Directed to the Sisters in Brooklyn

The jig is up, people who knew about this place. You've been hiding Aldi for waaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. You've been discovered and it is time to fess up . . . WHERE HAS ALDI BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!!

Yes, folks. Today I went to Aldi where the groceries are cheap and [shhhhh] affordable.

I got normal things that would normally cost me between $200-300 and it cost me . . . dare I tell you. . . ninety-seven smackeroonies. I can almost hear your audible gasp and your steps to your husband as you shout- HOOOONEY-- WE NEED TO GET TO THIS NEW GROCERY STORE NOW- then we can stay in our budget . . . Let's celebrate--I think I'll buy some chocolate.

Seriously, I'm thinking a grocery gal's night out or something so we sisters can chat in and on the way.

It is in Queens or the Bronx {bah!}. You need to bring your own bags. They only accept debit cards and cash.You may have to pay to park your car {boo}. . . but the savings are worth it.

Any one?

Clearly Happy

I am so grateful for my sweethearts!  S lost her second front tooth last night and for the first time the Tooth Fairy remembered to come at night.

The other day I was lying on our couch for a few minutes when T brought in his pillow and said, "Here Mom, use this. That pillow is too hard."  He got some snuggles for that one!

S came and bargained with me today, "Mom, if I play with T until it gets dark can I have $1?"  Am I a push-over for agreeing to it?  When it comes time for mother nature to pay her monthly visit I start to get headaches and I willingly pay $1 to have my children involved in playful recreational activities--including setting up a bed in the middle of the hallway.

R is always the first one to help out. He listens the first time to my instructions--like to set the table and clear the table and wipe it off.

Also, just for the record, if we are not facebook friends you probably didn't know that I added to the happyextra.blogspot.com blog. check it out. I would love to know what you think!

Some days . . .

Some days I just adore where I live. Really! 

The parks are full of wonderful people practicing their own forms of exercise, including broom stick twirling and tai chi (I really would like to try tai chi).  

Then you walk around the corner and you see the Italian ladies in their dressing gowns enjoying the cool breeze outside by their grape vines and potted plants all over the place.

Then you walk around the corner to a busy street and you see all sorts of people doing different things.

 I love being a mom!

I almost stepped into this little feller. He was the size of a dime all scrunched up. I tried to get him to move, but all he did was wave a single leg at me for a second.

We walked to Three Guys from Brooklyn for their cheaper produce.

Relief Society Meeting

One of the activities that I love for Relief Society is the meal right before the General Relief Society Meeting. One is fed both physically and spiritually. Oh and some of these sisters have really cute shoes.

I love chatting with my dear sisters in the Gospel. They are amazing women that I really admire!  I loved our conversations and that we could sit together and enjoy one another's company. 

The talks were fabulous and the Spirit was strong. President Uchdorf was blessed with the Spirit and we all felt it. I loved it!

When you get the chance you should watch and/or read it!! 

Last Day of Evac-ation

Lunch at Chili's.

 Hershey's Chocolate World (yum). Looking at the pictures makes me smell and crave chocolate.

Have a Bit of Hilar-ious

Today I enjoyed a few things from the mouth of young-uns today.  It was hilarious.  Today in the car T was talking with his friend E. E was so dear, especially when she said, "I really like skinny houses." 

 Oh, by the way, this was the first day of school picture.

Tonight R and S were talking and it made me laugh in my head when I heard S say, "And then there was a rainbow." 

R returned, "Enough with the rainbows already--and he blasted it."

Also, do you think my kids will end up with a Brooklyn accent? Do they already have one?

Oh, and my friend, Whitney was in my car today and we were chatting and she said, "Holey Moley!" to something and her son (age 18 months) starting saying over and over "Hoy moy."  

Have a Bit of Hilar-ious

Today I enjoyed a few things from the mouth of young-uns today.  It was hilarious.  Today in the car T was talking with his friend E. E was so dear, especially when she said, "I really like skinny houses." 

 Oh, by the way, this was the first day of school picture.

Tonight R and S were talking and it made me laugh in my head when I heard S say, "And then there was a rainbow." 

R returned, "Enough with the rainbows already--and he blasted it."

Also, do you think my kids will end up with a Brooklyn accent? Do they already have one?

Ten Years Later

Ten years ago yesterday I looked up from the printer in the library at BYU and saw this charming face (W's) smiling at me.  It sent a joyful feeling to my heart and has done so thousands of times since. I love you, W!

Every time I look at you I think of this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I6s1J9ZSNw&feature=related.

Evac-ation Sunday

The next day we got up and watched the Hudson River seep over the edges of Manhattan.    Then we went to church.  The Harrisburg ward had been cancelled, but the Hershey ward was still meeting.  We went a really round about way the GPS on the phone took us.  But we got there after swerving around a few fallen branches.

It was such a fun ward and one of the talks really touched me.  He talked about how when we go to church are we really there with all our minds?  Think about the scripture that talks about serving the Lord with all our heart, mind and strength.  When we come to church are we really focused on being there and learning from the Lord?  I found myself really pondering this and trying to estimate the times I come to church what is my focus.  I'll be honest most of the time I am there to feel the Spirit but a lot of times it goes into child care (all my might and strength) and what I can do to have a few minutes to really focus. I tend to sit in the front rows so I can focus on the lessons being taught.

Afterward we drove off and I parked on the side of the road.  There was a large boulder of concrete in front of us while I looked up something we wanted to do.  S and R got out of the car and went to explore the concrete. They found some old sunglasses, fish bones, and a 25 cent-ish looking gold ring (with a lot of gold missing).  They were so proud of the fact that they had found a treasure. They talked about it all the time we were driving.

Then we drove to a restaurant that I had wanted to go to. Since it was Sunday sitting with a bunch of strangers around a table topped with good food seemed like a good way to spend a Sunday meal. Turns out however that the restaurant is closed on Sunday--all the corn fields around the place had gone through some serious wind and the first four rows of corn were tipped on their sides.

They have a great petting zoo that had a playground right next to it and the kids petted the goats, played on the toys, climbed on the Good and Plenty wagon.  Then a little boy from the neighborhood came over and wanted to chat with us for awhile.  He was hilarious. He wanted to show us everything and he showed off for all the kids.

Then we drove to get some food. It was great to eat breakfast food for dinner.  Then we went into the hotel and rested for the rest of the day.

"These goats are great . . . let's take a step back so they don't eat my fingers. "

What will these goats eat?  Er, what will these goats not eat?

From all your labors rest, man. Rest! (the bug has a surfer accent--no I don't know where he got it). This was clearly written late at night.  I am not sure what, exactly,  I was thinking right then.

Giddy'ap.  Yee Haw!  

I swear this alpaca was posing--look at it's face--It is smiling.  After I took the picture it moved again and posed.  My guess it is thinking, "Ah, my adoring public."

Mom, how many pictures are you seriously going to take?

I wonder how long I can stand here before mom realizes I'm not listening.

Did someone say "Ice cream?"

Twisty straws?  Best. Restaurant. Ever.

"Greek Yogurt!"  "Cheese!" is so passe.

Watch it mom I can swing like it's nobody's business.

Evac-ation Days Saturday

When one is at a hotel with little kids one does what they like to do to keep one's sanity and to keep the children happy.  So of course the first thing we did in the morning was to go swimming. Poor R was sick.  He had a high fever, but we dosed him with a serving of both ibuprofen and Tylenol so he could feel good enough to go vacation.

When I grew up my mother and I took a trip to New York City and Pennsylvania. We went to Lancaster and stopped at an Amish market.  We got a decoration for my room.  I remember it taking a long time, but remember it fondly as an exciting adventure I was able to take with just my mom and my grandparents.


I wanted a similar experience with my kidlets. So we went to the market in Harrisburg. There were a few Amish families there selling their wares.  We got dried kiwi fruit and other goodies. S of course made friends with the little girl that was just older than her selling us some soft pretzels.  We were starving and I got fried shrimp and french fries that no one else even wanted to try (I never make breaded fried food).


It was not the same kind of market as the one my mother took me to when I was 8, but we had a good time.

We headed to Chocolate World to enjoy the smells and little ride, but as it turned out the medicine had worn off and Roscoe was exhausted.  I felt so sorry so we headed to the hotel and watched the rain fall.  We watched National Treasure 1 and II.    I came up with a great story line for National Treasure X.

During each and every commercial break the kids were hopping on the bed, running around the room giggling, and playing with each other a lot.  We also talked a lot with family members and we watched the progress of Hurricane Irene.  The kids were asking a lot of questions and I tried to quell their fears as best as I could.  I think I made it sound like a harmless rainstorm.