Who are you?

As much as I adore all of the Austen classics, "Persuasion" has got to be my favorite Jane Austen book. If you haven't read it, do! Anne is persuaded by a rich friend not to have a relationship with the man that she loves and so she loses him. She has to deal with this loss for seven years time and then he comes back into her life and she gets a second chance to make things right. It's an excellent read. I'm glad I turned out to be Miss Elliot in the Austenquiz.

The Blog Police!

Sooooooo, Let me start out by saying that when I call my G-ma Andrus I never tell her who it is. I normally just start talking like she should know its me and after about 1/2 a minute she'll stop and say "Is this Spencer?" and then I'll confess it's me.

G-ma just started her blog on mothers day(well she didn't actually do it, My Sis in Law Rachelle did it for her). Now, I've noticed that G-ma hasn't yet used it, not even once. Sooooooo, when I called her she answered the phone and I said "Yes mam, this is the blog police" and the conversation went as follows:

G-ma: "The what?"

Me: "The blog police ma'm"

G-ma:"(Silence)....Oh...Ok...How may I help you?"

Me: "Well, I was just reviewing your Blog and noticed that you have not posted anything yet."

G-ma:"(Now speaking quickly and very worried)....Oh, well you see, my daughter opened one for me for mothers day and I haven't been able to figure out how to do it yet, and...

Me: "That's not a very good excuse ma'm, you need to talk with someone and get this corrected immediately."

G-ma:"Oh, Well...You see... my granddaughter and my daughter Delane did this and..."

Me:"(Laughing Hysterically) Grandma, it's me Spencer!"

G-ma:"oooooh, you really got me good(Also laughing...Not to mention VERY relieved)"

Needless to say, I've got some pretty good Grandparents...Although I'm sure there are better grandchildren out there in abundance. (I'm still laughing, but maybe you just had to be there).

`Spencer

I'm about 35 weeks in this picture. Not getting much sleep at night, ready for the baby to come soon.

This is our newest princess dress. $3 at a garage sale. Taylor has been wearing it for two days straight.

McKay can do the splits!

I believe these glasses are on up-side-down. Nice!

Taylor and McKay having fun in the backyard pool.
Taylor found some shiny makeup. Lovely.
This is Taylor's favorite friend, Ella.

















Fun water slide at a friend's B-day party. Taylor couldn't get enough, McKay wanted nothing to do with it.

















The kids got some stylin' sunglasses!

Rainbow Sprinkles

I was outside on the front porch enjoying the weather, watching the kids play. After giving her some warning, Taylor would still not share a ball with McKay, so I put her in the house for a T.O. and left the front door wide open. I heard her whimpering for a minute and then sort of forgot about her for a few seconds. I was compelled to remember her when she came running to the front door and slammed it shut. I looked in the window to see what she was doing. Is she mad? Wait a minute, it is too quiet in the house, a sure sign that some mischief is stirring. I couldn't see her anywhere. I went into the house and found her at the kitchen table. About one fourth of the rainbow sprinkles were scattered across the table. Taylor was grabbing them by the handfuls and shoveling them into her mouth (Note to self: put away sprinkles before child can get to them). She seemed perfectly happy. She smiled at me and confessed, "Mom, I'm eating the sprinkles". I just couldn't be mad. It made me smile and laugh and enjoy Taylor even though she was quite sneaky. She easily cleaned up her rainbow mess and even shared some with McKay!

What is an unboy?

Today Taylor was attempting to pull Buddy our dog on his long, red leash. Taylor called him an "unboy" several times. With slight irritation she would say, "Oh, Buddy, you unboy." I was curious to know what an unboy meant in Taylor language. I asked her and she explained, "Buddy was not following me so I called him an unboy."
So now you know; if you ever have someone who is not following you, I guess you could call them an unboy!
Sarah

"No Blood No Foul" or "I plead the 5th"

Sooooo, I was watching the kids today and they were off playing while I was mowing the lawn. After a while Mckay came to the door crying and holding his hand like he was hurt. I went to see what was wrong and Taylor was standing right next to Mckay so I asked her what happened. Instead of answering my question she just said "There's no blood dad". So I repeated my question. Again she answered "Wwweeelll...there's no blood". I then said "Taylor I just want to know what happened". In answer to that she just stared at me in stubborn silence while slightly shaking her head left to right(the universal sign for "NO").


These questions and responses repeated themselves several times before I just gave up.

All this just helped me to realize we've got some rough years of parenthood ahead...


~Spencer

Three Things

Three things I'm afraid of:
1. labor & delivery
2. spiders & snakes and other poisonous things /other creatures that bite
3. bad health

Three People Who Make Me Laugh:
1. President Gordon B. Hinckely
2. Taylor & McKay
3. Spencer Bj.

Three Things I Love:
1. family gatherings
2. sugar--you just have to have a little everyday
3. mountains, lakes, forests, oceans, sunsets, flowers, fresh air(a.k.a. nature)

Three Things I Hate:
1. traffic--it can be bad in Houston
2. I'm not too keen on laundry
3. most television programs--too much trash

Three Things I Don’t Understand:
1. people who are mean to children
2. silly rules; like no flip-flops or shorts at BYUI (and why anyone would want to wear these things in that climate anyway)
3. taxes and politics

Three Things On My Counter:
1. a few dirty dishes
2. a set of white glass jars that are rarely used
3. stereo with classical music CD inside that is often used

Three Things I’m Doing Right Now:
1. Basking in silence: silence=sleeping children
2. Unwinding/relaxing
3. eating a green popsicle

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1. serve a mission! (I still have time, I haven't missed my chances)
2. raise my children
3. go to Europe & Jerusalem

Three Things I Can Do:
1. Sign (ASL)
2. wiggle the biggest vein in my left hand by wiggling my fingers
3. I'm good with memorizing names and numbers

Three Things I Can’t Do:
1. roll my r's
2. the splits
3. my hair
4. I just have to add the obvious: carry babies to term

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To:
1. the Holy Ghost
2. the french horn (so soothing)
3. birds


Three Things I’d Like To Learn:
1. how to play tennis
2. how to bake good wheat bread
3. public speaking

Three Favorite Foods:
1. fajitas
2. watermelon & berries
3. ice cream

Three Shows I Watched As A Kid:
1. My little Pony, Care Bears, Rainbow Brite
2. Wee Sing Videos
3. He-man (thanks to Clarke and Spencer)

Three Things I Want in the Next Five Years:
1. $200,000 in savings (wishful thinking)
2. move out of Texas (wishful thinking)
3. to be finished with bearing children (again, probably not going to happen)

Share your three things!
Love,
Sarah

Maybe I'm not the best Dad....

McKay has an addiction he has been battling since he has been able to crawl.

My son eats dogfood anytime he can get it. (Actually he's been getting much better and we almost never catch him with his mouth full of Dogfood anymore. )

Now that this trend is ending I'm realizing that we have no pictures to prove this to him when he is older. Yesterday was the day that changed. I walked outside and caught McKay with his head down in the dogs waterbowl(okay, so it wasn't dogfood this time, but they're related).

This may not be very fatherly but instead of stopping him I ran inside and grabbed the camera and took a few action shots. Thinking back, I hope we don't have to de-worm him...

Note the Water dripping off of his chin...That's what I call good photography! (I'm a natural)

~Spencer

Worlds Best Magician

Soooo, today in church McKay had this purple coloring Crayon. Normally I feel pretty safe with the kids playing with crayons(as opposed to markers or sharp objects). But McKay the previous week had decided to swipe the crayon against the wall in the chapel. Additionally, I looked down and instantly saw purple marks all over my suit and pants. Now, I really had no idea previous to today that crayons could actually mark up clothing(maybe that's the price I pay for buying a cheap suit).

Anyway, I decided I had to take away Mckay's crayon without him screaming or crying or doing whatever else he knows he can do in the middle of sacrament meeting. So I closed my fist and had him stick the crayon down into my hand from the top where my thumb is. I then used my other hand to take the crayon out of the bottom side of my hand. When I then opened my hand McKay was awestruck that the crayon was missing. He spent several moments looking all over the front and back of my hand to see where it was hiding(which was of course in my other hand).

He then picked up another crayon and shoved into my closed fist like I had done with the first. So I used my other hand and pulled that crayon also out from the bottom of my fist. When I opened up my hand McKay was just as dumbfounded as the first time. I then spent the next while making the 2 crayons reappear in my fist and then dissappear again. It was fun seeing Mckay so enthralled with where the crayons dissappeared to and also when they reappeared in my fist.

Taylor, being a bit older, caught on right away that I was just reaching out and taking the crayons with my other hand, but I guess Mckay is just at that age where things like this still work...Fun Stuff!

~Spencer

Baked Potatoes

I always bake too many potatoes and we never eat the left overs. They sit in the fridge for a few weeks, waiting patiently for anyone to consume them, and then I throw them away. I usually bake just one too many. It's hard to judge when there's one hungry husband, and yourself ( sometimes, or often times--do I dare to admit?--I can out-eat Spencer), AND two half-people that occasionally have growth spurts or occasionally have no appetite. So, how many potatoes do I cook? Sometimes I think I get the number right, but then I forget to take into account that the potatoes are enormous and one person can't possibly eat the whole thing. I know potato calculation is not calculus, but I sure can't get it right.
love,
Sarah

Zone Defense

I had an eye-opening conversation with a friend in the ward. His name is Ryan. We had invited the Ryan and Mary over for dinner and a game night. They have one little baby girl, age 6 months. Ryan started asking me about my pregnancy and then he said, "So now you're going to be on zone defense soon". I had no idea what he meant. He clarified, "You are currently practicing 'man-on-man' defense with two kids. Mary and I are on 'tag-team'. When you have three kids, you'll have to shift to zone defence."

That made me laugh.
love,
Sarah

Downtown

Houston Temple

Bits of Houston info

Maybe some of you will never make it to Houston. Maybe some of you want to come visit....us. Either way, you should come to understand a few interesting and a few not-so-interesting facts about the 4th largest city in the U.S.

• FIRE ANTS--Have you ever heard of a fire ant? Well, come to Texas and you'll know all about them. In fact, you have not really experienced Houston without getting bit by a fire ant. Don't be a wimp. You can do it. Just step in a pile of fire ants (unless you are allergic) and see what happens. It only stings a bit. But then it will itch for the next week and you will get a white puss head at the peak of the red bump that will form on your skin. It's just a part of life in Texas. Get used to it, and buy some fire ant killer. Then you must use it after each rain storm, which brings more of these harmless-looking microscopic-sized nuisances into your yard. P.S. If you do happen to be allergic. You may not DIE, but you will have a bump, or welt on your skin as wide as a baseball. Welcome to Texas!





• Cajun Food--Almost every Houstonian loves Cajun food, which really comes from Louisiana. One word for you--SPICY! Spencer and I only gave it a try once. We had fried alligator meat for an appetizer. It wouldn't have mattered what type of meat it was--squid, liver, duck, elk, snake--all we could taste was HOT! So if you ask me what alligator tastes like, sorry, I really couldn't say. We had some other type of fish for our main course, but again, too spicy to enjoy. I do, however, need to give GUMBO a try. To tell the truth, I don't entirely know what it is, but I hear people talk about it. I think it is some coagulated meat sauce that you serve over rice, probably spicy?





• Downtown--I like it. It's clean. It feels safe. I don't think there is much culture here compared to other places, but it's still fun. Some of my favorite places are the butterfly museum (A man-made rain forest with all types of butterflies fluttering around. If you wear bright, flowery colors, they will land on you), the Miller Outdoor Theatre (has free concerts, plays, and events year round. We look forward to seeing "Hansel and Gretel," the Opera this summer), the Houston Children's Museum (one of the best in the country), and Hermann Park (Houston's "central" park with lovely gardens. A mini train runs through it and it has water fountains to splash in).





• Phraseology--In my experience, every native Texan has been known to say one particular phrase that drives me crazy. The word is "fixin'". "I'm fixin' to put gas in my car", "I'm fixin' to cook dinner", "We're fixin' to go to church". Not my cup of tea.





• Real Estate--The best thing about Texas is the price of the homes. The homes are mostly made of brick. They are building the homes so much bigger these days and in Houston, they are affordable. For instance, we bought out house for about $170K and it is 2700 square feet, two story, high quality home. Lovely. How are we ever going to move away from such luxury?





• Scenery--You'd be surprised at how green it is in Houston. West Texas is flat, ugly, dry. Houston is rainy, humid, and very green (still, nothing compared to the east coast). Lots of pine and oak. You can grow various tropical plants here.





• Master-planned communities--The only city that I know that has these wonderful neighborhoods is Houston. They build subdivisions like a mini town with walking trails, ponds, schools, stores, pools, rec. centers, tennis courts, golf courses, etc. If you are interested, take a look on-line. (Fairfield, Bridgeland, Greyson Lakes are some of the biggest and best). That's another thing. Every subdivision has a name that can be seen while driving. Most names are put on stone or brick with flowers and plants surrounding. FYI, I live in "Lakewood Glen Trails."





• SUMMER--Lastly, and worstly, the summer. If you want to move here, come visit in the summer and see if you can handle the humidity and the heat. If you know you do not want to move here, avoid the summer at all costs. I prefer to leave in the summer but if I do stick around, I will catch you indoors or in a pool. Of course, you can't let this prevent you from ever coming. It only lasts 4 months! You can handle it! Come on!

I'll close this post by telling you we LOVE it here (wow, this kind of sounds like my Houston Testimony!). We live 10 miles from the temple. Winter, Spring, and Fall are wonderful. The schools in Texas are good. Come join us. We only lack one thing in Houston--family connection! (Cousin Jon is four hours away, and Uncle John is 11 hours away).

~Sarah

McKay prayers

I wish you could all come to my house and hear McKay say a prayer. He is, of course, turning two, and doesn't have the clearest pronunciation. Here is how his prayer works: I will say a sentence and he will repeat the last word of each sentence. "We're thankful for...mommy, Taylor (Tay-tay), new baby (babee), daddy. Thankful for house (howse). Please bless the food (pood), Help us to be happy (bappy), and nice (nice) In the name (name)...of Jesus (zesus)Christ (kiste), Amen (mamen)." It's precious.

My favorite words that McKay attempts to say:
Thank You--a-oo
fish--bish
caterpillar--capiyaw
stinky--dinky
giraffe --waff
family night--amye nite

I don't want this little guy to ever grow up (although I could do with out the screaming...yeah, he's a screamer...still).

The kids on seesaw.

Beautiful Kelia with kids in the front yard. Unfortunately this is the only pic we took while Kelia was here. (Kelia didn't bring her camera obviously--she's a photography major @ BYUI).

Some Pictures taken in April

Taylor doing the tantrum thing.
Poor Duke. He did not enjoy this. McKay is obsessed with pushing that stroller everywhere.
This feels so good. They do this occasionally, when I ask them.
So sweet.
So you can see how big I am.

2 Taylor Stories

So I thought I'd share the latest Taylor stories with you. She says funny things all the time, but I can never remember. So I should start writing these down.
Story #1:
I bought Taylor and McKay a swim "noodle"(you know, those styrofoam, long skinny flotation devices) for summer time in Houston. By the way, swimming is the only summer time outdoor activity you can do here. Taylor, as always, chose a PINK noodle and McKay chose orange. Taylor and McKay had fun the first day chasing each other around the backyard and bonking each other on the head. If you were to see the noodles now, Taylor's is placed in the house to protect it from the dogs chewing on it. McKay's is thrown on the garage floor with chunks missing--personally, I believe McKay munched his noodle himself.
So, a few weeks ago, late April, I happened upon Taylor and McKay in the backyard beating our tree with their noodles. I asked Taylor what she was doing and she told me. (Remember, this is after Easter and we had many talks about the resurrection.) She said, "Oh, we're killing this tree and it will go to Heavenly Father and Jesus and they will make it alive again."
I guess she understood the concept that we are all going to live again, and even hypothesized that the trees would live again too.

Story #2:
We had great times with Aunt Kelia coming to visit us. We appreciated so much her coming to stay with us and help out and we even had some playtime. We went to Sea World, the Houston Aquarium, the Houston Opera. Good times.
Well, Taylor loved having Aunt Kelia here, but for some reason she throws more tantrums when people come to visit. I can't really explain why, maybe just because it's a big enough change to cause some commotion in Taylor's life.
One night, Taylor was throwing a tantrum about something ridiculous (can't remember what...it could be anything from not wanting to share a toy with McKay to crying because here plate isn't PINK or doesn't match her shirt). Spencer, who cannot tolerate a good tantrum, said two words to me, "Drama Queen". Now I have to back up a bit to help you understand Taylor's response.
Taylor loves Disney's Lady and the Tramp. When I call her name she typically will reply, "I'm not Taylor, my name is Lady". And when I ask her to pick something up for me she'll say "Oh, I can't do that because I'm Lady; I have paws". (Excuses, excuses). Ok, so back to the tantrum.
Taylor is on the floor pretending to be miserable and when Spencer called her a "drama queen", she stops crying and replies, "I'm not a queen, I'm Lady". Then the tantrum continues.
What a funny daughter I have. Never a dull moment.

This is my first Blog

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