Please excuse...My Rambling Ways

(CAUTION: This is me, journaling. Boring and time wasting...for everyone else. Save yourself, and skip this post!)

Things are happening around here.

I have pictures to prove, share, and document.

Successfully downloading pics. onto my new computer,

NOT HAPPENING.

It's driving me CRAZY.

Baby boy turned four....FOUR, can you believe it?

Big Mama's getting BIGGER, I know you can believe that.

We're 29 weeks in.

It's going too fast.

Clint was in town yesterday and dropped off our crib.

He's lost over 20 lbs. and is, once again, looking like himself.

Lookin' good, my little brother. I am proud of you!

He left the crib in the garage.

I look at it and wonder....

Where in the world is that going to fit?

Panic.

Let's see, we'll put the bunk beds together and put the crib on the other wall.

Three, little monkeys, in one, tiny room.

It's all GOOD.

Avery's making all kinds of cool things at school,

things she wears on her head.

The pics. of her wearing them with her tiny, little face poking through...

PRICELESS!

Payton has a bestie, for her very first time.

They share clothes, chat on the phone, and even hang up saying, "Love ya."

This makes me laugh.

She learned this from me.

I tell all my friends, "I love you!"

Most people find it weird.

Think I'm weird.

It's true. I love them. Why not tell em'?

My bestie, Brittney, came with her kids for four days.

We've been besties since second grade.

Second grade...no joke.

She's FAMILY.

We sure had a good time,

dragging 8 kids everywhere.

Bob's been MIA for an entire week.

I found a sweet note he left on my dresser mirror.

I read it every morning.

It makes me smile.

Me being pregnant does something strange to him.

It seems he likes me, maybe even a little more, big and carrying his child.

Thank goodness for that.

Ewww....I know.

Enough MUSH.

I've been trying desperately for 6 months to complete a HUGE project for work.

The deadline is Monday.

This Monday!

AHHHHHHHHH!

After the kids are snoring,

I'm up super late, working away.....

This Mama's exhausted.

Last night the plan was to get it on!

I was going to make BIG strides with this project nearing its due date.

Kansas St. played Xavier.

I couldn't pull myself away.

Work...shmurk

That game.....Wow!

I called Kim, all excited, thinking she'd be watchin'

She didn't answer.

I called Bob.

Miles and miles away in Milwaukee, up entirely too late,

HE was watching.

We laughed at how awesome the double over time was,

the amazing shots,

"What a game, what a game!"

We love March Madness.

Then we DREAMED.

We do this a lot.

We'd be rich.

We'd GO to the games,

bring our kids.

We'd cheer and have the time of our lives.

Some day....

Oh, how I wish.

Needless to say, not much work was completed.

I'm leaving for HOME today.

It's been almost a year since I've been.

Sat. I will drive to Utah with girlfriends for a funeral.

My dear friend, Trish lost her mom to cancer.

The weight of the world is on Trish's shoulders right now.

I wish I could lift it, at least just a bit.

For her, my heart is ACHING.

I wish I could be there to help, do something. It's bothering me.

We'll stay in Pocatello Sunday.

My dear, old dad is being made a bishop of the university ward.

All the family is coming to support him.

He'll be great. He's a GOOD, GOOD man.

Maybe the best I know.

Ya all know how I feel about HIM.

Bob insists on me waiting for him and leaving late, late tonight.

Otherwise he won't see us for another week.

Somehow, I think he'll be....... just fine.

The kids and I are staying.

We're planning to spend spring break with

family and friends.

Can't say I'm looking forward to the weather in Pocatello.

But, I sure am looking forward to seeing some of my very favorite peeps.

...and on that note,

I'll finally STOP.

Asking once more,

Please excuse......My Rambling Ways.

Logan Ladies

My Logan ladies were my family while I was away at college. I was blessed to have these AMAZING girls in my life. Man did we have some FUN times. Still today, we get together once a year to reunite. It is a weekend I look forward to all year. Because they are some of the BEST people I know, I leave them feeling revived, wanting to be a better person, friend, wife and mother. I can't thank them enough for doing that for me.

I love ya, Logan Ladies!

Sugar Lovin' Lips

Miss Molly sent me a link to a blog. She said the girl's post reminded her of ME. The author wrote about buying her favorite childhood candy, Peeps and Cadbury eggs, once a year and eating them just to bring back memories. However, she found the candy entirely too sweet and couldn't remember why she ever liked them in the first place.

What reminded Molly of me was the candy part, not the finding it too sweet. You see, I consume more candy than probably anyone I know, next to Mal. It's a close tie between the two of us....crazed Peep lovers.

When Molly and I were in college we'de have big exams to study for, before hitting the library, we went to Smiths to load up on "treats." I went straight to the bulk food aisle. I would get bags of candy, butter-mints were my vice. I would meet Molly at the register to find her waiting for me, holding an apple in her hand. An apple? Yes, it's true. No wonder that girl had a killer body everyone admired, and all this girl had was a mouth full of cavities! Every dentist's dream...that's what I call myself.

She and our other roomies would have 'no sugar' contests. They'd eliminate candy and see who could go the longest without. I wouldn't even try. They were so frustrated with me. "Come on, you can't even try for one day?" they would ask. "No!" I would respond. "I can't!" and believe me, I didn't! Then they would have 'no DC' contests. This was code for Diet Coke. They wouldn't even let me participate. I'd win hands down. This girl only sipped a DC if it was 110 degrees, I was parched beyond belief, and there was NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING else to wet my whistle.

I write this post as I sit and eat a new, orange flavor- filled, Cadbury egg. It's good, but I'm still partial to the original. If I told you how many creamy eggs and boxes of Peeps I have consumed in the last three weeks, you wouldn't believe me!

It makes me wonder...

worry, even a little,

"When will MY taste buds mature, like the author of that post?"

"When will I stop craving the 100% sugar candy? The ones most people find repulsive, circus peanuts, Cadbury eggs, Peeps, candy corn, mellow cream pumpkins, etc.?"

"When will I be able to take a sip of a diet soda without making a face and wondering how in the world everyone drinks the stuff?"

Do you think it will happen? It's bound to, right?! Inevitable?!

I certainly hope NOT. Because even though it would be a mighty good thing for BIG MAMA'S hips,

it would be a terribly SAD, SAD day for this girl's...

Sugar Lovin' Lips!

Winter Carnival

From Payton McCall 2

From Avery J McCall

From Owen McCall

From Naylors

From Chapmans

From Ice Sculptures

From Hockey

McCall Winter Carnival 2010

Hockey game, Ice Sculptures, killer sledding hills, good eats, great friends, beautiful weather, fun times=MEMORIES MADE!

I say, "Drew."

Drew

I like it.

It's classic, timeless.

It's short, like Owen's name.

Owen and Drew.

Drew McBride

I like the way it looks.

I like the way it sounds.

I like the way it's spelled.

It's my favorite so far.

"No, I won't do it," he says.

....because my best friend has a Drew. Robert's good friend has a Drew.

They live far away. Britt's Drew is almost 9. Gary's is 2.

Britt was flattered when I told her.

She was happy and told me, "Yes, name him Drew!"

She was sincere.

"No." he says.

I told him I'm throwing in the towel.

"You name this boy," I boss.

I long to call my baby boy by his name.

I'm anxious, impatient really.

For some reason, calling my babies something makes them seem a little more real, to me.

Oh, baby boy, what name will you be called?

This decision is simply driving me CRAZY!

I say, "Drew."

So I Don't Forget

Payton is...wanting to wear her Aeropostale hoodie every day, scoring goals in her soccer games, leaving her parents sweet notes on their pillows at night, practicing every recess for the talent show, "hanging" out with friends, reading in bed to her mama, crushing on boys, BUSY, rolling her eyes, craving Frosted Flakes cereal, tortured by her mom's Lite FM station, riding her bike to and from school, and loves to use dad's phone to text her cousin, Harlee.



Avery is... reading Dick and Jane, tieing her own shoes, scoring baskets in her basketball games, eating pounds of pickles, smothering her mama with hugs and kisses, riding her bike home from school with the big kids, having "missing my mom" meltdowns at church and Tavasi, has a bestie named Anna, is dramatic and can cry on a whim, addicted to Webkinz, wanting to trade Nelly for a Golden Retriever who can fetch a ball, and coloring up a storm.



Owen is... shy, wearing "basketball" shorts day and night, enjoying dribbling and shooting the basketball, whining A LOT, doing his own hair and using entirely too much goo, loving Mac- n- cheese and "hot sandwiches", swimming the backstroke, falling asleep often.. smack in the middle of the hard wood floor, doing flips on the tramp, glued to his dad's hip, is a reverent, little Sunbeam, writing his name, hating his mom's constant kisses, when he's not whining...he does a lot of laughing, and is reprimanded every day for pulling Nelly's ears.

TeA PaRtY!!

From Collages

From Tea Party

From Tea Party 2

The McBride girls know how to throw a PARTY!

Tea Party 2010 was a BLAST!

Thanks girls for all you did to make the day special for my kids!

I wish I had a good group shot. The kids looked awesome in their costumes. You can check one out here.

Here's looking forward to next year's PARTY! WOOT, WOOT.......

I Have A Dream

......and it's keeping me up at night.

I can't fall asleep, and my eyes are open at 5 a.m, mind a racin'.

There's a home for sale seven houses down from mine. It is CUTE, it is BIGGER THAN

OURS, it is TRASHED!

I think I can get it for a GREAT price. It is vacant, disgustingly dirty and in VERY bad shape, but it has POTENTIAL!

It has that fourth bedroom we desire. It has a huge garage. It has a lovely floorplan.

Bottom line.....it has the SPACE our growing family needs.

We won't have to change schools, wards, locations, make new friends, etc.

This would be fabulous because......

We are HAPPY where we are.

You know when you KNOW something, you can FEEL it, and it just feels RIGHT....

I'm FEELING this!

So, what do I have to lose?

I'm going to step out on a limb and see what I can do about this DREAM!