Blogging In Blanding

Kinect Dorkiness

2011-12-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to dorky body movements and facial expressions caused by the X-box Kinnect. We got the Kinect out after neglecting it for quite awhile, and spent several days bowling, dancing, and contorting ourselves into odd positions. We were all quite proud of our bowling abilities, considering our bowling Pro, Morgan, was no threat this time around. And we have some serious dancing moves. Not to brag or anything.

Thanksgiving!!!!

2011-12-07T21:28:00.001-07:00

Oh, no! It's another catch up blog! But I've been careful to take photos during the past month for this purpose, so here you go, Moog!

We spent Thanksgiving surrounded by family. We are so spoiled to live near our extended families. Not only do we get to spend time with both families, but we get to eat twice! And we are so fortunate to be able to stay home and expect everyone to come to us.

We missed our Morgan, but we are comforted knowing that she is taken care of and making memories that will change the course of her life. We're so proud of her! I will survive missing her during the holidays knowing that she is having the experience of a lifetime.

Gramma Gail has Harry Potter Legos!

This one's for you, Morgan. I missed having you ooh and aaah and steal dough this year!

Family is what it's all about. We love ours! Thanks for sharing yourselves with us.

Races And Pumpkins and Glovers

2011-11-05T15:12:00.001-06:00

So I don't usually worry about "catch up" blogs, but since this is mostly for Morgan I'm going to do just that.

Since I last blogged, Big Worthy and I ran the Newspapers Rock! 10k in canyonlands. It was beautiful, cold and fun. Worthy and I both ran faster than we have before for sweet course PRs.

The next weekend Big Worthy, Jen and I ran The Other Half in Moab. It was a gorgeous race. Big Worthy ROCKED it, Jen did way better than she thought she would, and I had the worst race of my life so far. It was horrible. I cramped, got nauseated, felt like my legs were refrigerators, got light headed, cried, and still managed to beat my course PR from last year by a few minutes. I realized, after I got home, that I had been experiencing the beginnings of a nasty bug that zapped all of my energy and personality for a few days. So that explains it! Still, I felt good for finishing even though it was horrible.

Our next race will be the Vegas Rock And Roll 1/2 in early December, on the Vegas strip at night. I'm really excited about that one. Jen will be joining us for it as well.

Next came Halloween. The kids were excited, of course. Kate was a warewolf (a scary one, I might add). Worthy was a vampire. They wanted nothing to do with my ideas for a group costume, so there was no repeat of last year's family theme. Last year we were Scooby Doo and the Gang, which was fun. But this year Kate made up for it by scaring the costumes off of all of the little kids at our ward Trunk Or Treat!

We visited Gramma Gail and Grandpa Worthy, who of course spoiled us silly. Even I came away with yummy local apples and caramel dip. Yum! Then we visited our favorite friend Ryan, who was dressed as Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch (I think) and was hilarious. He even had treats for the big people--nutrition chews for running.

We spent most of the night hanging out at Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Winston's house. They get A LOT of Trick Or Treaters. The kids had fun manning the door, and Kate added to her already substantial haul by heading out and Trick Or Treating. I made pumpkin bread and we had an enjoyable time.

Kate has been ROCKING middle school. I'm so proud of that girl! She reminds me all the time that she is not a child any more, but a YOUNG WOMAN. And she is right. She is becoming so responsible and capable. She is really enjoying Young Women's on Wednesday nights. When she gets upset or aggitated, she will get into the fetal position and rock. This doesn't happen anymore nearly as much as it used to, but last Wednesday she was rocking like crazy. I said, "Kate, what's the matter? Are you feeling sick or stressed?" She looked at me seriously and said, "I just can't wait for Young Women's."

Little Worthy has had some rocky times at school. We have been getting reports from his teacher that he isn't doing his best, and is even flat out refusing to work at times. So we have come up with a system where his teacher will e-mail me every day after school. If he has done his best, he can have screen time. If he hasn't he is grounded from screens. And we all know how Worthy feels about his screen time! I've been proud of the way he has turned it around and worked at doing his best. Most days he is really, really trying. We had a setback when he had a sub this week, but he turned it right back around when his teacher returned.

He also made us proud during the Primary Program. It wasn't easy for him, and he even told his Dad, "I have stage fright!" But he mustered up the courage and rocked it. YAY Little Worthy! It's nice when my kids learn they can do HARD THINGS (That was for you, Miss Morgan).

Morgan is making us proud every day, too. If you haven't checked out her Belgium blog, and you would like to, here is the link: http://morgan-shae.blogspot.com/. She is smart, brave, articulate, and beautiful on the inside and out. And her experiences this year will change who she is, broadening her horizons and changing her perspective forever. We miss her, and our family is definitely missing some of her lively personality (it's so weird to be void of the blaring music coming from her bedroom when she isn't even home but has already gone to work), but we are happy for her. Love you Moog! Plus she's a nag and she makes me blog. :)

Big Worthy has been traveling quite a bit the past few weeks, so the kids and I have done some bonding. We have a tradition that when Dad's gone the kids sleep in my room. It's a fun way to get through the times we are missing our Dad.

And me? I have quit drinking Diet Coke. Morgan, do not faint. It's true, and I don't even miss it. Okay, I missed it terribly for the first week or so (and I think my family missed it, too). But I feel better now. I'm sleeping better at night and I have more sustained energy during the day.

SO, pumpkins. Let's just say we have had our share of them this year! Grandma Kathy was nice enough to bring us some GORGEOUS ones from Green River, and I bought some from Bountiful Baskets (2 jack-o-lantern sized, 1 medium sized and 2 pie sized). Then Worthy's teacher sent him home with one.

I decided, since pumpkin is yummy and extremely healthy, that I wasn't going to let all of these things go to waste this year. So this week we have been in production at the Glover house! I have been baking, pureeing and freezing pumpkin like mad. I made pumpkin soup that was YUMMY yesterday. I'm still not finished processing all of these babies but I'm getting close. We'll have a freezer full before I'm done.

And that brings us to today. It's one of those days that makes you want to do this:

Or this:

Or this.

Or curl up with a book and some hot tea.

But Big Worthy and I were determined to go out into the cold slush and run 11 miles. I'm chalking that up to missing brain cells. We bundled up and went for it.

7 miles later, we were back. I felt pretty good about our 7 miles, even thought is wasn't 11, because my hands were frozen solid and my sweat (and probably some snot) was frozen to my face by the time we got home. I'm SOOOOO glad Big Worthy is crazy (and lacking brain cells) too, so we have each other in our craziness. That would have been an impossible 7 miles without my own personal cheerleader.

And now we are home, warm and cozy.

So there is Glover Life in a nutshell. Moog, I'll try to do better!

Little Worthy Turns Ten!

2011-09-20T10:30:00.004-06:00

Unbelievable that this Little Man is ten. I can't believe it. He will always be my baby, and watching him grow up is definitely bitter sweet.

Some of Worthy's favorite things right now are Spongebob, Star Wars Legos on the x-box, Goosebump books, his sisters, macaroni and cheese, and anything with sugar in it.

Worthy has some special gifts. He is tender-hearted, and will do almost anything to make sure everyone else is happy. I worry about this a lot, since he is constantly compromising for his sister, but what a sweet little guy. He has gift for Brittish accents, and he loves to make people laugh. He tells me he loves me EVERY DAY, sometimes several times a day, which I count among my favorite things. Our animals love him. He is learning responsibility by taking care of them. I have caught Tuxi licking his bald head while he sleeps several times. Salty? I don't know. But creepy and cute at the same time.

We celebrated the special day by skyping with Morgan before school started. Morgan and Kate had hatched a plan, and Kate knew just where to find the hidden gift that the two of them had purchased before Morgan left. Worthy loves Morgan soooooo much, so that was a nice way to start the day.

During the school day I took cupcakes to Worthy's class, and he got to pass them out and pick which kids would lead the group in "Happy Birthday". Of course that was a thrill! I'm always amazed at what will make a ten-year-old happy! It was fun to hang out in his class for a minute. I don't often get to do that.

Worthy got a new bike for his birthday! I don't have any photos of it, but it's shnazzy.

That evening we went out to eat at Old Tymer with Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Winston to celebrate. The staff there brought Little Worthy his own birthday cake and we sang to him, but before he could finish it he had snuggled into Grandma Kathy and fallen fast asleep. Too much birthday, apparently!

Happy birthday, Little Worthy!

The Giant-Peak-From-Design-Hell Is History!

2011-09-06T15:09:00.008-06:00

Most of you know I have a love/hate relationship with our home.

I love it because it is where my family is. I love it because it is where my two youngest were babies, and I love it because I watched my eldest grow into a young lady within its walls. I love it because it is ours. I love it because we have worked hard on it over the years, our love sweat and tears evident in a finished basement and paint on the walls. I love it because we have great plans for it, and if I close my eyes I can envision it the way it will be when we have tweaked it just so.

And I hate it. I hate that it has one bathroom. I hate that the landlord who owned it before we bought it treated it like a slummy rental. We have spent our years here complaining about (and fixing) faulty wiring, paper-thin walls, and all-around crappy workmanship. There are so many things we would like to fix about this place, we have often been paralyzed, not quite knowing how or where to start.

But the thing I hate the most? The Giant-Peak-From-Design-Hell! How in the world someone once thought this peak at the top of our house was a good idea is beyond all comprehension. But they did, and we have lived with the horrible thing for years.

Worthy says he thinks it has power and it sucks all of the negative energy out of the surrounding neighborhood and town, depositing it in a black cloud above our house. But we all know he reads too many comic books.

Well . . . THE PEAK IS GONE!!!!!! Worthy and a crew of capable, hard-working friends and family members (and the much appreciated expertise of Clayton) have spent the past week replacing the The Giant-Peak-From-Design-Hell with a respectable, gorgeous new gable. And the old, sad gray roofing has been replaced with a lovely new roof!!!

We have a busy week ahead of us (The Homestead and then the Red Rock Relay—I’ll be posting about those events later), so we are not yet able to finish. But I am posting progress pictures for Morgan and all of you, anyway.

Next we will be adding the trim and the siding to the front of the new gable (it will be white and vertical) and adding a new covered porch to the left and front of the new gable. And . . . A NEW, GORGEOUS, BEAUTIFUL DOOR! I can’t wait to post pictures of the final product, because then it will be finished. But I am thrilled with the progress so far.

The kids were quite sure their Dads and Grandpas were on the roof for the sole purpose of letting them have a good time outside, playing and laughing into the night.

Thanks Worthy! And thanks Clay, Tim, Dad, Dad, James, and Britt. We could not have dreamed of doing this without you, and we are at your beck and call whenever you need extra hands for a project of your own.

Here You Go, Moog!

2011-09-01T17:06:00.006-06:00

We spent a few hours at the dam the other day after school. It's beginning to feel like fall, so we are feeling desperate to enjoy summer while we can! Kate, Worthy and Bear had fun collecting sticks, rocks and other treasures. They never even got in the water but they had a fabulous time.

There you, go, Moog!

Yes, it's been over a year since I posted. I've been a big, giant slacker.

Morgan is in Belgium, and she has brought it to my attention that I need to update our lives for her. My problem is that I'm always trying to find fabulous things to write about, so I never get around to writing. Having her so far away has made me realize that it's the little things that matter. I want to know the mundane details about her life over there. She wants to know about the little details of home.

SO. I committed to update our blog weekly. So Morgan, here you go. This is the first of many. We look forward to learning about your life as well.

Green Lantern

2010-07-25T06:56:00.001-06:00

We were there and we LOVED this kid. Oh my goodness. And, I love Ryan Reynolds. :)

More (More) Thursday At The Con

2010-07-23T17:00:00.003-06:00

I'm not gonna bore you with too many more celebrity photos , but here are just some of the people we saw on panels in Hall H on Thursday: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren (I want to be like her when I'm 60 please), Sylvester Stalone, Aaron Eckhart, Angelina Jolie, J.J. Abrams, Michelle Rodriguez, Joss Whedon, Liev Schreiber, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman, Mary Louise Parker, Kieran Culkin, Scott Bakula, Mae Whitman . . . and more. It was a celeb fest on Thursday.

Mary Louise Parker is lovely.

This is Michael Cera. Seriously. He is delightfully dorkish. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is going to be amazing.

We had dinner at the Studio Diner. Delish.

More Thursday At The Con (TRON!!!!!!!!)

2010-07-23T10:31:00.006-06:00

OH MY GOODNESS. My geek is on. Tron is going to be amazing. For those of us who were children of the 80s it doesn't get much better than this. And we got to be entertained by The Dude himself. Love him.

Plus, Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer sat by us. :)

Thursday At The Con

2010-07-22T23:40:00.008-06:00

It's been a looooong day, and I'm tired, but I thought I'd at least get started with the Thursday blogging before I go to bed.

We started out the day with a run, watching the city wake up next to the port. It was lovely.

Then the mayhem began. Today we spent the day in Hall H, which is comic-con's famously huge venue full of celebrity panels and previews. It was AWESOME. I'm only going to post about the first little bit, then I'll get some sleep in and post some more tomorrow.

Here we are standing in line to get in to Hall H, sporting our t-shirts for the day:

And here's my favorite costume so far:

The first panel was Megamind. Will Farrell showed up in a hand-made, ridiculous looking costume. He was hilarious. Tina Fey and Jonah Hill were there, along with a cardboard Brad Pitt. We got to see some clips of the movie, which is going to be INCREDIBLE.

Mwaaaa (sporting my lovely 3-d glasses). More posts to come!

Comic-Con Preview Night (otherwise known as The Night Worthy's Head Exploded)

2010-07-21T22:27:00.005-06:00

El Indio Restaurant for dinner

Kate and Little Worthy, look who me met (and he's made out of legos)!

Want to see what pure joy looks like? Worthy up close and personal with his favorite comic book authors and writers.

one of many t-shirts to come

Every attendee was given one of these awesome bags from Warner Brothers. Good for all of the free stuff.

Worthy perusing the schedule.

COMIC-CON!!!!!

2010-07-21T14:28:00.005-06:00

We're here! Worthy is beside himself with joy. The whole city of San Diego is crawling with giddy, proud-to-be-geeky people. So much fun.

I'm determined to stay in touch and blog just a little bit, since I know when I get home life will take over and it will never get done. Right now we have a 5 second window of down time, so I thought I would post our first 2 adventures, Diners Drive-Ins And Dives style:

Last night we ate at The Standard Diner in Albuquerque. I have been there before, but Worthy had never experienced it. It was lovely. Worthy had the bourbon burger with sweet potato fries and I had bacon-wrapped meatloaf (which was really, really good. really). Totally worth the 5 miles I ran on the treadmill this morning.

There are 6 little places in San Diego featured on Guy Fieri's show (so far), and we are planning to visit them all while we're here. Today we had lunch at a great little hole-in-the-wall called The Blue Water Seafood Market And Grill. They have fresh, grilled to order fish. YUM. I absolutely loved this place, and I don't even necessarily have to run 5 miles tomorrow.

Tonight is Preview Night at the Con, an event that only a few of us lucky (and early) ticket holders get to be a part of. We're headed there in a few minutes, as soon as I can get my Wonder Woman outfit on. . .

Happy Birthday Morgan and Kate!

2010-06-14T08:39:00.004-06:00

These two little ladies have birthdays in June:

Morgan is 16 years old today, and will probably posess a driver's license before the day is over.

Kate will be 11 in a few short weeks.

Where has the time gone? It sounds like such a cliche', but seriously. I'm confused.

It seems like just yesterday that I was stressed (dang those how-to-be-a-new-Mom-magazines!) that Morgan was sleeping through the night as a newborn and I tried to wake her up to eat.

Wasn't it seconds ago that Morgan prayed at every opportunity for a new baby sister?

It seems like the blink of an eye ago when we drove our newborn little Peanut Kate into town on the 4th of July, just missing the fireworks display.

I love you, ladies. And--just for me--slow down!

Dolores River Festival 5k

2010-06-06T20:19:00.003-06:00

Worthy, My Mom and I ran the Dolores River Festival 5k on Saturday.

The cows in town were jealous and wanted to run their own race down main.

We've been training using the "couch to 5k" running program, and we're not quite finished with the training. So we were all pretty proud to run most of the race. Worthy was a show-off and ran ahead with a time of 31:29. Mom and I came in strong and proud at 36:32.

Getting Our Geek On

2010-05-28T10:30:00.005-06:00

We're to the point of counting down the days now for Comic-Con.

For those of you who aren't aware, I married a comic book nerd. I love my comic book nerd, and for Christmas I got him tickets to the (much-coveted-by-other-comic-book-nerds) comic convention, Comic-Con.

This is a really big deal--so much so that San Diego becomes transformed for a week every July to a strange alternate reality crawling with superheroes and celebrities and fans giddy with comic joy. So much so that tickets for this year's July event sold out in early fall and in order to get a hotel reservation during that week you had to sell your soul, which we did so we're all set.

Needless to say, we're excited. But not THIS excited:

My husband is SOOOO not getting me to sport a Wonder Woman costume with the underwear on the outside of my tights. However, we thought we'd get into the spirit and we've been shopping for tee shirts.

Here's a quick sampling of some of the shirts we have been thinking about donning:

Geek IS sexy.

The cake IS a lie.

I love Dr. Horrible Better than Captain Hammer, but I heart this shirt.

2010-04-10T16:46:00.001-06:00

Two little Glovers made the paper this week!!!!!

Spider Girl, Spider Girl

2010-03-16T11:25:00.005-06:00

Riley

Kate

We ventured to The Merritt Hotel for the weekend. My kids (and, let's face it, myself) are pretty sure The Merritt Hotel is the greatest place on the planet.

Good people there, anyway.

And the location can't be beat, since it is within a short drive to here (heaven) and here, where the kids had a blast swimming and (literally)climbing the walls.

2010-02-18T20:12:00.002-07:00

I might be just a little bit biased, but I think this little man was the best looking cub scout at tonight's Blue and Gold Banquet.

The Littlest Worthy is excited to follow in the footsteps of his Dad and Grandpa as he experiences the world of scouts.

I Love . . .

2010-02-11T17:23:00.004-07:00

This Man:

These Flowers:

This Space:
(when it is finished and carpeted a week from Monday)

And, in no particular order:

sunshine, carbs, sandals, electric blankets, and good books.

Happy Valentines Day!!!!!!!!!!!

Has Anyone Seen . . .

2010-01-21T14:03:00.002-07:00

Our tramp, our swingset,

our barbecue, or our dog? Just wondering.

LW Is Loved

2010-01-16T09:36:00.004-07:00

It's good to be worshipped, even if it involves being used as a human cushion.

And The Christmas Eve Gift Is. . . Pajamas!!!!

2010-01-03T08:28:00.004-07:00

Surprise, surprise. The kids got to open pajamas on Chrismas Eve. Grandma Z, Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Winston came over for the annual event, and they even brought clam chowder and rolls. Yummy! I thought this year my little ones would know what was in those packages, but nope. Apparently it was still a surprise. I wonder how many more years of jamma surprises we have left?

Here Comes Santa Claus (And A Cute Elf, Too)

2010-01-02T08:21:00.003-07:00

Santa Claus and his cute little Helper Elf dropped by our Glover family Christmas Eve party at Nan and Britt's house. I couldn't help but notice a few similarities to two of our favorite people in the world. (Olivia informed me with a whisper that Santa was actually Grandpa Worthy. But sshhh... I'm not supposed to tell).

Before I Put Christmas Away . . .

2010-01-01T09:00:00.004-07:00

2009-12-05T10:21:00.007-07:00

Our latest diner adventure was at Ruth's Diner, which is located up emigration canyon just past the Hogle Zoo. It was yummy, yummy. Here are just a few of the awards it has recieved:

Salt Lake Magazine Dining Award for 2008

BEST BREAKFAST

"Like Having Dinner at Mom's in the Mountains"

Cincinnati Enquirer

"In a perfect world, every town would have a Diner just like Ruth's"

Ted Scheffler - CityWeekly

"Cooking is like grandma's — with a few sassy additions"

Stephanie Tanner-Brown - Deseret Morning News

And, of course, a feature on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Ruth's was recently remodeled, and it is gorgeous.

Ruth's has been around for a long time, and has a colorful past.

You can read about it here.

Little W's Adoption Story

2009-11-28T19:39:00.006-07:00

Nan has published our Little Man's adoption story on the r house, a blog dedicated to adoption.

Thank you, Nan, for your beautiful words. I have tried many times to write this story down, and have not been successful. For one thing, my memories are not reliable. I can remember the day, months after we lost him, that I realized that I had no memory of most of the previous months. The memories I did have were fuzzy and colorless. I was concentrating on breathing in and out. For another thing, I find that my emotions are still, after 8 years, too raw to write objectively.

So I really mean it when I say thank you, Nan. You have such a gift for words, and we are blessed to be the recipients of them.

Although the names have been changed, here is our story. And we lived happily ever after!

3 Glovers in the 2nd Grade Veteran's Day Program

2009-11-14T11:32:00.004-07:00

Timothy was waving at Thomas and it was so cute I had to take a picture. So by the time I changed my camera lense so I could take a close up shot, he was finished waving. But he's cute anyway, right?

Rachel and Worthy are both looking so thrilled. I wonder who's idea it was to put them in the same class again?

Rachel saw me and decided to smile. It looks like someone is sticking his finger in W's ear.

Thomas is thrilled, too.

1/2 of a smile is better than no smile at all. (?)

The program was well done and all of the cousins made us proud.

One of the Many Reasons We Love Our Home. . .

2009-11-14T08:29:00.007-07:00

Okay, so I complain EVERY time I go to the grocery store. And we spend way too much money on gas, hotel rooms and actual stores when we go to civilization (Which we have to do to survive). But just look what we have in our own backyard!! Love it. We love climbing in the car and driving just a few miles for adventures. And just look how happy Bear is, not to mention the kids. What a fun November day.

Tasty Table

2009-11-07T16:47:00.003-07:00

So here's the story. My recipe situation is a disaster. I have an old recipe box that is stuffed full of recipes I've gathered through the years. The best method for finding a recipe is to dump it out on the counter, haphazardly rummage through it, and hope I'm lucky enough to chance upon the recipe I'm looking for. Most likely, it doesn't exist. I have had bad luck with my recipes, to put it nicely. I won't go into all the details, but I'll give you the worst example. I finally started to get organized with my recipes when Worthy gave me a laptop for Christmas a few years back. After diligently typing them into the computer, I would throw the wrinkled, folded, scribbled (and dribbled) on recipe into the trash. Well, some mean person stole my laptop out of our car in the mall parking lot. I lost a lot of things, including my recipes.

So since then I've done a lot of crying, gnashing of teeth, and renting of clothing. And calling people to beg for their recipes. And searching the internet. The problem is, I don't have a good system for keeping the good ones. I often print them off the internet, then put them, folded, into the black hole that is my recipe file. Or I don't print them at all, thinking I can always search for them again. But of course when I search for them again I can't remember which one I used originally. I'm also famous for calling someone, scribbling a recipe on whatever is available (a wrinkled receipt, my kids homework, a bubble gum wrapper) with whatever is available (a crayon, a thick magic marker, a pen with no ink). Then I have to call them back months later. It's a mess!!!

So I have decided to start a new blog, mostly for myself, to organize my recipes. Whenever I find a good recipe I'll add it to this blog, and then I'll be able to find it when I need it. And maybe some of you will be able to benefit from it, too. And if some mean person steals my computer, or if it (heaven forbid) crashes, my recipes will be safe in cyberspace.

My new blog is called Tasty Table, and it can be found at www.glovertastytable.blogspot.com
I am a big stealer of recipes, so I will try my best to give credit where credit is due. Bon appetite'.

Hurst Halloween Howl

2009-11-01T14:33:00.006-07:00

Cowboy Winston
Grandma Kathy feeling like death warmed over

Merritts

Grandma and Grandpa are soooo good looking

Rock on, Fellmeths

The Glovers forgot to dress up.

Hursties

Morgan the gypsy

Mr. Bones, our veggie tray, was to-die-for.

Yabba Dabba Doo!

Awww, LW is so pretty.

Cutie Patooties

Kate and her awesome vampire teeth.

Thanks Hursties. We had a fabulous time.

Report Cards!!!

2009-10-25T09:21:00.003-06:00

A shout out to my children is in order, so here goes: WooHoo! ! ! !

Morgan pulled off straight A's with a challenging schedule including some difficult classes, tryouts, rehersals, performances, and work. Add to that the fact that she's 15, and therefore should really technically be brain dead, and . . . Woo Hoo. I'm so proud of that girl.

Kate is finally figuring this whole school thing out. You know, the part where you actually have to complete things and turn them in? I'm so proud of her. I remember third grade being so tough on Moog--going from getting Satisfactories and Outstandings just for showing up and breathing, to being accountable for your work and understanding how grades work. It's a big step for anyone, but for Kate it was BRUTAL. She spent a lot of time in third grade under her desk, or rocking back and forth in the fetal position, or tantruming. She's so smart...so capable...but let's just say the traditional school system doesn't match her learning style. We got grades (mostly D's) last year but we were so focused on behavior that they didn't matter much and there was no connection in her little head with what she did every day and what those little letters meant.

Our little girl has really matured. I'm so proud of her! She is, for the most part, staying on task and finishing her assignments at school. She is finally figuring out that her teacher can't read her mind...she has to turn things in to get credit. We're doing a lot of homework at home, but Kate is engaged and turning her work in. Amazing. She's proud of herself, too. It was so fun to see her bring her report card home with a sense of pride and accomplishment. No, she didn't get all A's, or even all B's. But there were some A's and B's, and there wasn't a D in sight. I expect next quarter will be even better because she understands the system. Woo Hoo Kate!

Worthy is still in the second grade, so his report card consists of satisfactories for breathing in and out and showing up. Keeping his seat warm. But this little guy has taken off as a reader (whew!--I was wondering when he was going to prove me right and shame his first grade teacher) and he has matured in so many ways. He does his homework every night without a fight. He sometimes remembers to turn it in, too! I'm proud of him and his ability to keep on going, even when he'd rather be playing the X-box or playing with his legos. Woo Hoo Little Worthy!

The Standard Diner, Albuquerque

2009-10-13T14:12:00.003-06:00

My Mom, Dad, Jen and I went to The Standard Diner in Albuquerque on our way home from a crazy road trip over the weekend. Now I can put a cu-ching on another Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives suggestion from Guy. (In case you're wondering, that was the sound of a check mark).

The Standard Diner is definitely NOT a dive, and not a drive-in. That leaves diner, but this is the most upscale diner I've ever eaten in. It was a great experience. The setting is in an old Route 66 service station, but it has been turned into a beautiful little space with great food. If you're ever in ABQ, check this place out. It's right off the 1-40 and 1-25 interchange. Easy to find and so worth it.

Let's see if I can remember what we got. Mom and I got the Burbon Butter Burger (low calorie, I'm sure) and sweet potato fries. YUM. Jen got a zuccini stack that was to die for. Dad went with a panini. They also had homemade ice cream, although we were way too full to try it. But this one sounded interesting: red orange basil ice cream. Huh?

Thanks, family, for helping me out with my eccentricities. SOOOOO much better than Applebees, though, right?

Here's the link if you want to see this place on Triple D: http://www.standarddiner.com/

Break A Leg, Morgan

2009-10-08T07:36:00.004-06:00

Morgan is headed to Cedar City today for the weekend with the SJHS Drama program for the Shakespeare competition. Good luck to Moog and all of her insane thespian friends.

Last night we were entertained by them at "Shakespearience," an evening of silliness and drama, some spoofs on classic plays as well as some serious stuff.

We're always glad to have our Grandmas and Grandpas so close to us. Thanks for coming, Grandma Gail and Grandpa Worthy. Little Worthy especially loved sitting on Grandpa's lap and snuggling when he got tired. And eating a brownie at intermission. (Thanks to Nan, by the way. Kate was much happier hanging out at the Bartons!)

Love you Morgan! Good luck at competition.

Weird Things Make Me Happy

2009-10-06T11:25:00.002-06:00

I've been waiting for this album to come out for MONTHS. It comes out today, and that makes me happy. You can follow this link http://www.billboard.com/#/news/listen-brandi-carlile-ghost-album-debut-1004016743.story to hear the whole album free. It's worth it. Awesome.

I'm feeling very good, by the way. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers and well wishes.

Morgan is in a production tonight and tomorrow, so wish her broken limbs and I'll be posting about it soon.

Why Do We Have So Many Unnecessary Body Parts?

2009-09-22T16:13:00.001-06:00

So, apparently a person can survive just fine with only 1/2 of a thyroid. Which is a good thing, because next Wednesday I will only have 1/2 of my thyroid. Fun, fun. I'm really looking forward to the scar on my neck, especially because I tend to get those gorgeous raised scars (I have a caterpillar on my shoulder from a car accident I was in at 18). I can't stand turtle necks, so maybe some large necklaces are in my future? Scarves?

On the bright side, I'm seriously hoping this will help with fatigue, depression, weight gain and the lovely, persistent hairs that keep growing on my face. I know, I know...WAY too much information. I inherited that trait (TMI) from my grandma Z.

Seriously, I hate that I have to have surgery. But I'm really glad that the growth on my thyroid is not cancerous and that there may be a light at the end of this tunnel.

Baptism Times Two

2009-09-19T19:53:00.003-06:00

Two of the best lookin' boys around were baptized today. It was a great event. Thanks, Kd, for all of your hard work. Thanks, Grandpa Worthy, for a very heart-felt confirmation. Thanks, Grandma Gail, for the (already cherished) comforter. And thanks, Glovers, for sharing this day with us. We love you all.

Happy Birthday My Little Man!

2009-09-12T09:15:00.008-06:00

Happy Birthday Little Worthy!

As long as it's sweet, LW will eat it. Or wear it.

Stockton to Malone, 2003

4th of July baby

Kate and Mom feeding brand new Little W0rthy.

I can't believe my baby turns 8 on Monday. We love him beyond words, and he has been our miracle at least twice. So here are 10 fun facts about my little man.

1. Worthy has a big heart. He is genuinely upset when Kate is unhappy. This sometimes leads to a bit of manipulation on her part, but he doesn't mind. He's usually happy when she's happy.

2. He has a bloody wicked Brittish accent, thanks in part to his love of Harry Potter.

3. He loves to carry things around with him in his pocket: legos, rocks, sticks, magnets, marbles, and other small items that wreak havoc on my washer and dryer.

4. Worthy is a VERY picky eater. His definition of good food is sugary food. Everything else, besides macaroni and cheese from a box, is nasty. I was quite sure, before Worthy, that my perfect motherhood was the reason my girls were good eaters. Ahem. Not so.

5. He is so fun to tease that we all tease him constantly. Want to make Worthy smile? Ask him about his girlfriend. Or tickle him. The poor guy is constantly being tickled by Morgan because he is ticklish EVERYWHERE. And he has the best giggle ever.

6. Worthy loves Legos, but he doesn't enjoy putting the big elaborate sets together. He prefers making original designs with the tiny, obscure pieces. And he LOVES the little Lego characters (see #3)

7. Worthy is our little miracle. First, he miraculously joined our family when he was a brand new baby. We were ecstatic to have a new son and brother. We drove all the way to Georgia in the wake of 9/11 since there were no planes flying over America when he was born.

8. He proved to be our miracle again. After we drove him back across the country to meet his sisters and his extended family, he was ripped out of our arms and taken back to Georgia. We were devastated, thinking we would never see our son again. He returned to our family as the best Christmas present we've ever received.

9. Worthy LOVES to go golfing with his Dad. So far he hasn't developed a love for the game as much as a love for being out on the course finding treasures. I have this great picture in my head of The Three Worthys out golfing together in a few years.

10. Our Little Man loves to snuggle. Since Moog is a teenager and Kate loves me from a distance, this Mom will take all the snuggles she can get. I hope to still be getting hugs and snuggles when he is taller than me.

Happy Birthday Little Worthy.

Diners Drive-Ins and Glovers

2009-09-08T13:58:00.007-06:00

So, those of you who know me might know I have a weird fascination with the Food Network. I think I'm trying to be a chef by osmosis. If I watch enough Food Network, maybe dinner will magically appear. And it will be melt-in-your-mouth delicous. And individually plated with a garnish of some kind. So far it hasn't happened, but a girl can try.

I'm especially fond of Diners Drive-Ins and Dives. I love the idea of people making real, good, made-from-scratch food in funky out-of-the-way places. I've had enough of McDonald's, Denny's, and plastic food places that seem to be taking over the world.

So last week Worthy and I went to our first (of many, I hope--road trip, anyone?!!) diner recommended by Guy Fieri. It rocked. It's located at 2041 South 2100 East in Salt Lake City. Off of our usual beaten path, but we'll definitely go there again.

The Blue Plate Diner is well known by the locals for it's yummy breakfast menu, but it's a good bet everything there is tasty. They have an antique soda fountain and bar, and funky decor with authentic vintage tables, chairs and booths.

Here's a clip of Guy at the Blue Plate Diner. They're making the Vegan Burger, which is what Worthy ordered (not really his thing---I think he tried it because it was featured on the show. It was delicious, by the way). I had the pulled pork barbecue sandwich. Yum. I want to go back and try everything on the menu.

Thanks, Worthy, for tagging along on my crazy diner adventure.

Alaska!!

2009-08-23T12:28:00.005-06:00

Here we are with a handsome bear we flirted with in Canada.

We took a horse-drawn trolley tour of Victoria.

Grandma couldn't take her eyes off of the gorgeous view.

Making friends with a starfish.

Aren't my sisters gorgeous? We bonded.

This is in Juneau at the Salmon Bake.

My sis Linz

Beauty, eh?

Chillin' with Sarah Palin

I've neglected to blog about my cruise to Alaska because I haven't had the time or the energy to do it justice. I have finally decided to go for it, sacrificing perfection for just gettin' er done.

So, here it is in a nutshell: Eat, sleep, eat, laugh, eat, bond, eat, laugh, eat, relax, enjoy the most beautiful sights EVER, eat.

Here is some of the food I ate: anchovies, rack of lamb, mussels, scallops, Alaskan salmon, Alaskan king crab, calamari, duck, oysters, and the yummiest crab melt sandwich ever.

Thanks, Mom, for taking us on a memorable girl trip. Now if I could just get Worthy and my children to give me turn-down service with a chocolate every night. And a fancy towel animal.

Fun(?) on the First Day of School

2009-08-20T09:09:00.005-06:00

Worthy was up and ready to go this morning. He calmly walked into his 2nd grade classroom and sat right down. I think my little man is growing up. And so handsome, don't you think?!!

Kate, not so calm. She kept saying, "Mom, I'm scared of the fourth grade. On the way to school, her little voice whispered from the back of the van (as if I hadn't heard her the first few hundred times), "MOM. I'm STILL scared of the fourth grade."

Morgan had her first college class yesterday (concurrent enrollment, Art History), and also started her first day at The Patio. So today was her second day of firsts. She always confides in me that she's nervous, but she's able to stand tall and confidently go for it.

I'm home right now, feeling stressed but grateful that my job is flexible enough to let me wear my mommy hat on important days. I can't imagine how our lives would be right now if I were still in the classroom. This morning, watching the elementary school kids bright eyed and excited, I had that little twinge of nostalgia and I wished for a minute I was back in the classroom, borrowing their joy and energy. But the perks of my current job are without number. For one, I took today off knowing it would be a difficult one for Kate. What a blessing to be able to focus on her and not worry about anything else this morning.

I spent almost an hour with Kate in her classroom this morning--her long little fingers were clawing into me, trying to keep me there forever. The little sweetie. I know this is so hard for her. She has been crying real tears all summer whenever school is mentioned. I've been so proud of her for the gradual way she has come to terms with having to go to school. Just getting up, getting dressed, and physically moving herself in the right direction this morning was a victory.

I finally left her, crying. Now I'm crying. I know this is best for her, and I know she will find the strength to face this and deal with it. She amazes me all the time. I just wish, this one time, I could trade her places and do it for her.

Feeling A Little Sheepish...

2009-08-12T14:59:00.004-06:00

about my post yesterday. I'm fine, people. Really. This too shall pass. Thanks for loving me even when I'm showing glimpses of insanity!

HELP MEEEEEeeeeeeee. . .

2009-08-11T14:55:00.004-06:00

I'm back to work. If anyone has a tip on how to duplicate myself, I'd appreciate it. I'm exhausted. . . I hurt. My kids are neglected . . . I am neglected . . . my husband is neglected . . . my home is neglected . . . my job is neglected . . . my garden is neglected . . . my pets are neglected . . . it would be nice if I could do one thing well instead of a thousand things not-well. Wah, wah, wah . . . thanks for letting me vent. I'll go now, I have some mediocre work to do.

Good Times. Good Times.

2009-07-10T10:56:00.004-06:00

Some random facts:

1. I love my husband beyond words. 16 years, babe!!! I would rather be with him than anyone else in the world, which I have come to believe is a miracle. This man will sweat buckets with me in line all day with a bunch of crazy Indigo Girls fans. True love.

2. I have a little crush on Amy Ray. This fact was cemented on Tuesday when we sat directly in front of her at an AWESOME concert. Don't tell Worthy. Oh, wait. He knows. Smile.

3. My kids are great. I love the feeling of reuniting with them after being apart for a few days. I haven't figured out how I'm going to keep Morgan with me forever (I don't think I can handle more than a week--duct tape maybe?) I loved the hugs and the smiles I got when we returned Wednesday. Awesome.

4. I've been thinking a little bit lately about in what ways I would want my life to be different. Early midlife crisis, maybe? When it comes down to it, I wouldn't change anything. I love my man, my babies, my dog with the ugly haircut, my sisters, my job...even my stress is welcome stress, because it means I have a life.

5. In two weeks I'm going on a cruise with my sisters, my mom and my grandma. I'm super excited. It's time for some girl bonding. Glovers, I'm going to miss some time with y'all. Take care of my family and I wish I could be in two places at once.

6. TGIF!!!

Pink

2009-07-04T14:52:00.007-06:00

Dear Worthy, Happy Anniversary! Love, Kim

Dear Mr. President, Thank goodness you're not still the president. Love, Kim

Cannonball

2009-07-04T09:01:00.003-06:00

Here is Brandi Carlile with a little help from The Indigo Girls. Brandi opened for them two summers ago at Red Butte and they sang this together. It gives me chills.

I AM A FREAK!!! (And my husband loves me enough to support my Freakitude).

2009-07-03T16:52:00.004-06:00

In 3 days Worthy and I will be sitting all day in line in the hot sun at Red Butte Gardens. Then, the magic. This will be our third Indigo Girls concert at Red Butte, and our fourth Indigo Girls concert. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!! Here is a little gem from the Indigo Girls to entertain you. I'm so excited I just may post a few more little ditties over the next few days. Enjoy! THEY ROCK.

California Adventures

2009-07-02T14:09:00.006-06:00

We had a blast. 'Nuf said.

Happy Birthday Kate!!!

2009-06-22T14:34:00.009-06:00

It's hard to believe that it's been ten years since we flew to Philadelphia and held our little peanut for the first time. She was and is a gift, and I love her so much. Ten things will not begin to describe the things I love about my Katie-bug, but I have to try, right? So here goes...in no particular order...and definitely not all-inclusive.

1. She has an amazing bond with animals. In fact, I'm quite sure she speaks cat. Her "cheetah-tiger" growl will raise the hairs on the back of your neck(she made a poor, unsuspecting little girl cry at a softball game with her awesome growl), and she prefers to be called "Kitten". Our animals seem to gravitate towards her.

2. She is an acrobat. I am still constantly charmed by her uncanny ability to fold herself into the tightest of spaces. Once she gets there she's happy to hang out there for long lengths of time. I think she would be happier if she could spend her life confined to a box, her knees up around her ears.

3. She is an outdoors girl. She lights up in the summer time, when she spends time digging holes, making mystery substances in the cooler with mud and water( seriously, her last concoction grew mold), and diligently harvesting walnuts from our tree with a hammer.

4. Speaking of fun outside, she is a gardener at heart. Of course this pulls at my heart strings. She loves helping me in the garden, and derives great joy from watching sunflowers grow taller than she is and scouting for peas and tomatoes that she can eat right there on the spot.

5. She has a voice to die for. She has been able to sing like a bird, on key, since before she could speak. She won't sing on cue, so my favorite thing is to catch her and eavesdrop.

6. She is a marvel. I hate to say that her autism is something I love about her, but I sometimes wonder...who would Kate be without the quirky little autistic things that make her unique? I'm not sure I'd want to know. I love the look she gives me when I say something sarcastic. She doesn't get it--just thinks I'm dim. Or the times she puts on her hunting muffs so she can enjoy pop bubbles without the sound. Or her awesome Napolean Dynamite boots.

7. She has come so far. Kate now practices negotiation all the time. Where a year ago we would have had a breakdown, now she often says, (when I say "bedtime in 30 minutes"), "How about 40? What a skill for her. I'm so proud!

8. Speaking of coming so far, she has developed some serious empathy. Since this is something autistic people sometimes never develop, this Momma is so proud.

9. She has such a fun relationship with Little Worthy. I know this was no accident--Worthy was sent to our home so Kate could have her own little shadow to boss around. Their relationship is symbiotic--Worthy loves being bossed around just as much as Kate loves to boss, I think.

10. Kate quotes keep us constantly entertained. One of my favorites: "I know how to make fry sauce. First you put in the ketchup, then you put in the mayonnaise. You mix it all up together until it's the color of white people." Priceless.

Happy Birthday Kate! I love you.

Thanks, Dad

2009-06-19T11:42:00.016-06:00

Dad,

I am proud to be your daughter and am, once again, floored by your ability to thoughtfully and succinctly express yourself. One day I hope to develop just a smidgeon of the writing ability you have. Thanks, too, for your humble morality. I have learned so much from you. I love you.

Kim

A copy of My Dad's letter to the editor:
Dear Editor:

Jim Redd was my personal friend from the time we were toddlers until the end, and when he was available, he was always my doctor. He cared for my aging parents, he delivered my child, he doctored me through injuries and sickness, always with competence and that signature good humor. We shared a passion for things ancient that took us in different directions starting in the 1970s, when he was a young med student and intern interacting with wealthy doctor-collectors, while I was in the army reading about archaeology and in graduate school studying it. But our friendship always trumped our disagreements, even when his lust to possess collided with my hunger to study and preserve. This is a huge tragedy and something deep down inside me wishes that our places were reversed, a wish no doubt shared at this moment by many of our neighbors.
But, after all is done and the recriminations and anger have settled, we will be right back where we started, faced with the same hard questions (government be damned—this is about us, our personal decisions and their consequences):
--Are we a better people if we teach our children to respect the law even when they disagree with it, or should we teach them to hold it in contempt and only obey the laws they agree with?
--Are kids better served by being taught to gut and dismantle what’s left of our battered archaeological record, or to understand why it’s protected, to be respectful and protective of it, and to try to learn from it?
--Will we love and protect this land, or treat it like a vacant lot in the South Bronx while “outsiders” struggle to protect the land from us?
--It’s always satisfying to rant about big government and to retch in reaction to the whining of self-righteous “environmentalists” (whatever they are) and archaeologists like me, but how many of us in our heart of hearts, if we had the power to decide (oh yeah—we do have that power), would choose to dismantle all protective regulations and open this land up to uncontrolled assault by anyone to do anything they please to it?
And finally,
--Unhampered freedom is wonderful in the abstract, but in a real world, if a hundred people wish to protect something and one person wants to tear it up, who should have the power to decide, the one or the many? In the absence of responsible government, no one has stewardship, and anyone can impose their decisions on anyone else, regardless of consequences. The tyranny of the majority is preferable to the tyranny of anarchy. We have laws protecting the archaeological record from random destruction because a large number of American voter/taxpayers believe it should be protected, and have exercised their rights in a representative government to get laws past to accomplish that. If we don’t like those laws, what should we do about it—flaunt and disobey them, or exercise our rights as citizens to try to get them changed?
Out of respect for Jim, let’s not use him as an excuse for behaving like Neanderthals.
Winston Hurst

Happy Birthday Moogie Boo!!!!

2009-06-14T11:45:00.009-06:00

It's Morgan's birthday today. Of course, as any Mom will tell you, there is no way to put in to words how much I love this girl. But I'll give it a go. Here are 10 things I love about my baby...not all-inclusive...in no particular order.

1. She is so good to her little brother and sister. She's a good example, and they love it when she plays with them and reads to them. LW cried real, silent tears when she left last week for a few days.

2. She's a drama queen. In a good way. It's so much fun to watch her light up when she is on stage.

3. She's a good friend, and she's good at picking good friends.

4. She has a zest for life. It's fun to watch her get excited about all of her firsts, like driving. (Not that her Mom is ever going to let her drive, but she can get excited, right?)

5. She has a special bond with her Dad. He loves to take her to movies, especially the ones Mom isn't too keen on watching (ah hem. Star Trek. ah hem). She gets music suggestions from her Daddy...now how many teenaged girls can claim that one?

6. She is thoughtful. A few weeks ago I came home from a trip to get my thyroid biopsied. I was tired, tired, tired. Not only had she responsibly taken care of her siblings for two days, but she had spit-shined the house for me. It was such a relief to come home to a clean home and happy kids, I cried. Thanks, Moog.

7. She's my friend. Okay, so a lot of the time I have to wear my Grouchy-Mother-Of-A-Teenager hat, but sometimes I get to exchange it for the Giggle-With-My-Daughter hat. Or my Watch-A-Classic-Chick-Flick-With-My-Daughter hat. I love those hats.

8. She is always trying to learn new things, or get better at the things she knows how to do. Lately she's been spending a lot of time creating art. And she has decided to learn how to cook, which is nice for those of us who get to enjoy her roast and potatoes.

9. She's a tradition-girl. I love the way simple things make her happy, just because that's how we have always done them. Like the family barbeque we had for her birthday a few days ago.

10. She makes me proud. I look forward to watching her continue to make good choices and enjoy her life.

I love you baby girl!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

2009-05-11T15:58:00.003-06:00

My mom recently won the Dream Catcher Award in conjunction with the CEU Children and Families Conference. I presented her, and this is what I said:

(Love you, Mom!)

It is my pleasure to introduce my Mom, Kathy Hurst, to you today. Kathy has worked, and continues to work tirelessly in many roles throughout her life. It has been difficult for me to summarize her contribution to the lives of children, because I don’t think a few words do it justice. But I’ll do my best.

Kathy is a mother and a grandma. My sisters, my children and I are her constant beneficiaries. I’m addicted to my mother, and my life is blessed in so many ways simply because of my proximity to her. I am tempted to talk for a few hours about this aspect of her life because it is so important to me and my family, but I’ll move on. Thank you, Mom, for your continued love and support and service to me and to my children.

As an employee of San Juan School District, my mom has worn many hats. She began her career as a special educator at San Juan High School, and then spent 18 years teaching English and peer coaching there. In fact, she was my ninth grade English teacher. I spent most of my childhood having my grammar corrected by her, and believe it or not I’m thankful to her for that. I actually loved having my mom as a 9th grade teacher, which says a lot about her skills in the classroom. I know she touched the lives of many students. It is not uncommon for her former students to ask me about her. I have heard many times how she inspired people to be readers, writers, and thinkers. I know she has done that for me. Thank you, Mom, for never letting me say “me and him”.

Kathy is full of energy and ideas, and she really truly can’t sit still. When she sees a problem, she figures out how to fix it. There are many examples of this. One is her weighted blanket project. My daughter and her granddaughter, Kate, has been diagnosed with autism. Many children with autism are helped by the secure feeling of weight, and there are catalogs full of very expensive products such as weighted blankets and vests for autistic children. My mom organized a group of people and selflessly spent hours purchasing fabric and creating weighted blankets for the autistic children in our school district. Thank you, mom, for caring about Kate and helping her and countless others.

As the chairman of the Blanding Rotary Club literacy committee, my mom spearheaded an effort to bring literacy into the homes of babies and families in San Juan County. I have watched her work tirelessly to secure funding from businesses and organizations to support this cause. She is currently trying to secure more funding to keep the project going. Because of her efforts, every baby born in San Juan County receives two books and important information about early literacy. In addition, the children in our County who are enrolled in the Early Intervention program are given books and information about literacy. Families all over our county have been blessed by her efforts. In many cases these books are the only books children have in their homes. Thank you, mom, for bringing the gift of reading to small children and their families in San Juan County.

Kathy has served as the San Juan School District Media Center Coordinator for nine years. During this time she has led a team of writers, translators, storytellers and illustrators in a team effort to create and publish Navajo Language materials. They have produced many books, games, posters and other Navajo language and cultural materials. These materials are not only being utilized in our school district, but are sought after by School Districts all over the country. They are beautifully written and illustrated. Great care has been taken to make sure they are culturally accurate and translated correctly. Thank you, mom, for continuing to use your creativity, drive and energy to bless to the lives of Native American children.

My mom is a very humble and private person, and she certainly has not and would not seek this or any other recognition. Thank you, Mom, for tirelessly and humbly working for the benefit of others. Despite what you may think, you deserve this award today.

Happy Birthmother's Day

2009-05-08T15:31:00.003-06:00

Thanks, Nan, for letting me know that tomorrow is Birthmother's Day. To the birthmothers of my babies, wherever you are, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for giving me the gift of family.

San Juan River Cruise

2009-04-06T15:13:00.004-06:00

Since the Glovers are posting photos of their cruise, I thought I would get in on the trend. Worthy and Morgan had the opportunity to go on a cruise, San Juan River style. I love the photo on the top--probably because I love the people in it!

Congratulations, Drama Queen

2009-04-03T10:56:00.002-06:00

Just had to report that Moog took 2nd place at region drama. Is she a Glover, or what? We're proud of you, Morgan. Way to go.

Three Cheers For The Red White and Blue...Rah! Rah! Rah!

2009-03-07T13:03:00.002-07:00

One of my favorite things about living in Blanding is being near family. Check out our three little patriotic first graders! They did a great job in the Patriotic Program a few weeks ago. I think it's too fun that we have three Glovers in the first grade. I had a little bit of trouble with red-eye, but they're still the cutest first graders around.

My Husband Rocks!!!!! (and I have an awesome closet)

2009-02-21T17:11:00.016-07:00

As most of you know, our house is little. I'm actually quite fond of my house, but it has presented some challenges for our family, especially since our kids keep bringing home more adoptees! We're up to a rather large dog and three cats. A few years ago Worthy and I moved into the basement to give individual rooms to our kids, and we haven't regretted it, except that it is NOT a sanctuary. We have been slowly improving it, and it has gone from sheets for walls to actual sheetrock. Plus Worthy the master electrician put in recessed lighting. We have been making improvements in our basement when we have extra money and time. Translation, it has been very slow!!! Below is a picture of what my bedroom looks like right now. It's basically a construction zone. And, we have been sharing closet space with our kids upstairs.

So my awesome husband worked hard over the last few weeks to finish the walk in closet for Valentine's Day. I know it's just a closet but you have NO IDEA how awesome it is to walk into an organized space after having to hunt for shoes in one closet, socks in the other... We did the whole thing--sheetrock, mud, paint, organizer. The only thing not finished is the floor and trim--we'll do that when we do the rest of the room. So here is a picture of my awesome closet.

Okay, this picture doesn't do it justice. This is the view from the doorway. You can actually walk into it and there is a lot of room on the walls to the left and the right that you can't see in the photo.

But wait! There's more. I had a dream about this next part, and I swear it was inspired! My husband (and Clay, the God of home repairs--thanks Clay!) made it happen. As I mentioned before, we have a small house. This has always been my excuse for not having food storage--we just don't have the room! I stash food under beds, in decorative baskets in the living room, you name it. Well, I wanted one of those fancy shmancy food rotation systems but we didn't have anywhere to put it. I had the brainstorm to put one in the wall! We walled around a space between the closet and the laundry room--it is narrow but deep and it would have been wasted space--and we made slanted shelves to rotate canned foods. You put the cans in on the laundry room side, and you get them out on the walk-in closet side. Instant rotation system. Woo hoo! Here are some pictures:

This is the view from the laundry room side:

Another view from the laundry room side:

A view from the closet side. The boxes on the top and bottom fit all of my wrapping paper rolls and gift bags perfectly--we ordered it from The Container Store and it's great for the deep, narrow space.

Worthy made channels for the cans, and they fit every size all the way from tuna and sliced olives to soup and vegetables to the #10 cans from the church cannery on the bottom.

I completed the final step today using scraps from my mom's fabric stash. Thanks Mom!

Thanks Worthy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Love You

2009-02-13T14:07:00.002-07:00

On this valentines day I want to tell you all how much I love you. I really do. Right now I wish I could find each one of you and tell you how much you mean to me and all of the reasons why.

My good friend found out just a few minutes ago that her two nieces were killed in a car crash this afternoon. They were both in college, both ready to jump into life. One of them was going to receive a marriage proposal and a ring this evening.

I'm overwhelmed right now with how short our lives can be. I love you all and I want you to know it. I'm not good at expressing it, but I really do love all of you and appreciate having you in my life.

Happy Valentines Day. Hug everyone in your family today.

I'm Proud To Be An American Today!

2009-01-19T19:54:00.004-07:00

We were lucky enough to be able to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial with Little Worthy in Atlanta when he was just days old. I will never forget the feelings I had there. Someday we will return and share it with our little ones, but until then we will share the good news! Happy inauguration day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS11MpYd4qU

I Love This!

2009-01-05T13:41:00.003-07:00

Okay, so I'm posting this so I can enter a giveaway, but that doesn't make it any less true. I love this site and resource and I want to share it with you all! When I got this calling, I must admit I was clueless and overwhelmed. But I'm proud to say that I've taken small steps towards getting control over my food storage, and I must say that these ladies have really helped. So check them out. They have a new web site called Fun With Food Storage, where they are linking all three of their sites together. They have a great giveaway going on right now, so check it out!

http://www.funwithfoodstorage.net/

I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas (Just Like The One We Had Two Days Ago)

2008-12-27T12:00:00.004-07:00

Our tramp may not make it to spring!
LW is just the perfect age for Christmas. So much fun.

Tickets to Wicked!

Lip gloss in the stocking. A girl can never have too much lip gloss, right Moog?

For Christmas we got a Guitar Hero World Tour Box with a Little Worthy in it.

Morgan couldn't help but pose the little man with her bling. Peace Out.

There was no road in front of our house for a few hours!

Our Dad is a most awesome breakfast chef. He is wearing the cute apron Gramma Gail made for Kim. Isn't he so adorable?

Even Tom Cat had a good Christmas. Plenty of boxes to explore, and even a treat from Santa.

Kate spent the morning laying on the couch, but she perked up at about noon and and has been playing madly with her new toys ever since. We knew she didn't feel well because she asked us to open her presents.

Merry Christmas!!! We have to go now--Our band has been busy touring. You haven't seen anything, by the way, until you've seen Big Worthy on the microphone. He is SO MUCH better than Billy Idol. Rebel Yell never saw him coming.

All I Want For Christmas is. . . Healthy Children

2008-12-23T16:54:00.007-07:00

cheese!

My kids were sick last week. You can always tell when Little Worthy is sick, because you have to wake him up. Usually he starts his day by impatiently waiting (sometimes for an hour or more) for his lazy family to wake up. He is the only morning person in our family. Last week he just wanted to keep sleeping, so there was no question that he wasn't feeling well. Fast forward to this week, when he had his class Christmas program. Needless to say, he wasn't prepared after missing so much school. It was hilarious to watch him--he just sort of pouted his way through the program. I did get him to smile for the camera after it was over, though.

So just when I thought we were through with the yuck, Kate started complaining (last night) that her ear hurt. This was after we decided to check her out school earlier in the day. She had been being "non-compliant", which often indicates that she isn't feeling well. She screamed and screamed last night, until she finally gave in and let Daddy give her some tylenol. When she woke up this morning, she went straight to the couch, told me "Mom, my ear is broken," and hasn't moved since. It's almost 6:00 P.M., by the way. For my energetic little girl, something is definitely wrong. It turns out she was right, she had ruptured an eardrum and liquid was oozing out of her ear. Poor baby. She's been a trooper today, but I just hope she is well in time to enjoy Christmas.

Now the latest development is Morgan with a headache.

So, Santa. I'm not asking for much for Christmas. Just kids that are healthy enough to appreciate your visit.

Elf

2008-12-19T19:05:00.002-07:00

Today was the last day of Morgan's play, The Toys Take Over Christmas. The little ones were so excited to see Morgan and Santa Claus. I think Morgan really enjoyed being part of this production--she's obviously a Glover. Big Worthy and I are proud of her and the way she strives to try new things and do her best, even when it's outside of her comfort zone.

This is the first time that Kate has EVER been chatty with Santa. It was really fun to see her be so brave. She said she wants a kitten for Christmas. Anyone surprised? At least she didn't say a cheetah or a tiger.

Worthy wouldn't sit on the big guy's lap, but he was brave enough to tell Santa he wants a fish for Christmas. Apparently my children think we are a farm of some sort.

Here is our lovely elf.

Worthy felt special after the show, chatting with the cast. He told two of them, "I like your voice."

Moog, I hope this is the first of many productions. Thanks Striped Happy Girly Goo!

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back...

2008-12-16T09:50:00.002-07:00

The two little ones and I are home today. Little Worthy is feeling yucky, and Kate is feeling just yucky enough to be a potential behavior problem at school. So we're having a break. I feel very blessed to have a job that is flexible. My family takes priority and my boss is so good about that.

Last week something happened at our house that I have been wanting to blog about. Those of you who know about autism, or who have had interactions with Kate, know that perspective is a big deal. Kids on the spectrum usually have a really hard time understanding that other people have different perspectives. They have "mind blindness," which becomes apparent very early with autistic kids. As an example, you will not find a baby with autism who points to objects. They don't bring toys to you or show you objects, because they simply don't understand that it is necessary. They can't see that your point of view differs from theirs. As they grow older, this can lead to all sorts of trouble. With Kate, we are constantly reminding her that other kids have feelings, that she doesn't always get to go first, that she should share. She has an especially hard time with empathy. So, I know that was long, but...

Last week Worthy stole a jolly rancher from the grocery store (I know, this could be a post in itself). After he was caught, his Dad told him that he would have to return the jolly rancher to the store. We would not pay for the candy, so he would have to apologize to the people at the store and figure out a way to pay for it or make it right. Of course he cried. We thought he had moved on, when later...

Big Worthy walked into the living room to find Worthy sobbing uncontrollably. Kate had her arms around him, patting him on the back and assuring him, "It's okay, Worthy. I have a nickel and I will give it to you. And you don't have to worry, because they don't put kids in jail. I promise. It's okay."

So great. Empathy, for sure. She loves her little brother.

This Is For You, Richie...Comedies

2008-12-11T14:55:00.007-07:00

In honor of Richie, I decided to come up with a list of my favorite movies. This is an extremely difficult task, I've discovered. So after much soul searching, I have decided to narrow my picks down to several different categories. And now (drumroll, please), my favorite comedies of all time (note: the order has a tendency to change, depending on my mood at the moment. And another note: most of these are my favorites simply because they are so darned quotable).

1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off. "This is my ninth sick day this semester. It's pretty tough coming up with new illnesses. If I go for ten, I'm probably going to have to barf up a lung, so I better make this one count."

2. Best In Show. "We met at Starbucks. Not at the same Starbucks but we saw each other at different Starbucks across the street from each other."

3. So I Married An Axe Murderer. "I'm not kidding, that boy's head is like Sputnik; spherical but quite pointy at parts! Now that was offside, wasn't it? He'll be crying himself to sleep tonight, on his huge pillow."

4. This Is Spinal Tap. "This goes to eleven".

5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail. "I don't wanna talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper! I fart in your general direction! You mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!

6. Better Off Dead. "I want my two dollars."

7. Napolean Dynamite. "Girls only want boyfriends who have good skills."

8. A Fish Called Wanda. "How very interesting. You're a true vulgarian, aren't you?"

9. Wayne's World. "I once thought I had mono for an entire year. Turns out I was just really bored."

10. Office Space. "Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler."

My Promised Things-That-Make-Me-Happy Post

2008-12-09T08:37:00.003-07:00

Happy Tuesday, Y'all. Here are some of the things that make me smile today:

1. My job. Sometimes it can be frustrating, especially when there are babies and families that need my help, but don't follow through with their end. I hate to see babies suffer when they could be making developmental gains. Yesterday, however, was such a great day. I had 3 separate, incredible home visits. Each one reminded me of why I love my job. My team does make a difference for kids and their families.

2. My home. This morning, as the wind was howling all around us, I felt warm and safe and cozy in my home with my family. The Christmas decorations make me happy and cozy, too.

3. My husband. Yesterday Worthy was "sick". Sick of the house, that is (shhh...don't tell his boss). When I came home from work he had cleaned the little kids' rooms--not as easy as one would think, unfortunately--and had dinner going. It filled me with peace. Thanks, Worth. I'm working on finding someone who will pay him to stay at home and be my house husband. Any takers?

4. My sis. For my birthday, Jen got me a jewelry making class. I'm going to Farmington this weekend for a sister visit, some Christmas shopping, and creativity. I'm really looking forward to it. I laugh when I'm with her.

5. Caffeine. I can't help it. I'm weak. I'm on my way to Bluff right now, and I'll stop off for gas and a diet coke. Aahh, the simple things. (This is dedicated to you, Nancy).

Wally Lamb

2008-12-07T08:51:00.014-07:00

I just read The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. I don't remember being so caught up in the characters in a book in a long time. Have you ever read a book, and weeks after you're finished you still wonder what the characters are up to now? Or are you ever suddenly reminded of a vivid scene or character? I can't seem to let this one go. It was that good. I had read another of Wally Lamb's books, I Know This Much Is True, and I remember feeling the same way about it. Wally Lamb is a master of storytelling and of character. So my sister reminded me that I should read She's Come Undone, also by Wally Lamb (his debut novel). I absolutely could not put this book down. By the way, you can find a great list of her favorite books if you link to her blog. She's a bit of a book snob (in a good way, gosh). So I trust her list. Plus, she and I have this weird history of buying each other the same gifts, having the same thoughts, and saying the exact same thing at the same time. I think we're psychically connected.

*******DISCLAIMER!!!!!!!******* These books are not for the faint of heart. There is a fair amount of sex and language in all three books. In the dedication of The Hour I First Believed, Lamb says in his dedication to his mother, "Sorry about all those four-letter words, Ma. That's the characters speaking. Not me." I personally believe that characters, in order to be real, have to be unedited and harsh sometimes. It doesn't bother me, as long as it's not superfluous and it adds to the character and story. But I will probably go straight to Hades, so you may not want to join me there. If it will bother you, don't read it. I'm just sayin.'

Ode To Pee

2008-12-06T19:12:00.002-07:00

Urine: –noun. yurin.
The liquid-to-semisolid waste matter excreted by the kidneys, in humans being a yellowish, slightly acidic, watery fluid.

Or, more accurately, a stinky, annoying liquid matter that seems to have it out for Kim. A smelly substance that still occupies Kim's nine-year-old daughter's "nighttime panties", or, sometimes, her mattress.

The stuff that sprays, uncontrolled, from Kim's seven-year-old son's firehose, often. Said firehose explodes, usually, at the most inopportune times (and places) possible. Said firehose is threatening to send Mrs. Johnson (and Kim) to the loony bin.

Said firehose is also threatening to cause said nine-year-old's fourteen-year-old sister to refuse to clean the bathroom, ever again.

Kim's aging cat also has a problem with urine control, and has taken to sharing presents with the Glovers in several favorite places. It must be a family thing.

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Simple Things I Love

2008-12-02T09:41:00.005-07:00

I've had a pretty "glass half empty" kind of year. Quite a bit of feeling sorry for myself and being grumpy. For those of you who really know how it feels to battle depression, you know that sometimes no matter what you say to yourself, it's not just a matter of "snapping out of it." But I do know that when I'm carefully looking for positive things in my life it helps. For the last month or so I've been trying very hard to find little things that make me happy. I decided maybe I'd blog them sometimes to give me an extra incentive. It's amazing how many wonderful things there are in life when you just stop, breathe, and pay attention to the little things. So, here are some simple things that have made me happy this week:

1. Reading Christmas books with my family. We have a Christmas book tradition in our family. When Worthy and I were first married, I started buying a Christmas book at Thanksgiving time each year. We now have quite a collection! Some of them have been added at Thankgiving over the last 16 years, some of them have been gifts (Thanks Gramma Gail!), and some I just couldn't resist. It was so fun to get our Christmas decorations out on Saturday and watch the kids get enthralled in the books. They immediately sat down and started reading. "Remember this one?" I kept hearing. Each night in December they each choose a new book and we read it. Even Morgan gets into this--she's big into traditions and I think it makes her feel like a little kid again. This picture is of our Christmas reading ritual. That's me in the background (see the blonde hair?). The kids are looking intently at the book I'm reading, "The Little Match Girl."

2. Pandora radio on the internet. LOVE IT. Right now it's playing me Christmas music and it makes me happy.

3. My kids say the greatest things. Here is Kate last night, answering the question "What did you learn in school today?" You have to picture her serious, intent little face.

Kate: "I learned how to kill a monster if monsters were really real."

Mom: "How?"

Kate. "There are two steps. Step one: Run. Step two: Run faster."

4. Worthy. He is having a really hard time at work right now. The politics there are so ugly, and his team keeps quitting, one after the other. I know he hates it at work, and I know that he keeps hanging in there because of his love and devotion to me and to his kids. I love him and I can't help but think things can only get better. I hope.

5. Blogs. I've tried really hard to make sure I check in every day to see how you are all doing. I love you all and you make me smile! Thanks for your blogs and for keeping in touch.

Happy Thanksgiving From Our Cute Little Pilgrims!

2008-11-25T09:35:00.002-07:00

Rachel and Little Worthy are both in Mrs. Johnson's first grade class this year. These pictures are from their fabulous Thanksgiving program this morning. We almost didn't make it because Worthy had an accident right before it started, but after running home and running back, we made it. This is another example of why I'm grateful to live 2 minutes away from my home, work, and children's schools.

We Love Our Cousins

2008-11-15T08:36:00.005-07:00

First, my children need to thank aunt Kd for having strep throat. (We hope you're feeling better, Kd). Because she was sick, we got to have the Barton girls at our house for three days. Kate and Worthy were THRILLED, to say the least. Our little house has been bursting at the seams, and a little bit rowdy at times, but we've enjoyed having our cousins here. Worthy (the one in his thirties) commented that our kids are lucky to have cousins they like to spend time with. I hope our kids continue to be buddies throughout their lives. Last night the kids made their own individual pizza masterpieces, so I thought I'd post some pictures.

Nan tagged me!

2008-11-12T10:53:00.003-07:00

Just when I thought I was off the hook, I was tagged again. I'm going to have to learn to run faster.

Seven things I can do:

1. Make rolls
2. Write, but I don't do it enough
3. Curl my tongue
4. Kick butt at Tetris
5. Quilt, when my mom is sitting next to me
6. Blog (I'm working on doing this more regularly)
7. bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan and never ever let him forget he's a man

Seven things I can't do:

1. Ski
2. Say no!
3. Keep up with my laundry
4. Kick my caffeine habit
5. Math
6. Make friends easily
7. fry eggs to order

Things that attracted me to Worthy:

1. He was already my best friend
2. He stalked me in a non-serial-killer sort of way
3. He is kind
4. He is confident
5. He makes me laugh
6. I just really like to be with him
7. He's a hotty

Things I say often:

1. Holy freak show!
2. This is your warning.
3. Put your feet on the floor.
4. Use your inside voice.
5. I love you.
6. Early Intervention, this is Kim (on the phone)
7. Movie quotes. (He doesn't own a _____, let alone many _____s that would neccessitate a ____ rack). This is just one example of the stupid things I say on a regular basis.

7 people I admire:

1. My Mom
2. My sisters
3. My children's birthmothers
4. Michelle Obama
5. Lana Latham
6. Steve Duke
7. My Dad

7 favorite foods:

1. Cafe Rio
2. Clam Chowder
3. Barbeque
4. Salmon! Especially the 50 dollar salmon I had for breakfast in New Orleans. Tasty.
5. Cheesecake
6. Loaded baked potatoes
7. My mom's lasagna

People I tag:

1. My mom
2. Morgan
3. Jen
4. Linz
5. Kd
6. Eryka
7. Tyler

Morgan Tagged Me!

2008-11-10T08:23:00.001-07:00

So I guess I've been tagged. Here are some random and/or weird facts about me:

1. It makes me happy to find a bargain at a yard sale or DI.

2. I love staying home and hanging out with my family. Little Worthy calls these "stay-home days", as in "Is it a stay-home day?" I was just thinking this weekend how lucky I am that I would rather be with my family than with anyone else in the world.

3. I have a dimple on my right (facial!) cheek that is really a scar from running into a cupboard door when I was pretty tiny.

4. When I was growing up I was a reader. I spent many happy hours with just myself and Nancy Drew. I became a non-reader when I had kids, and didn't pick up a book without pictures in it for about 10 years. Now I've become a reader again, to the detriment of the dishes in my sink.

5. I love really stupid movies like Best in Show, Office Space, and Spinal Tap. I also love really sappy ones. I just rented Return To Me from Netflix so I could watch it for the 1,651st time. And I own a copy, I just couldn't find it. LOVE THAT MOVIE!!!

6. I married my stalker.

7. When I was potty training I proudly pooped in the model toilet on display at a hardware store. My poor dad.

I'm tagging:

1. Jen

2. Lindsay

3. My mom

4. My husband

5. Dylan

6. Alexa Rae

I've Been Tagged

2008-11-07T17:50:00.004-07:00

Lol here's my random facts.

1. I collect frogs. (Yay Froggies!)
2. I love dressing up in random costumes w/ My buddy Mel.
3. My cat loves me more than anyone else in the family and freaks out when im away.
4. I love to take random pix with my friends. (See picture above)
5. My very most favorite book in the entire universe is Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.
6. I am very upset about the movie coming out on the 21st. There is no way they will be able to do Twilight justice and its just sick and wrong of them to try. The dude they chose as Edward is not hot at all and insults Edwards name. Jacob (Taylor Lautner) on the other hand, is freakin gorgeous!
7. My Vollyball team went undefeated this season! Go Broncos!!!!

I Tag:
1. Mommy
2. Grandma Gail
3. Nan
4. Cole
5. Thomas
6. Eryka
7. Nancy

idk how to link so sorry guys!

It's Been Too Long

2008-09-17T16:12:00.004-06:00

Here are some highlights from the last few months.

Worthy and I went on a cruise for our 15th anniversary to Ensanada and Cabo San Lucas. We sailed from San Diego. Worthy had fun hanging out outside of comic-con. We even met spiderman and his family.

I was able to go to New York with my Mom and sister Jen. We went to the U.S. Open and saw Wicked on Broadway. We also got to see Chrislynn, Richie and their two cuties and Eryka. That was fun! The picture on top is one I took of my tv screen! Lindsey Davenport is on the right, and the three hotties with the hats on the top left are my mom, me, and my sis.

The kids are doing great. Kate wakes up every day with a smile on her face on school days (this is a new one!) so we LOVE her teacher. Worthy has made tons of progress and is turning into a little reader. Morgan is busy, busy, busy but happy. She is on the drill team and the volleyball team, so she goes to school at 5:30 and we don't see her sometimes until after midnight. She seems to be holding it together okay with a bunch of make-up sleep on Saturday mornings!

We love you all and I wish I was more consistent with the blog thing--I just feel like I'm treading water for awhile right now! Trying not to drown. Thanks for loving me anyway!!!

We Love You Grandma Asay!

2008-06-13T13:07:00.004-06:00

I was looking through our photos for good pictures of Grandma Asay, and I discovered that every photo of grandma is a good one. She is always smiling on the outside and on the inside. We love her and miss her so much! What an example she is to our family of unconditional love and sincere warmth and happiness.

Congratulations Morgan!

2008-04-21T13:45:00.002-06:00

We're so proud of Morgan for making it on the drill team.

Books I Love

2008-04-14T09:30:00.002-06:00

I have recently read 2 amazing books, so I've been thinking about my favorite books of all time. It's hard to remember everything but I think I have a pretty good start. These are not in any particular order. If anyone has a suggestion for a good book, let me know! I travel a lot at work, and listening to books on my i-pod is a good way to stay sane. Here's the list. (For those of you who are psycho about punctuation like Worthy and I are, I couldn't get the underlining to work!)

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
To Kill A Mockinbird by Harper Lee
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
ANYTHING BY BARBARA KINGSOLVER!
The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenedes
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
The Tales Of Alvin Maker by Orson Scott Card
Mother Of Pearl

I know there are more, but it's a Monday. My brain is still waking up.

THE LAST TIME I POSTED WAS NOVEMBER!!!

2008-03-18T11:06:00.003-06:00

Please don't fire us. Our lives have been quite eventful. I'm on spring break right now, so I actually have time to breathe. I still love all of you even if I've neglected the blogs! I can report that I made it through February, which for some reason has always been difficult for me. This year it's been HORRIBLE but now it's March and life is going to be okay! Little flowers are starting to peek up out of my gardens. This is a good sign!

This week is our spring break, and we've been having a fabuous time. The kids and I planned Harry Potter week! We have watched the first 4 movies as a family, and we'll watch the 5th one tonight. We've also made all kinds of fun crafts, including butter beer, chocolate frogs, and broomsticks and wands made of all kinds of edible stuff. The kids also decided to pass off our Harry Potter x-box game this week. Right now they are eating their Bertie Bott's every flavored beans. Morgan just ate a sardine flavored one. In case you've never had them, the flavors listed are: booger, black pepper, blueberry, earthworm, dirt, cherry, cinnamon, ear wax, sausage, grape jelly, grass (this one is weirdly good), tutti-frutti, lemon drop, vomit, soap, sardine, toasted marshmallow, buttered popcorn, pickle, rotten egg, and 2 mystery flavors. Yum.

I'm starting a new walking challenge so I can walk New York when my mom and Jen go to the US open in August. I'd love you all to join me! You can sign up at www.walkny.blogspot.com.

Our Beautiful Girls

2007-11-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

I was reading Chrislynn's post and looking at Sophia's pictures, and it took my breath away how much she looks like my little baby Morgan. So I went through some photos today (I thought it would take a few minutes and I have been have lost in memories all afternoon) and I found some pictures. I think Morgan looks like Chrislynn and Sophia looks like Chrislynn and Morgan. It's fun to see the similarities between our beautiful girls. I'm also posting some pictures of Tim and Drew--I can't believe how little they were when Morgan was little! Enjoy.

I'm Such A Slacker!

2007-11-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

I really do love you all. Life is crazy and I have been intending to post for weeks. So here is a short one.

We just got back from a fun family trip to Salt Lake and Provo. We saw the specialist at Primary Children's Hospital for Kate's eyes, who had good things to say. Kate is doing a great job wearing her glasses and her eyes are slowly correcting themselves.

We stayed with Tim and Nancy on Thursday, which is always fun. We love them. But, I must confess, I went up to put my children to bed and woke up after 10. I guess my children put me to bed, too. So I hardly got to visit with Tim and Nancy. Big Worthy and Morgan got to go to the BYU football game on Thursday, thanks to tickets from Tim and Nancy. They had a great time (Morgan especially liked the people watching).

Friday night we stayed in a hotel so the kids could swim with Daddy while Moog and I went to the BYU volleyball game against Utah. We had a fabulous time. I even caught a signed toy volleyball from one of the starters! Needless to say there were a lot of crazy fans, both blue and red, so we were entertained. Morgan and I also got to do some shopping, so the trip was definitely worthwhile!

Our biggest news is that our basement is torn apart. We have spent weeks getting everything out of it, ripping down shelves and reassembling them in the garage for storage. Last night Clayton came over and helped us get started with the framing. Thank goodness for Clay, the Home Improvement God. We feel more comfortable now and I think we're ready to go for it!

We love you all and I'll try not to be such a slacker in the future.

Has Anyone Seen My Tooth?

2007-10-11T15:13:00.000-06:00

Oh, Yeah. The tooth fairy has it.

We Are Proud Of You Morgan!

2007-09-17T12:25:00.000-06:00

We are so proud of Morgan! I just wanted to share some photos of her on the volleyball court.

Moog, keep up the hard work and remember we love you. We love to watch you play volleyball, and we're proud of the lady you are on the inside, too. Have a great rest-of-the-season!

Mean Parents of the Year Award

2007-09-16T08:49:00.001-06:00

Yesterday Kate got in trouble for taking off without asking us. She likes to "go around the block", which is fine as long as she asks. She often leaves without asking and it stresses me out! She slipped this note to Little Worthy after being in her room for quite awhile! I love my kids.

You Are Invited!

2007-09-11T11:44:00.000-06:00

We are celebrating 3 birthdays on Friday! Thomas, Little Worthy, and Olivia all have birthdays this week. Glovers really like September.

We will be having a cook-out at the centennial park on Friday at 5:30 to celebrate. If you are a Glover, a Hurst, a Perkins, a Barton, or if we love you for another reason, please join us.

We will provide hamburgers, cake and ice cream. If everyone brings something to contribute (salads, chips, drinks, etc...)we'll have a feast.

Don't worry about bringing a gift.

If you will let Kd, Kim or Nan know if you are coming and what you'll be bringing it will help us. But if you forget to RVSP, show up anyway!

I Like To Look For Rainbows...

2007-09-08T13:46:00.000-06:00

What a beautiful day! Our little Kate was baptized today. It was an event full of miracles and we are so proud of her.

Some of you may not know that Kate has been extremely hesitant to get baptized. We have been talking to her about it and praying about it for many months now, and each time we have brought it up she has cried or outright refused. After prayer we decided the best action was no action. We felt that when and if she was ready she would let us know.

Several weeks ago she was playing at William Brown's house. William is Kate's special friend--she helps him with the things he needs and he, in turn, is there for her. They are a cute support system for each other. When William invited Kate to come to her baptism, she was suddenly inspired to be baptized herself! William's mom, who is an angel in my eyes, suggested to Kate that she get baptized after William. Kate said, "but I don't want people to watch me." Jackie calmly suggested that after William's turn everyone could leave and then Kate could have a turn. Kate, for the first time, showed enthusiasm. We held our breath and hoped and prayed that she would be comforted and could go through with it.

So the Brown's encouraged us to tag along. We didn't invite family, because we were trying to keep it simple for Kate and relieve some of the pressure. We were, however, lucky to have Gramma Gail there to give a talk about the Holy Ghost (she gave the kids beautiful "comforters" she had made) and Grandpa Worthy was a witness and stood in the circle for the confirmation. We felt blessed to have them there with us for such a special occasion.

Kate was so brave! I started crying immediately and have been flowing like a fountain all day. She was beautiful and brave and I'm so proud of her. She watched William, and then when the crowd left she calmly entered into the font and was baptized by her Daddy. What a moment.

I thought for sure she would want to be confirmed without a crowd, too, but when William's turn was over she calmly got up and walked to the chair. Her confirmation was beautiful. She and I both love and appreciate her Daddy.

Today I feel so blessed to have a family and extended family that loves and supports us and is willing to accommodate for our Kate. And what a support we have found in friends. Thanks, Brown family, for including us in your special day. I know it was meant to be.

A Few Reasons Why I Love My Wife and Kids

2007-09-05T15:10:00.000-06:00

I posted this on the Glover Family Blog but thought I would post it here for those of you that don't venture into the craziness of my family's blog.

This is not a comprehensive list of the reasons my family merits my adoration and love but it is better than not voicing these ideas at all.

Kim
She believes in me. I recently applied for a pretty significant position in my organization. In my first interview, with a member of the Executive Leadership Team, I was informed that he would be trimming the selection down to his top 4 candidates and perform a second interview with those that made his final cut. I told my wife this and said I wasn’t worried about a second interview. Surely out of all that applied I would not make a final four. She said, “Don’t think that way! You will be a final four candidate!” Guess what, I got a second interview. I am uncertain whether I really want the job or not but that is beside the point. The point is, my wife believes in me and gives me confidence to be excellent every day. I love her!

Morgan
She has a zest for life. Morgan laughs like me. She enjoys laughing and is a joy to be around. She played her first volleyball game of the season yesterday. She rocked and her team won. But, here is what distinguished Morgan for me and is one reason I love her so much. Morgan awoke at 4:00am that morning to get ready because she was so excited about her Volleyball match. She couldn’t sleep and couldn’t wait to go to school and start her match. She loves life and she is living life to the fullest. I am proud of her and I love her!

Kate
She is so inquisitive. Kate wants to understand how her world ticks and runs. She is always asking me the deepest questions. She also loves to find new treasures and show them to me, whether it is a worm, a piece of metal or a vegetable from the garden. She trusts my answers and seems flabbergasted when I don’t seem to have the answer. I love being her source of knowledge and love her more than I can describe!

Worthy
He is fascinated with Star Wars and Harry Potter. Worthy has begun to collect Star Wars and Harry Potter figurines. He asks to watch Star Wars every day. He knows the story and enjoys watching it with me. He has catalogued the Star Wars figures that he desires (he really wants Darth Vader, don’t tell him its coming for his birthday). He plays our Star Wars X-box game every time he plays the X-Box. Star Wars, my boy loves the show and toys as much as I do and did. I love sharing this interest with him and in his own words “I love” him “all the way to Georgia, the Moon and back!”

I have a great family. I love them and love the many things that make them unique. Thanks for letting me share.

Back to School

2007-08-24T08:26:00.000-06:00

School is in!

Worthy started kindergarten, and we are so proud of him. He was nervous and anxious. I cried all day (he didn't know it, of course) because I left him there with a quiver in his chin and those deer-in-the-headlights eyes. I had to remind myself that when I was a kindergarten teacher, kids did a lot better AFTER their moms left. So I left, and I cried. And when I picked him up after school he was beaming! He loves his teacher and he is having a very positive experience. Wow, my baby is growing up.

Kate is doing really well, too. She is such a good big sister to her little bro. She makes sure he remembers his backpack, and she helps him walk home from school every day. She has a wonderful teacher who has done a lot of simple things to help accomodate her and make her feel good about herself. Kate amazes me all the time, but I'm especially proud of her right now. She seems to have matured three years over the summer.

Morgan is in the 8th grade, and is still enjoying middle school. She woke up at 4:00 on the first 3 days of school to do her hair. Oh, my. We found out yesterday that she made the school volleyball team, so she is excited to start a new season. We'll let you know when we have a game schedule. Morgan is now officially taller than me. She and I were looking at her baby scrapbook yesterday, and I had this moment where I just wanted to grab time and hold it still for awhile.

I'm still alive!

2007-08-20T15:00:00.001-06:00

I must apologize for dropping off the face of the planet. We've had a fun filled, crazy summer and I have dropped the ball big time. Unfortunately, I'm back to work now. Fortunately, that means I have time once a day to catch up on y'all. I've really missed the blogging. It makes me feel like I'm close to everyone even though you're far away.

I don't have time to post much now, but I promise to post more this week. I just thought I'd include some photos of our summer adventures, including Harry Potter mania, swimming, and lots and lots of camping.

We love you all!

Worthy's Proud Golf Moment

2007-08-07T13:23:00.000-06:00

Two weekends ago I entered the Hideout Amateur golf tournament. It has been a goal of mine to win the Amateur. I haven’t felt like I was there yet, but a great thing happened. I took second place in my flight! Not a victory but close enough that I feel really good about the future.

I was a little worried about playing in the tournament because I hadn’t played a whole lot of golf prior to that week. In fact, I played a round on the Monday before and did so poorly I told Kim I was going to pull out. Luckily she talked me into sticking it out. She convinced me that I didn’t enter to win I entered to have fun.

I could give you the typical “Worthy Glover Play-by-Play” but I won’t. I will just tell you that I played steady. After the first day of the tournament I was in second place. I decided that if I kept the same pace as the day before I should end up in pretty good shape. In the end I took second by 1 stroke. It was a lot of fun.

For taking second place I won $350, which must be spent on merchandise at the clubhouse. This is great and exciting but a little frustrating also. I like every club in my bag. I really don’t feel like I need to replace any of them. Obviously they are treating me all right. I did purchase a new wedge (which has already been a good addition to my bag) but I don’t really have a need for any other clubs. I may end up buying some junior clubs for the kids and a lot of golf balls, shirts and hats.

The Beginning of our Summer Music Experience

2007-05-23T11:35:00.000-06:00

Kim and I have a music filled summer ahead of us and I thought I would share some of our experiences with all of you. We started our summer of music by attending a concert in Shiprock, New Mexico on Monday, May 21 that featured the Indigo Girls. Oh my, holy Hannah! What an amazing experience! Those of you that know my wife know she loves the Indigo Girls but until you see them live it is hard to really explain why she has so much passion and commitment to them. They were absolutely amazing and mind blowing. If you ever get the chance to see them in concert, you have to take the chance. I still can’t get over how amazing it was.

A Hopi reggae band called Casper opened the show. This group had an amazing amount of energy and really surprised me. When I heard that a “Hopi reggae band” was opening for the Indigo Girls I was a little skeptical, but they certainly won me over by the time they were done playing their set. They were fun to listen to and had a great message in their lyrics. Probably one of the most enjoyable elements of their performance was to watch Amy and Emily of the Indigo girls jamming to Casper’s music while back stage. From our vantage point we could see just off stage right and those ladies appreciated the performance just as much as we did. It was a lot of fun.

Now, I am going to take a moment to get a little preachy on you. Many of you might be wondering why the Indigo Girls would conduct a concert in Shiprock, New Mexico. Initially we also wondered. It turned out they were doing it to support a grass roots cause associated with a valid environmental cause. The concert, was sponsored by a group called “Honor the Earth”, and was a benefit concert designed to lend support to grassroots Native groups working to stop the Desert Rock coal plant. The grass roots effort desires that the Navajo Nation and other native cultures explore a safe energy economy, one based on the renewable energy potential of Native lands.

I feel this is a valid concern, an appropriate idea, and a cause worth supporting. It is time we take the initiative and explore better ways to exist in this world without causing it harm. Some of you may not think this idea aligns with my core values as a Mormon, but I would suggest otherwise. I firmly believe the Lord expects me to take care of this earth and treat it with respect. He doesn’t expect me to squander my inheritance by mistreating what I have been given or leave messes for future generations to deal with and clean up. A favorite saying of mine is one as if the Lord spoke it himself: He says, “Okay, now you’ve got the multiply part down. How about you work on the replenish.” Many will recognize this from the command to “multiply and replenish the earth.” Well, I think it is time we obey that command and do what we can to conserve and renew the earth. Just take a moment to think about it and do small things to make a difference that is all I am saying.

Okay, I am done preaching. Now back to the music. The Indigo Girls took the stage by singing “Pendulum Swinger” a new song of their latest album. It is a great song, and so much more amazing when you see it performed live. Those two ladies have so much passion and emotion wrapped into their music. It was incredible to watch them. They are so gifted and so talented. They really blew my mind! They switched guitars after every song and even switched in the middle of a song and didn’t miss a beat. They finished by playing the most amazing rendition of “Chicken Man” I have ever seen or heard. It was time well spent and great to be there with my wife and her sister. Thanks for dragging me there Kim it was a wonderful experience!

As I noted in the opening paragraph we have a summer of music ahead of us. I will try to post about each experience as we have them, so look for more. Just to give you an idea of what lies ahead for us. We are going to Indiefest in Pagosa Springs on June 9 & 10, and then we will watch the Indigo Girls again in Salt Lake City at Red Butte Gardens on June 19. Finally, we will likely wrap up our summer by attending the Folks Festival at Lyons, Colorado on August 19 in order to see Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams. We haven’t committed to that one yet but right now we are talking about going. It should be a great music filled summer. I will let you know how it goes.

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-11T13:58:00.000-06:00

A few years ago I wrote this little list for Kim on Valentine’s Day. I wanted to do something to honor her for Mother’s Day so I decided to share this with everyone, (after a little minor editing). I hope she doesn’t mind.

Remember When:

A skinny eleven-year-old boy brought you a mouse.
A neighbor girl who was twice his size forced a geeky 12-year-old kid into dating servitude.
A dorky 13 year old fearfully broke the “chains of love” by dumping his neighbor girlfriend and began professing allegiance to you.
A scrawny 14 year old began to stalk you.
A dinky 15 year old suddenly grew taller than you.
A bedazzled 16-year-old boy kissed you for the first time on the night of junior prom.
A whipped young 16 year old blew an engine in his car while driving you to see your boyfriend in Monticello.
A depressed 17 year old continued to stalk you.
Somewhere in there you and your stalker became best friends.
A nervous, soon to be 19-year-old boy looked you in the eyes across the dinner table and could have proposed marriage.
A young missionary wrote you more often than he wrote his own mother.
A young returned missionary asked you a set of questions during a late night cuddle session, which prompted him to get on his knees and ask you to marry him.
You said, “YES!”
A newly engaged couple financed a wedding ring with no money, no job and not even a roof over their heads.
You knelt at the altar in the Temple of The Lord and stared into eternity with your stalker, to be sealed together forever.
You forced the entire Hurst Family Convoy to pull over and stop on it’s way to Juarez, Mexico, while you emptied the contents of your stomach on the side of the road.
Our first child tried to enter this world early then refused to come on time once the proper moment arrived.
Our eldest daughter stopped breathing during her first hours at home.
We lost track of one another because paying bills seemed to be more important than being together as a family.
We made the crazy decision to move home within the year and we uprooted our lives within two weeks time. (The right opportunity came along.)
Two young parents decided it was time to expand their family only to discover that having another child was not like buying a loaf of bread at the grocery store.
Your husband had to learn how to poke you with a needle in a vain attempt to jumpstart your reproductive system.
We shared a horrific and very tragic ultrasound with our young daughter.
A young couple was told their reproductive luck had run out.
A zealous young mother networked with everyone and their dogs in a frantic effort to add to her family.
Two kids left their child at home while they hopped on a plane to San Diego to meet a potential birth mother.
Weeks later they loaded their luggage and child into the car and waited hours at the train station to travel east by train in order to pick up the next member of their family.
The highway patrol tracked that family down and asked them to call their adoption agency in order to receive some tragic news.
Your fragile husband nearly fell apart and came very close to an internal death.
Shortly thereafter we received the right phone call telling us it was time to come to Philadelphia to pick up our daughter.
That young and tested couple met their second child in the lobby of a Philadelphia motel.
Those youngsters didn’t wait around to let anyone change their circumstances and hopped on a plane to get home as quickly as possible with their little baby.
We took our two daughters to the newly built Temple of the Lord in our home area and knelt once again at the altar and were reminded of the eternal nature of life.
We realized we weren’t done, that there was another child who was to bear Dad’s name.
We revealed our souls one more time on paper and when our paperwork was “almost done.”
A national tragedy occurred and days later a Glover celebration happened.
Two crazy San Juan County residents drove across the nation in two days to pick up their son, because there were no planes in the skies.
We first met our little “cow,” and his precious birth mother.
Our son was ripped from our arms and returned to live in tragic circumstances.
We stopped living for 3 months.
A depressed, lost, and forlorn couple was approached by their social worker and asked if they would accept a new scenario for the acceptance of a child in their home. That surprising scenario involved the return of their son.
We returned once again to the altar of eternity and finished our family.
A not so young husband paused what he was doing and saying to look his wife in the eyes and tell her how beautiful she was.
The last time was that I told you, “I love you!” Well I meant it. I love you!

Happy Mother’s Day! I love you Kim and I want the world to know it! Thanks for being the mother of my children, my best friend and wife.

10 things you never wanted to know about Lou

2007-03-20T15:22:00.000-06:00

We have had a sad week at our house. Lou, our faithful friend and family member, finally chased his last truck. Our children have really taken this hard, as have the grownups. He was a true member of our family. Our two youngest have never known life without him, and Morgan had such a special bond with him. She was 5 when he joined our family.

I found this list of things about Lou in my blog drafts that I had started and never finished. So as a tribute to the best dog in the world, here it is. We love you, Lou.

1. Lou won Big Worthy and Morgan's heart at the mall. The shelter was having an adoption day, and my husband was a big softie. This is the same man who had vowed never to own another dog.

2. Lou is named after the Beagle on the movie "Cats and Dogs."

3. Lou has a serious fan base in Blanding. He has been spotted all over town. He goes on walks with the locals, and we're sure he is fed by several families.

4. Every once in awhile we get a call from someone who says they have "found" Lou. We just tell them to let him go, and he always comes home.

5. Grandpa Winston is Lou's favorite. When Lou is feeling lonely at our house, he just trots over to grandpa's and knocks on the door.

6. Lou is very loyal. He sleeps downstairs in our bedroom, but he won't go down until we are both down there. It makes him nervous when one of us is still up. He watches the door and paces until we are both safe and sound. Then he can sleep.

7. Lou loves to chase trucks and eat their tires. Of course, they stop because they don't want to run him over. This gives him the perfect opportunity to bite their tires as much as he pleases. It is completely humiliating.

8. Lou has more than 9 lives. One day we got a call from a friend of ours who lives across town. She said Lou had been hit by a car, and he was lying dead in the road with all four feet in the air. Of course, we all started to cry. Big Worthy went over to get him so we could give him a proper burial. By the time he got there, Lou was up and walking around.

9. We have paid for Lou a million times over by springing him from dog jail.

10. We thought Lou had cancer a few months ago, but he is just fine. We paid a pretty penny to find out he is fine, though. And the vet found a bb bullet in his leg.

11. Watch out what you feed Lou. He can clear a room with his natural perfume.

12. Here is another example of Lou's lives. He disappeared once for more than 3 days. We were pretty sure we would never see him again. We had let Moog know that she should not expect him to come back. We were sad, until we heard a whine at the back door. There he was, thirsty, tired, and starving. He ate, drank and spent several days sleeping. His paws were sore and bleeding. We're sure he was taken away in a car and was able to get away and find his way home.

13. Lou answers to many names, including LouAnn, Louise, Loser, and Lucifer.

14. Lou likes our cats but they don't like him back.

15. Lou is a part of our family.

My Stomach Still Hurts

2007-03-14T19:16:00.000-06:00

I spent the weekend in Aztec with Jen and my Mom, and I don't think I've ever laughed that hard. My stomach still hurts. The weird thing is, we were quilting. And quilting is SOOOO hilarious. Not really, but we managed to laugh anyway. I envy people who can laugh gracefully--the three of us are definitely in the "ugly cryer" category (sorry Mom and Jen).

Worthy made me go because he knew I needed the therapy, and I'm so glad he did. I appreciate him so much for the way he is there for me. He took both of the crazy little ones to Monticello for the volleyball tournament, which can be a difficult task for the two of us even when we are both there. He did it himself just for me. I love it when people ask me, "Is your husband babysitting?" My husband is not a babysitter. He's a daddy. And he's a fabulous daddy. Thanks Big Worthy!

We're all enjoying spring break now. All week last week Little Worthy kept asking me, "How long until we get to stay home and be together?" How sweet is that? I love being home with my babies, just hanging out. We've had a lot of cuddle time, book reading time, x-box time, and just being together time. And we broke out the flip flops! Woo-hoo! Happy Spring to y'all.

I came. I saw. I tinkered.

2007-03-14T15:24:00.000-06:00

I have wanted to mess around with our blog and the formatting for a while. Well, today I finally did. I am sure Kim is rolling her eyes right now as she examines it and realizes that the format is based on the great J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings and Hobbit series. I can hear her now as she declares, "You are a freak!" Oh well, I felt like this template fits the Worthy Glover, Jr. family and yes its true I am a freak. Besides, if we don't like it we can always change it again.

100 Things About Little Worthy

2007-03-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

I love Nemo.
Spiderman is my hero.
I love Harry Potter, but not the “scary one.”
When I go to bed, I ask my mom and dad, “are you going to watch the Scary Harry Potter?” I’m sure that’s all they do when I’m asleep.
I like to play with magnets.
I once freaked my mom and dad out because I ruined the television screen with a magnet, but they fixed it.
I was born with the ability to make people laugh.
One of my preschool teachers, Ms. Shumway, asked my mom if we have to buy depends, because we must laugh so hard at our house we pee our pants.
Once I get a laugh, I’m pretty sure if I do it again and again everyone will keep laughing.
I love to play the x-box.
It makes my family dizzy when I play the x-box.
Usually when I play the x-box I’m not really worried about how to win the game, so I just wander around and die a lot.
I lick my lips a lot.
I have no idea what an inside voice is or how to use it!
I have lots of 12 year old girlfriends at volleyball tournaments.
Last year at a volleyball tournament, I saw a tempting red handle on the wall at my eye level, so naturally I pulled it. The whole building had to be evacuated and the police came to turn off the fire alarm.
I am a softie—It makes me sad when other people are sad. Kate knows how to use this to her advantage.
I am a scientist. It’s hard for me to eat or drink without mixing and pouring.
My favorite dinner is macaroni and cheese from a box.
I don’t like it when my mom cooks real food.
If something has sugar in it, it’s delicious.
Sugar gives me lots of energy.
My mom and dad have learned to never have pancakes and syrup before sacrament meeting!
I love to ask the same questions over and over every day. My script goes something like this…
Can I have a bath?
Can I play x-box?
Can we go to the store and get a treat?
Can I have some cinnamon toast?
Can I watch cartoons?
Are you gonna watch the scary Harry Potter?
Are we staying home today?
I love to say “which is”. For example…
Can I have the candy which is the red one?
Can I have a bath which is with bubbles?
Will you turn on the t.v. to the show which is cartoons?
I like to sneak into Morgan’s room and steal her candy.
My “boos” are pink and purple.
My friend Christian and I are very noisy.
We’re pretty sure that the louder we are the funnier we are.
The other day at Heidi’s after all the kids were gone except Christian and me, I said, “Oh good. Now we can have some peace and quiet.” Heidi had to leave and laugh.
I was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
My mom and dad were so excited to meet me! They couldn’t fly because I was born right after 9/11 and there were no planes in the sky. They drove all the way across the country on 1-40 with a lot of triple trailer trucks.
When my Mom and Dad first met me I was dressed as a cow. Really.
My mom and dad loved me at first sight. They knew I was their boy.
When I was 10 days old, I left my family and went back to Georgia.
My Mom and Dad thought they would never see me again and they cried every day because they knew I was their boy.
I was the best Christmas present they had ever had.
I came back to my family in Utah at Christmas time, and my Mom was so happy to see me she didn’t put me down for months.
I love hot chocolate.
I am ticklish everywhere, even my ears.
My mom calls my belly button my “giggle button,” because all she has to do is wiggle her fingers and I giggle uncontrollably.
I can’t figure out how to tell which feet my shoes go on.
I like bran flakes cereal.
I was born one day after my cousin Thomas.
I hate it when my Mom clips my fingernails.
My parents are quite sure I don’t sleep much at night.
I know I’m not supposed to be up in the night, so I lay there very quietly until I hear someone up. Then I say, “is it morning?” Sometimes this happens when Dad or Mom is using the bathroom at 3:00 a.m.
I am a morning person in a family full of not-so-morning people.
I love to snuggle.
I’m a big fan of the letter W.
I’m named after my Dad, my Grandpa Worthy, my Grandpa Winston, and my Great-Great Grandpa Worthington Washington.
I love to ride the bus to and from school.
I love Heidi and she loves me.
I get to go to kindergarten next year.
I’ve been in preschool for 3 years.
I have a mean British accent.
I know all sorts of spells, like “Dependo!”
I have scary dreams.
I think Kate is hilarious.
I usually do whatever Kate says, which my mom says is a little scary.
I like the boomerang channel.
When I ask to watch cartoons, I really mean boomerang. When someone makes the mistake of turning on cartoons that are not on boomerang, I say, “No. I want cartoons.”
I love to play with the settlements, cities, and knights when my parents and Morgan play Catan.
If they let me take the pieces, they end up in my pockets and all over the house. So I play with them at the table where they are playing the game.
It’s impossible to get Kate and me to settle down to bed at night.
I like to listen to Kate read when we’re supposed to be settling down at night.
When I was about 4 months old I got wedged between the side of the crib and the mattress. I was hanging by my head and my feet weren’t touching the floor. My mom had to pry the crib apart to get me out. She rushed me to the doctor, and by the time we got there I had a bump the size of an orange on my head from the pressure. I still have a scar there. My mom is SO grateful that I was able to breathe and that everything turned out okay.
I like to dig in the dirt in our garden plot.
I’m a very picky eater.
I love it when my Dad stays home with me when I’m sick.
I love to go to Grandma Gail’s house.
I love to go to Grandma Kathy’s house.
I hate my tennis shoes.
I love my sandals.
I will always be my Mom’s baby.
I love it when my dad takes me golfing with him.
When we go golfing I collect treasures like broken tees and golf balls.
One time when I was golfing with my dad I fell out of the golf cart. I wasn’t hurt but I was quite surprised that he had been right when he had told me 100 times to hold on. I stood right up, put my hands on my hips and accused, “Dad, you let go of me!”
I love the Albuquerque aquarium.
I like to play at Shaw Nielson’s house.
I love it when my Dad takes me fishing.
I like to go camping with my Dad, especially when it’s just the two of us at ward campouts like fathers and sons.
I have an amazing ability to get filthy while camping.
I have always been afraid of being left behind. My Mom and Dad are constantly reassuring me that they love me and will never leave me.
I follow my Mom and Dad around the house. If they’re not careful, they sometimes step on me or crash into me.
I loved my sister Morgan intensely when I was a baby and I first came back to my family. My Mom and Dad think it’s because I loved a little girl named Angelica who was my foster sister while I was back in Georgia. The girls were about the same age at the time.
I don’t like ice cream.
Sometimes Tuxi sleeps with me on my bed.
My family loves me so much.
My Mom and Dad are so glad I came back to be their boy.

100 Things About Kate (Written by her Mom as if she were Kate)

2007-02-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

I love big cats…lions, tigers, jaguars, cougars…
My favorite animal is a “cheetah-tiger.”
When I was in the mall with my mom, she let me wish with a penny in the wishing well. I wished I was a cheetah tiger, and then I closed my eyes and waited patiently for it to happen.
I hate it when people touch my hair.
I am intensely afraid of things that are unexpectedly loud…
balloons…
fireworks…
package bubbles.
I was 5 pounds 3 ounces when I was born.
The people at the adoption agency nicknamed me “peanut” because I was so tiny.
My sister Morgan prayed for a little sister (a lot) and that’s why I have my family.
My family loves me.
I love Mrs. Johnson!
William Brown is my favorite friend.
I have a special place in my heart for people with physical disabilities.
I’m amazing at the x-box.
I love to read, and I often read in the dark at bedtime.
My brother loves it when I read to him.
I take very long, hot baths with LOTS of toys in the tub.
I don’t like to sleep on my bed so I sleep on the floor.
I have autism…and my Mom and Dad are proud of the way I adapt to the world.
I have never played with dolls or barbies.
I love to climb.
I have been known to climb onto the roof of our house, to the top branches of the tree (over the road) in front of the house, and on top of the roof of our tree house. This rarely scares me, but it always scares my mom.
I get frustrated easily.
I need food or I lose control of my emotions.
I can sit in crazy positions for long periods of time.
I love Sizzler.
I love shrimp.
I love broccoli.
I love triscuit crackers.
I put WAY too much sugar on my breakfast cereal.
I have a beautiful singing voice.
When the tooth fairy recently forgot to give me money, I said, “That’s okay. I bet she was very busy today because lots of kids lost their teeth.”
I lost my teeth very early—my first at age four.
Rocking soothes me.
Swinging soothes me.
The x-box and Nintendo soothe me.
I love my “boo”.
I call my favorite blanket my “boo” because Morgan used to play peek-a-boo with me using it.
Now even little Worthy calls his blanket a “boo”.
I love the way my boo smells.
My boo smells like “Lotion and Tuxi.”
My boo soothes me.
This is my second boo, and it’s falling apart just like the first one did.
My nickname is Katie-bug.
I love to wear gloves, even when it’s hot outside.
I love to wear my red-footed p.j.s that are ridiculously worn out.
I love coats and shirts with hoods.
I wear hot clothes in the summer time.
I love my Daddy’s songs.
My dad can talk me into things that my Mom can’t.
I love being in charge.
I love to cook.
I love to garden.
I like to watch animal planet.
I adore my cousin Riley.
I believe everything Riley tells me.
Riley has magical powers, including things like laser beams.
I’ve still never seen them but I know they exist because he told me so.
I love to pretend I’m a statue.
I love to fit in extremely small places.
Sometimes that freaks my mom out.
It freaks my teachers out, too.
I hate primary.
I cope with primary by either (a). screaming and crying, or
(b). zoning out (my mom calls this “going away”).
I love to swim but not in cold water.
I love puppets.
On school mornings I’m impossible to wake up.
On vacation days I get up early.
My left and right feet don’t match.
I have very weak teeth.
I love Heidi.
My mom loves Heidi.
Heidi has loved me since I was two months old.
People think I’m spoiled sometimes.
I’m not spoiled, I just have a really hard time when my routine changes or when I don’t feel in control of my world.
I have a hard time with transitions.
I was very difficult to potty train.
I still have issues sometimes with #80.
My mom feels guilty about being so hard on me about #80, because now she knows that it’s very common in autistic kids.
My mom feels guilty about a lot of things!
I love Pink Panther.
I love Tom and Jerry.
Boomerang tv is my favorite.
I’m always embarrassed after I calm down after a fit.
I often don’t remember why I was upset.
I love my 2 cats, Tuxedo and Fred Weasley.
I love my dog, Lou.
I get nervous in gyms because I don’t like the noise.
I don’t like elevators.
I have figured out how to handle elevators: I immediately drop to the floor and lay flat until the elevator stops. My mom and dad (and other people) find this entertaining.
I love visiting the city.
But stoplights make me think of Judy, the lady who does my hair.
So when I was younger and we were in ANY city, I used to say nervously, “Are we going to Judy’s?”
My mom is amazed I haven’t broken any bones.
I love my cousins and my grandmas and grandpas.
I like to ride Worthy’s bike but I don’t like riding my own.
100. MY MOM LOVES ME!!!!!

100 Things About Morgan

2007-02-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

100 things about me

1. I love volleyball!
2. My nickname is moog.
3. I am taller than my mom!
4. I am constantly checking my e-mail.
5. My favorite author is Shannon hale.
6. My favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice.
7. My favorite T.V Show is heroes.
8. My favorite book is Eragon.
9. My best friend is Bailey E. Meyer.
10. My favorite class is Home Ec. (I have it twice a day)
11. I love to play settlers of catan with my Mom and Dad.
12. My all time favorite candy is Nerds.
13. I am working to become a pitcher in softball.
14. I can’t fall asleep unless it is completely dark. (So that means I can’t fall asleep until my parents and siblings are asleep.)
15. I love to travel and see new places.
16. I want to go to Italy someday.
17. My favorite food is Italian.
18. My favorite restaurant is Olive Garden.
19. I love to read.
20. I love to Quilt.
21. I love to cook.
22. I have small feet.
23. I hate how my mom will not leave me alone about the guy I like. :)
24. I am really mad that my parents are on a diet, because that means we don’t get clam chowder or bacon any more.
25. My favorite series of books is the Goose Girl series.
26. I am saving up for a flat iron.
27. I love to take baths.
28. I love to swim
29. Ever since I came to middle school, I have gotten nothing but strait A’s.
30. I am the oldest cousin on both sides.
31. I am the oldest kid from two oldest kids.
32. I love to talk.
33. I love to scrapbook
34. I love Little Worth’s vocabulary.
35. I love it when my sister is happy, because that means everyone else is happy.
36. I can’t wait until I can drive, because then I can drive to Monticello. (My BFF moved there this year.) :)
37. My parents say that I like “Freaky funky fonts.”
38. My room is pink and green, and all my friends are jealous.
39. My worst habit is biting my nails.
40. My favorite memory is playing in the mud with Bailey.
41. I HATE Peanut butter. (or nuts of any kind)
42. One of my favorite candy bars is Reeses.
43. My favorite color combo is pink and brown.
44. I own tons of lip gloss, but it is never enough.
45. I just barely learned how to dance the Macarena and line dance.
46. I love wearing my pj’s.
47. I baby-sit a lot, and I love it.
48. I like to change my handwriting.
49. I paint my nails every Sunday.
50. I HATE going to Sunday school with guys.
51. My parents are mad at me because I am not putting my crush in my 100 things.
52. My favorite genre of books is fantasy.
53. My least favorite class is Spanish.
54. My pet’s names are Lou, Tuxi, and Fred.
55. I am a pyro. :)
56. My favorite animal is a Dalmatian.
57. I like to walk around town in my slippers.
58. I LOVE to go shopping!!!
59. My mom is really mad because I can win solitaire really easily, but she hardly ever does.
60. I hate to clean the bathroom, but I have to do it every week.
61. I love to go camping.
62. I spend almost every weekend in Monticello with Bailey.
63. I have always wanted to go to Spain. (Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink)
64. I like to write.
65. I like to wear dangly earrings.
66. My biggest fear is strangers.
67. I like to listen to my i-pod in my spare time.
68. I like the fact that my mom has the same shoe size as me.
69. I have my daddy’s laugh. J
70. I love the rain.
71. I love the smell of rain.
72. I love it when it rains and the power goes out.
73. I love the sound of thunder.
74. My brother and sister are afraid of thunder, so I make them “Thunder Tents” to protect them.
75. I hate that Kate hates loud noises.
76. I love fireworks.
77. I don’t understand what is so gross about bugs and rodents. (except for poisonous critters)
78. I love to be alone and think to myself, but at the same time I love to be around my buddies.
79. When someone is sad, I try my hardest to make them happy again.
80. I love to take pictures.
81. I love to be in the mountains.
82. I love to go on hikes with my grandpa Winston.
83. I love to go fishing with my Grandpa Worthy.
84. I love the soundtrack of Phantom of the Opera
85. I love to laugh.
86. I have a birthmark that looks like a strawberry on the back of my neck.
87. I want to learn how to play the guitar, but that is what I said about piano when I was 7, and I haven’t really improved since then.
88. I like to watch the old T.V. shows like M.A.S.H., Hogan’s Heroes, Star Trek, and MacGyver.
89. My favorite actress is Keira Knightly.
90. I was born in Logan, Ut.
91. My favorite College is BYU.
92. My mom wants to know who I like, but SHE WILL NEVER KNOW!!!!!!
93. I am a geek and a fashion freak at the same time.
94. I will never need glasses or braces. J
95. I have never broken a bone in my body, and I have only been stung by a bee once.
96. My favorite day of the week is Wednesday, because I have YW.
97. I have thick hair thanks to the Asays. Thank you grandma!
98. I love the smell of summer: sagebrush, freshly cut grass, BBQ, flowers, tomatoes, etc.
99. I love how the trees in Blanding look after it has just snowed. It looks like everything is made of white stone.
100. I am proud that I made this list all in one day.

Kate Doesn't Love Getting Her Hair Done

2007-02-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

Worthy, Kate and I spent several days in the great North this week. It was nice to stay with family--Tim and Nancy were our hotel on Wednesday night, and we stayed with Lindsay and Walter Thursday night. We love our family and it's fun to have an excuse to visit.

We took Kate to the Moran eye center at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake. She has two issues with her eyes. One is called amblyopia, which is commonly called lazy eye. Her eye is capable of working, but the brain has learned to bypass it. One eye does all the work. The problem is, the "lazy" eye eventually stops working at all. Both of Kate's eyes are bad (even the "good" one, so that makes her eye issues even worse. Her eye has recently started wandering off, too, because it's not doing anything. So the doctor gave us a STRONG prescription for glasses (apparently the glasses she has been wearing are about 1/2 as strong as they should have been) with orders to wear them all the time. I'm sensing a battle coming on... The other eye issue is called anisometropia, which essentially means that her eyes are very different in their abilities. Kate just seems to never catch a break.

Speaking of never catching a break, we visited Judy at Baraka on Friday to get Kate's hair fixed. This is NOT Kate's favorite! She hates it with a passion I cannot describe. You would have to be there to understand. Actually, though, she was a trooper this time. She did have a fit, but not until the very end. Kate decided to get her hair relaxed this time instead of getting braids. She's pretty proud. She said, "now my hair is like Morgan's".

The best part of the trip was spending parent time with Kate. Our kids always enjoy having a little bit of time with Mom and Dad and no other kiddos.

Yesterday Moog played volleyball in Cortez all day. Her team did well, taking second in the tournament. Morgan had awesome serves (she has to stand all the way against the wall and it's still a powerful hit to the back line) and some amazing plays at the net. She does a great job, but even better is the fact that she's passionate about it. It's fun to see her so excited.

Explanation of Post Below

2007-02-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Kim encouraged me to generate my own list of "things about me." I have written it and posted it below. I have to let you all know that there were some things she did not want me to leave in my list, but I exerted my right to free speech and left them in place. I hope you all enjoy reading it. There are certainly things that make me chuckle in the list. It was a good exercise and I would encourage all of you to make an attempt at creating your own list.

100 Things About Worthy

2007-02-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

1. My favorite font is Arial.
2. I still love comic books, but I call them “graphic novels” to sound more adult about my obsession.
3. I am obsessive compulsive.
4. My iPod makes me happy.
5. I abhor racism, prejudice and hatred!
6. I believe my spirituality is not gauged by my political affiliation, my choice of hairstyle, or color of shirt I wear to church on Sunday.
7. My favorite TV show is a toss-up between Heroes and Battlestar Galactica.
8. Some of the most spiritual people I know are not “Mormon.”
9. I wish being a Dad was not so challenging.
10. Yet, I believe anything worthwhile does not come easy.
11. I am truly, madly and deeply in love with my wife.
12. Like Joseph Smith, I would go to the very depths of hell and back for my wife.
13. I love the smell of San Juan County during and after a rainstorm.
14. I am worried that I will be discovered as a fraud someday. Until then I am just going to keep faking it.
15. I have an odd interest in vampires.
16. I have a similar odd interest in the mob.
17. It took me 12 years to earn my Bachelor’s degree, (I am neither a Doctor nor a Lawyer).
18. I love teaching, especially gospel subjects.
19. I am not like the rest of my family.
20. I have no real political affiliation, but I am certain my leanings are more democratic than republican.
21. I love riding a bike.
22. I still yearn to be on a skateboard at the skate park.
23. I am glad I have discovered snowboarding; I just wish I did it more often.
24. I appreciate that my wife makes me wear a helmet when I ride my bike, (even if it makes me look dorky).
25. I have some addictions…golf is one.
26. My wife is another (see #24).
27. Somehow I have managed to remain in good standing with my children. I don’t deserve the love they offer me, but I will gladly embrace it.
28. I love watching movies at the theater, but not “chick flicks” those are for renting and watching at home. Give me action, excitement and loud noises!
29. I love to act and secretly wish I had done more to hone my talents in the theater arts.
30. I love well-done, live theater (Broadway blew my mind).
31. I do not like Fast and Testimony meeting.
32. I like hearing and feeling a sincere testimony.
33. In another life, I would be Emperor of the World.
34. I want to own a truck someday, and not just the Hotwheels model.
35. I love the laughter and smiles of my children. I wish I saw those smiles more often.
36. I am so proud of every accomplishment my children make.
37. I love that Morgan has interests in my music choices.
38. I really love when my two little ones hear a song and shout, ”Hey you have this song Daddy!”
39. I enjoy being the “fixer” of all things. I just wish I really could fix all things.
40. I love that I get my Dad all to myself for a two hour block, from time to time, on the golf course.
41. I wish I could play the guitar.
42. I wish I were as good a leader at home as I am in the office.
43. I am proud to be a Certified Public Manager.
44. I am proud to be nearly done with a Master’s degree.
45. I am easily distracted.
46. I am good at accomplishing my goals…when I set them.
47. I love to travel with my wife.
48. I do not like being a referee, umpire or official of any sort at sporting events. It’s just not fun.
49. I love coming home to my family at 5:00 pm every night.
50. I have weak ankles.
51. I carry two “lucky” quarters in my pocket. They are the quarters from Georgia and New Jersey. The number will increase to three when Utah comes out. The quarters represent the birthplace of my children.
52. At Sizzler I order the Steak and All-you-can-eat-shrimp, not because I can eat a lot of shrimp, but because my daughter can.
53. I love playing Cities and Knights of Catan.
54. Generating a list of 100 things about myself makes me uncomfortable.
55. I love the taste of my wife’s lips, (she tastes like the first time I kissed her).
56. I don’t know how to teach my children to be confident.
57. I don’t know how to do a lot of things.
58. I really don’t like cats (even though we have two).
59. I like making breakfast for my family.
60. I want to look like Brad Pitt: hot body, dashing good looks. Despite my wife’s belief I DO NOT HAVE A MAN CRUSH ON HIM!
61. I like bizarre stories and movies.
62. My favorite short story is “Murder Mysteries” by Neil Gaiman.
63. I enjoy camping with my family.
64. When fishing, convincing Kate to throw back the small fish is a formidable challenge, but fun to be a part of nonetheless.
65. Staying home from work with Worthy is time well spent.
66. Watching Morgan play sports makes me nervous and proud.
67. I like to barbeque.
68. I enjoy learning, but only when it is on my own terms.
69. I prefer to read my news rather than watch a newscast.
70. I watch Sportscenter every day.
71. I am a fan of BYU football.
72. I really want to see U2 in concert.
73. I also want to see Greenday in concert.
74. My wife and I make great partners. We each have a role in this family and together we play those roles well.
75. Studying the Book of Mormon brings me great peace.
76. I want to earn a doctorate degree someday.
77. I know God answers my prayers!
78. I like knowing that George Bush is almost done being president.
79. I dig the way Todd McFarlane draws Spider-man.
80. If I could be a super hero, I would be Spider-man.
81. I have a counting system for dispensing paper towels in a public restroom.
82. I must have a certain brand, style and color of pen in my back pocket at all times. I get nervous when its not there.
83. I still haven’t told my mother about my first kiss, (even though at the time she told me she hoped I would tell her when I had my first kiss).
84. My first kiss was Prom night my sophomore year in High School.
85. I was sixteen (see #84).
86. I kissed Kim, my Prom date (see #84 and # 55).
87. I am a charter member of the Rotary Club of Blanding.
88. My favorite novel is “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card. I have read it many times and it still blows my mind.
89. I must have a clean desk in order to write or work effectively.
90. My desk is rarely clean.
91. I want to win the Hideout Amateur some day.
92. I am glad my parents called me Worthy and not Bill when I was born.
93. I am proud of my name.
94. It is great to date my wife every Friday.
95. I am glad she does not allow me to grow complacent about date night.
96. I like the feel of exercise sweat on my own body.
97. I enjoy a good quote. My bulletin board at work is covered with them.
98. My favorite letter of recommendation written for me states, “Don’t hire Worthy Glover!”
99. I currently work in the same job my father had when I was a teenager. Not just the same type of work but the very job.
100. Why didn’t I stop at 50? 100 is far too much to say about one’s self.