Christmas Lists

We have lots of kids in our family. As a result every year we pick names out of a hat (literally, someone tosses names into a hat, and someone picks them out, it is awesome). This year I got my 14 year old sister Mackenzie.

I probably haven't told nearly enough Kenzie stories for anyone to truly appreciate her Christmas list, but I will tell this any way because it is just that good!

This last week I called home to AZ to talked to Kenzie about what she wanted for Christmas. The converstation went like this..

Me: Kenz, I have your name this year. What do you want for Christmas?"
Kenz: I like makeup. Latley I've been wearing green eye shadow, so maybe more of that. Or there is a Medieval sword that I want...but it's too expensive.
Me: Really, a Medieval sword, huh? That's too bad it's too expensive.
Kenz: Yeah, (with a wistful sound in her voice).... but there is a Dagger I found on ebay. It's only 12 dollars!

In case you are curious, I did not buy her a Dagger. She is getting something girlie and age appropriate. The great thing about this story is that she took the time to search out a sword that she wanted, and then went to ebay and entered a search for "Daggers". Yes, that's my sister and she is awesome!

I hope you enjoyed the random picture of Haylie. I haven't posted any of her for awhile and I realize that some people rely on this blog for Haylie updates. In this picture she is acting all sweet, what you don't see is that moments before I was dragging her out of the bathroom where she likes to suck on the toilet fixtures. She is disgusting...is that worse than Kenz eating a cockroach when she was the same age as Haylie is now? You be the judge!

Our Apartment

I know, I know. I promised pictures weeks ago and never put any up. Didn't you all know that I am totally disorganized? Well, here they are faithful readers. I can honestly say, no matter how lavish and big our future homes will be I will never love them as much as I do this place. It's probably because of the squalor we lived in previously, but I honestly wake up everyday grateful to be in a place as nice as this one..funny what you come to appreciate, isn't it?

Tagged!!

I've been tagged! This means that you all get to read a few juicy tidbits about my life that most people don't know...here we go!

#1. My comp and I took covert Funk dance class on our mission. This is true, and I'm not at ashamed. In my mission in the south of France the sisters couldn't proselyte after dark. My comp and I didn't want to waste all of those night hours during the winter (it got dark at 4:00) sitting at home eating. We came up with a plan and looked all over the city for an affordable gym. In the end we settled on signing up for a "Funk" dance class. The first dance we learned was to the song "Voulez-vous chouchez avec moi", preformed by the Pussy Cat Dolls. You can imagine what it translated into.

#2. I have strong opinions about EVERYTHING! I don't share even a fraction of my opinions with others because chances are that if I did you probably wouldn't be my friend. Not that they are bad opinions I just think there is a right way and a wrong way. Most of these strong opinions are about the gospel. Once Tom and I got in an argument about what "Intelligences" really are as referred to in the Book of Abraham. We almost broke up because we were not able to come to an agreement.

#3. I kind of wish I was Japanese. They are such beautiful people with their dark hair, exotic looks. Not like my "Finnish" blond hair which is neither a beautiful blond or an elegant brown. I guess the grass is always greener though, right?

#4. I love to dress other people as much as I love to dress myself. A person walks by and I immediately put together a new, more flattering look for them. If I could be Stacey London, I would be in Heaven. I think the world needs a few more people with the right to say "you shouldn't be wearing that".

#5. I don't buy cheap imitation anything. This may sound like I am a snob, I'm not, I just don't see the point in pretending that I own something high end that isn't authentic. I would never purchase a fake Gucci or anything else. If I can't afford the real thing I won't get anything at all. That said I do not have a problem forking out over a thousand dollars for a purse that I really want....when we are not longer students that is! There is a great Chloe bag I've had my eye on for years!

#6. I once had a friend tell me that they liked being my friend because they never had to wonder where they stood with me. If I like a person, I am 100% loyal, their biggest fan, and will talk them up to everyone even to the person themselves. It's my philosophy that a person can never hear too many good things about themselves. Who doesn't like their own fan club? On the other hand I don't feel the need to be everyones friend. I just like some people better than others and I think everyone is like that, but few people actually admit it. Tom says I'm just mean, but I think I'm just honest!

I hope I didn't offend anyone by saying that, but if I check your blog or you have my blog address chances are that I like you and do consider you my friend, which means you have a loyal friend for life!

I tag...Tammie, Rhiannon, Sheena, and Addy!

Arizona Softball Players Needed!!!

All my AZ friends this is for you! My sister is starting a Co-Ed Softball team in Queen Creek, AZ. She needs some couples who are willing to commit to playing with her team. As long as you've played a bit before and are going to show up all the time you are in! They will be playing either Wednesday or Fridays starting January 9.

If you or any of your friends are interested email her at taimetoo@hotmail.com and put Softball in the subject line!

Pass it on ballers!

Pure Revelation-A True Story

Two things have inspired this post. #1 Last Sunday I taught the R.S. lesson on Revelation and #2 Last night we attended a Nintendo party at our friends home.

When I told this story to a girl at the party, she gave me a look of disbelief, as though God doesn't care about all the hopes and dreams of his children. This is a true story, and it is told exactly as it occurred nearly two decades ago....

When I was in the fifth grade my parents finally relented and bought us a Nintendo game system. It was purchased on the condition that we would play educational games on it as well as "fun" ones. Hence the reason I can wipe the floor with Tom going head to head on Donkey Kong Jr. Math! But, that's a story for another day...I loved Super Mario Brothers. I played it as much as I possibly could. I thought about how to beat it constantly. I have to say I was pretty good at it, the best in my family at least. Although that may not be saying much, Kori has never been good at video games, Tammies' hands were always sweaty and too slippery and therefore she lacked control on the plastic controller, Tyler and Bucky were too little and were no match for an older, more coordinated sister, and Dallin, Emily, and Kenzie weren't even around to contend with! That said, the responsibility feel upon me as the best Nintendo player in the family to beat the game. It was all new territory for me, I hadn't seen King Koopa beat yet, and by the time I got to the end of level nine I was all out of ideas. Time and again I tried, nothing worked, I couldn't run under him, and his stupid little hammers hit me every time. Frustrated I went to bed. That night I had a dream, a revelation if you will. I was playing Nintendo, I was at the boss King Koopa at the end of Level 9. Princess Toadstool was right there, I could feel it...K.K. stood there, throwing his hammers, jumping up and down on his bridge. Behind him was the lever I had to hit to cause the bridge to crumble beneath K.K. and lead my to P. Toadstool. That's when I saw it all happen, Mario calmly waited until the hammers had been thrown and K.K. was on solid ground, Mario ran at top Mario speed and jumped right between the hammers and the top of K.K.'s head to land directly on the lever bringing K.K. to his death, and Mario to his Princess. I saw all of this so clearly in my dream that when I woke up I could picture everything that had happened. All day at school I went over the events in my mind, determined to try it as soon as I got home from school.

After school I gathered my brothers and sisters around me and told them that I knew exactly how to beat the game once and for all. Then, just as in my dream, I proceeded to do exactly what had been shown to me in my "revelation". And just like in my dream I sailed over and between King Koopa and his hammers unscathed! My brothers and sisters cheered and I was the hero.

To this day I can still see the dream vividly in my mind like it was yesterday. Maybe it was stupid, but it was important to me. And thus we see that God Answers all of our prayers, even that of a ten year old girl intent on beating her first video game.

Tom's Baby's Momma!!

Turns out I didn't have to call the Mental Hospital after all! "Crazy Mail" lady called us instead! I was kind of expecting this since we have been getting collect calls at four in the morning! Of course we haven't actually accepted the calls but I had a feeling it was our mental friend.

This evening as I am getting Haylie ready for bed the phones rings. The caller ID says it's from a pay phone and I know without even picking it up that it's her! When I say "hello" the caller goes ahead and introduces herself, and what do you know, it's her. "It 'Rowna', 'My Love's' Mother. I need her new phone number!" I'm surprised to hear that she sounds totally sane, and I ask her who "My Love" is. "It's Tom's ex-girlfriend and his baby's mother"! I start to smile, and then explain to her that Tom doesn't have an ex-girlfriend named "My Love" and that he is actually married, and we have no idea who she is talking about. At this point I think I've convinced her and she says that she must have been mistaken. "Yea, you were" I say as I hang up!

I am just hoping that Tom isn't keeping this "My Love" girl a secret from me and that Haylie doesn't have some "half sister" running around out there! I'm only joking, I know he isn't someones "Baby Daddy".

Thus ends the saga of our Mental friend....I hope!

Crazy Mail

Quick update...we moved into our new apartment. It is the greatest apartment EVER! At least that's what if feels like to us, after living in the Cave for so long. I would have posted pictures, but I haven't figured out some of the tech things on our new computer monitor so those will come later.

In the meantime...Tom showed me a letter we received at our old place the other day. He says he just forgot to show me, but I don't know how he could have. The envelope was addressed to Mr. Thomas Wilson, and there was a small note in the corner that said "Please Rush". The handwriting was weird, kind of more like a scrawl, very creepy. Neither Tom or I recognize the return address or the name, which is also weird when you get a handwritten letter. I open up the letter and I read the most bizarre letter ever. It's some women who says she needs "My Loves" new cell phone number, and how it's very important that she get the new number etc.. the woman just keeps going on about "My Love", which is a creepy, psycho thing to call a person anyway. The letter really creeps me out. My first thought upon seeing the hand writing was to asume it cam from a Prison or something. I asked Tom, who was at the computer to Google the return address, which he does. Not one minute later it pulls up the exact address, in big, bold letters it announces that it has come from a Psychiatric Residential Hospital! That's right, a Mental Institution..someone at a mental institution has our name and our previous address, someone we don't know, who uses creepy language like "my Love".

I think I will call the hospital and see what I can find out about our Mental friend!