"Dis generation, rules Da nation..."

No this post has nothing to do with passing the dutchie, but I thought the title fitting. Have you noticed everything comes in "fads"? Of course you have, unless you're the wolf boy raised in a rock shelter by ravenous beasts. (That really did happen, they found him in the 60's and tried to "civilize" him. And no, I don't mean Mowgli.) Anyway, remember how windows xp was like, the best thing ever? Then people figured out life sucked with pc's and started slowly pouring over to mac. Well, several years after the initial flow, and the viscosity has lessened, we have bought a mac. Yep, we did it. It only took years of beating our heads against the computer desk over lost documents, unorganized pictures, or general viruses etc. Now we've joined the fad of our generation, and we'll rule the nation. (Those are the only words I know to that song, but its catchy, just like our mac)



ours isn't gold, but I thought it would fit the 80's theme. You know, like mr. T?!

Post Edit- Top ELEVEN from OH- nine!

I forgot one of the coolest things from last year:
I went to my first concert EVER! Coldplay was seriously the best- thanks Dustin for taking me.
Yellow- Edmonton

Top ten from oh-nine

Do you love it or hate it when people write numbers as words? I happen to hate it. Just to show how tolerant I am, though, I will write it.

So as the title suggests, I am attempting our family's top ten best things:

10. We threw an awesome New Year's Party in our "new house" with delicious food, a super exhilirating game of Carcassone, and two other people. Yep, that's all I remember from last January. (it was quite a party)

9. Dustin discovered my new favorite restaurant, Padmanadi. It's completely vegan so Max will eat there too. So good and wonderful atmosphere. All I remember from February, OH and I made it to 25! Who thought that would happen? ;)

8. Sammy made it to one! Who thought that would happen? He's a mover, that kid! He has recently learned to communicate a little better with us. He loves to play with Max, and says very eloquent prayers. What a smartie pants!

7. A beautiful sunny trip to Hawaii with my mom and sister. It was so relaxing and super fun to hang out with two important people that I don't see enough.

6. We planted a garden in the back. This was one of our more monumental tasks of the year as I dug up quack grass with a shovel- then gave up and got a rototiller after a month of snail slow progress. That garden rocked. It actually brought forth really great food. I dried a lot of it, or canned it.I learned to can. Peaches, pears, beets, pickles, apples- yes crab apples can be canned.

5. I enrolled in a distance learning chemistry class so I can have it done finally! I'm not through it yet, but I hope to be done by the end of February 2010, with a passing grade. One thing I have learned is, its almost impossible to conduct experiments involving acids with a free roaming toddler.

4. We set a goal to increase our food storage, and we actually followed through! We also committed to have a non member over for a lesson in our home. We did that too. We were totally on a roll.

3. Dustin started third year dental school! Woo hoo! He passed second year and everything. Such a smartie pants! Speaking of smartie pants', Max started pre-school with some friends and is doing great. He's spelling lots of words like mom and dad and max and sam and rocket etc etc. He knows his shapes and colors numbers and letters.

2. We spent Christmas as home last year. What a wonderful day we had! Dustin and I just enjoyed the boys with their new toys and games. It was fun to feel their sense of the magic of the Christmas season...well Sam had no idea, but Max did and that was enough.

1. We're looking forward to July so we can welcome another little smarty pants to the family. He/she better like gardening!

Yesterday...

...Max made me "an I love you card". He drew me and a bucket of lasagna- while he was drawing it, he wouldn't let me see it but asked me how to spell lasagna. It seemed strange at the time, but now totally makes sense?....There is a little colored in heart with Max scribbled beside it. So, yes, it is in fact an I love you card. Or it was, Sam found it and that was the end of that.

...Sam said "A-voo Mats" pretty clearly. (We know it means love you, max.) Needless to say, Max was pretty happy. Sam has also been very busy pulling decorations off the tree, wanting to talk to ANYONE on the phone, climbing the ladder Dustin built for Max's top bunk, and learning to say prayers. He has also figured out how to wedge himself between the kitchenaid and the microwave on the counter. He thinks its cozy.

...I watched "It's a Wonderful Life" for the first time. Dustin was at the school studying most of the day, so I was happy to watch it on tv after the kids had gone to bed. My favorite part of the whole movie was the Angel named Clarence. I don't think enough people in this world are named Clarence. Maybe I'll have Max write that out on a card for me.

Yesterday, I didn't think about all the things I need to do before Christmas. I was very cranky in the morning and thought entirely about myself. Isn't it wonderful that I can say sorry to my family for being such a bum, and I think they actually forgave me! Seriously, when I say cranky, I mean shooting flames from my eyes and ears. I tried sewing during that time, which let me tell you, is NOT a good idea when you're mad. Sam's christmas pillowcase turned out a little off kilter.

Today I thought about Antipasto and how much Dustin loves it. I thought about Max waking up at night, asking me for reassurance. I thought about Sam's runny nose and cough, but how he smiles and laughs and climbs anyway. I thought about the reason I can say I'm sorry, and have it mean something. Today I thought about Christmas. I thought about my Savior. I'm glad I don't have to think about christmas pillowcases, or what I should buy for Dustin. Instead I can think of why we're here, and why we celebrate this season. When I fill my mind with the important stuff, it genuinely does not matter what side of bed I get out of.

Merry Christmas.

Love, Lindsey Dustin Max and Sam

Volleyball

Tonight I played volleyball. I played because I felt better from the flu. In fact, I should amend my statement of "playing"- I should have paid the ball just for having to be on the same court as me. I need another week of laying down. Maybe then I will be good enough to play with Lauren and Robin. For shame.

When Swine Flew

It's true.

We've all grown tails and turned our noses, or snouts, up.

Piggies. All but one of us. Little Sammy is the toughest of us all, tougher than most of our piggie saturated community. Tougher than all of our kisses and hugs, and hacking fits of death. What a guy.

Max started coughing on Halloween night after trick or treating. I thought he might have caught a chill from being out in the cold wearing only He-Man furry undies. (Not really, but still...) We all stayed home from church Sunday, thinking I was just paranoid. Monday afternoon Max was laid out with a fever and coughing more and more. That night, I felt it too. Tuesday, Dustin had to come home early from school. All week we've had fevers of 40C (104F), cough, core throats, achey joints and general crankiness. Max hasn't complained AT ALL! He's happy to take his vitamins everyday and hope he stops coughing. The doc prescribed Dust and Sam some Tamiflu to shorten the duration. (It was too late for Max and I).

So here I am on a Saturday afternoon, on my computer. What a day- what a week. Groceries running low- wait soup storage and toast running low. All the meals I intended on making last week, now on the menu for next. Shut in. That does things to your mind. Last night I was pretending to be Ludo from the Labyrinth. "Sarah, Ludo, frieeeeeeeeeeeends?" I also determined that Sam could pass as the bog of eternal stench and Max, Hoggle. What about Dustin? The goblin King is too obvious, but what do you think?

Back to reality, here we go, plunging into another week. Will we make it? I think so. I'm sore and tired and ready to die, but I also feel like I just kicked this H1N1 hysteria in the butt. I got it, I think I'll make it. I didn't have to stand in line for 8 hours for the vaccination. 8 hours v. 8 days? I'm unsure who really kicked whose butt...

Here is a pic of Sam, showing he's "boss hog" get it?


Max in his He-Man get up

Turkey Trot pictures

Yes, we ran in a race. Here are the red cheek pictures to prove it.