of me got to sit for several minutes before someone even said through the speaker, "I'll be right with you." It was at least 5 minutes after that when they finally were able to order. You might wonder why I was sitting there the whole time and didn't just leave. Part of it was curiosity to see why it was taking so long (did they just have one person working that day? were they somehow out of tacos? did aliens appear in the middle of their kitchen and abduct the manager?) and part of it was because I did end up with a couple more cars behind me and no way to get out until I was able to pull up to order. By then, I figured I had waited that long, I might as well get food. When I got to order, I actually got to order right away, so I thought that maybe they had fixed whatever problem they were having that was slowing things down. Nope. I pulled around by the window and had to wait at least another 5 minutes for the people in front of me to actually get their food. I could see people inside, some who had walked in while I was waiting in line, and they were sitting down eating their food. But there was also a line inside and I saw a couple people finally turn around and go out without ordering. So it wasn't just the drive-through. When the people in front of me finally got their food, I pulled up and found at least a partial answer to why it was taking so long. The guy at the window appeared to have never done that job before in his life. He appeared to be older than me, so I couldn't chalk it down to just an apathetic teenager. And I'd say that with someone older than me (but not like a retiree who is working to earn extra money) who is working the cash register at a fast food restaurant, I shouldn't be surprised when they're not the brightest bulb on the Christmas Tree, but with today's economy, that might be the only kind of work some people can find. Anyway, they had little receipt slips lined up in order of who ordered what. The guy would look at the register kind of stupidly, push some buttons, squint at it, kind of hit it, look around, look back at the register, etc. I watched at he picked up one of the receipts, looked at it, went to throw it in the garbage, then changed his mind and stuck it in his shirt pocket. He then picked up the next in line and read the total at the bottom to me. Nope, it wasn't mine. I told him how much mine was supposed to be. He then started looking around at the other receipts in line, then started going through all the crumpled receipts in the garbage to see if he could find it. I mentioned that I saw him put one in his pocket, but he either ignored me or didn't understand what I said. He finally decided to believe me and took my money (good thing I had exact change or I wonder what that would have done to him). Then he went to where the food was lined up for the drive-throughs and had to ask the people there which ones were next. Yes, there was a bit of a line-up of food waiting to be passed to the people in the cars. So after over a half hour of waiting in line of the drive-through, I finally had my food and was able to go home. By then, Chris was starting to fall asleep in the car, Alex was saying he was tired, and Ben and Alex were both saying they were starving. On the up side, they did like their food and ate it pretty fast. Despite that fact however, I think it will be a long, long time before I go back to that particular Taco Bell.
I decided that if I was going to have to go buy something to be able to make mexican food, I'd rather just buy it pre-made. So Ben, Alex, Chris, and I got in the van and drove over to Taco Bell to pick up some tacos. I knew it would not be a very original idea, so I expected it to be crowded. As I drove around the side towards the drive-through entrance, I did see about 5 or so cars sitting in line. The parking lot was mostly empty however, so I figured it wouldn't be too bad. I pulled up behind the last car and then sat there for the next 20 minutes. Didn't move. One car had pulled up behind me and left after just a few minutes of waiting. I could only see the two cars immediately in front of me, so I couldn't tell where the hold-up was. At least until the car two cars in front of me was finally able to leave from in front of the ordering speaker. When he left, he was able to pull all the way around, so it appeared that the hold-up was with him somehow. But then I got to watch as the car in front of me got to sit for several minutes before someone even said through the speaker, "I'll be right with you." It was at least 5 minutes after that when they finally were able to order. You might wonder why I was sitting there the whole time and didn't just leave. Part of it was curiosity to see why it was taking so long (did they just have one person working that day? were they somehow out of tacos? did aliens appear in the middle of their kitchen and abduct the manager?) and part of it was because I did end up with a couple more cars behind me and no way to get out until I was able to pull up to order. By then, I figured I had waited that long, I might as well get food. When I got to order, I actually got to order right away, so I thought that maybe they had fixed whatever problem they were having that was slowing things down. Nope. I pulled around by the window and had to wait at least another 5 minutes for the people in front of me to actually get their food. I could see people inside, some who had walked in while I was waiting in line, and they were sitting down eating their food. But there was also a line inside and I saw a couple people finally turn around and go out without ordering. So it wasn't just the drive-through. When the people in front of me finally got their food, I pulled up and found at least a partial answer to why it was taking so long. The guy at the window appeared to have never done that job before in his life. He appeared to be older than me, so I couldn't chalk it down to just an apathetic teenager. And I'd say that with someone older than me (but not like a retiree who is working to earn extra money) who is working the cash register at a fast food restaurant, I shouldn't be surprised when they're not the brightest bulb on the Christmas Tree, but with today's economy, that might be the only kind of work some people can find. Anyway, they had little receipt slips lined up in order of who ordered what. The guy would look at the register kind of stupidly, push some buttons, squint at it, kind of hit it, look around, look back at the register, etc. I watched at he picked up one of the receipts, looked at it, went to throw it in the garbage, then changed his mind and stuck it in his shirt pocket. He then picked up the next in line and read the total at the bottom to me. Nope, it wasn't mine. I told him how much mine was supposed to be. He then started looking around at the other receipts in line, then started going through all the crumpled receipts in the garbage to see if he could find it. I mentioned that I saw him put one in his pocket, but he either ignored me or didn't understand what I said. He finally decided to believe me and took my money (good thing I had exact change or I wonder what that would have done to him). Then he went to where the food was lined up for the drive-throughs and had to ask the people there which ones were next. Yes, there was a bit of a line-up of food waiting to be passed to the people in the cars. So after over a half hour of waiting in line of the drive-through, I finally had my food and was able to go home. By then, Chris was starting to fall asleep in the car, Alex was saying he was tired, and Ben and Alex were both saying they were starving. On the up side, they did like their food and ate it pretty fast. Despite that fact however, I think it will be a long, long time before I go back to that particular Taco Bell.
Monday, May 5, 2008
And this is Bryce
You Are Cilantro |
 The bad news is that there are some people who can't stand you. The good news is that most people love you more than anything else in the world. You are distinct, unusual, fresh, and very controversial. And you wouldn't have it any other way. |
Your Mind is Purple |
 Of all the mind types, yours is the most idealistic. You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense. Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself. |
You Are Strawberry Ice Cream |
 A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core. You often find yourself on the outside looking in. Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works. You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream. |
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Just some fun stuff
I was playing and found these. They're kind of fun, but almost seem to contradict each other sometimes. Maybe I've just got a multi-faceted personality. :)
And this:
And this:
You Are Basil |
 You are quite popular and loved by post people. You have a mild temperament, but your style is definitely distinctive. You are sweet, attractive, and you often smell good. |
And this:
Your Mind is Blue |
 Of all the mind types, yours is the most mellow. You tend to be in a meditative state most of the time. You don't try to think away your troubles. Your thoughts are realistic, fresh, and honest. You truly see things as how they are. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about your friends, your surroundings, and your life. |
And this:
You Are Coffee Ice Cream |
 Energetic and lively, you are always on the go. You're doing a million things at once and doing them well. You tend to motivate others and raise spirits. You are most compatible with chocolate ice cream. |
Friday, May 2, 2008
Days Three and Four Results
Days Three and Four both went pretty well. About the same as Day Two. The boys still really like being heroes to each other and will try to do nice things so they can be. There were still occasional fights, but sometimes when they'd start fighting, one of them would yell, "You're being a bully, not a hero!" So it is starting to sink in a bit.
In other news, Ben lost his third tooth yesterday. His top two teeth have been wiggly for a long time, but the third tooth he lost was one on the right side bottom, next to the middle bottom. He was very excited to have the tooth fairy come and was wondering what would happen if he saw her. He didn't see the tooth fairy, but was pretty excited to show his brothers the dollar he had under his pillow when he got up this morning.
In other news, Ben lost his third tooth yesterday. His top two teeth have been wiggly for a long time, but the third tooth he lost was one on the right side bottom, next to the middle bottom. He was very excited to have the tooth fairy come and was wondering what would happen if he saw her. He didn't see the tooth fairy, but was pretty excited to show his brothers the dollar he had under his pillow when he got up this morning.
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