Music Mondays!

(SCROLL DOWN TO LINK UP AND TO ENTER THE FLASH GIVEAWAY)

MUSIC MONDAY!!!
Link Up Below! 

I usually only post one song, maybe two, for my Music Mondays
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But, in honor of Valentines day, I'm doing something a little bit different.

It's no secret that music is a big part of my life- I think it is for most people. And I tend to attach songs and their meanings to my memories of people and events, both good and bad. It's easy for me to admit that music is the very embodiment of love to me. Love now, love then, and the opposite of it.


You shouldn't be surprised, then, to hear that I have a song for each of my kids. I didn't consciously pick these songs. I didn't sit down and pour over a list of them or anything.  They just evolved. Any mom knows that there are many nights spent rocking a baby, kissing their fat, warm cheeks while you try to get them to sleep. Every mom knows that as your baby grows, you begin to see a personality, and you don't shape and mold it as much as you behold and enable it.

These are songs that I ended up singing to them the most, and eventually, I sang them every night. Until I had the epiphany that these songs BELONGED to my children, and to me.






What if I Loved You, by Joey Gian is my husbands and my wedding song. As he is my OFFICIAL Valentine, I had to include it. I sing it in the shower, in the car, and as often TO my KIDS as their own songs. I ab-so-LUTELY LOVE this song. It is on the top of my favorites list. SO romantic.





Lilly's Song: L.O.V.E. - I chose Michael Buble instead of the original singer, Nat King Cole. I love Nat, and I sort of feel like a cheater. But the truth is, I like Michael Buble more. ~Wince~

What can I say about Lilly? Sheesh, she's a little mini me. And she makes me feel good about everything because she dances around this place like it's a stage, literally SINGING to me "Mooooooommmy, you're the very beeeeeeeeest mommmy e-e-e-e-e-everrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!" - while my other three children are all about daddy- you know, when daddy's home, I'm chopped liver- Lilly is completely MINE. She loves that daddy of hers, but, when the others fight over who is going to hold his hand in the store, she's already linked arms with me.

I love my girl!





Mahone's Song: Fly Me To The Moon.

EVERYONE has done this song. Well, all the lounge singers. And ol' Blue eyes does it best. THE best!!! NEVER heard a better rendition....EXCEPT for MAYBE the one from the movie soundtrack "Down With Love" (OMG, FAVORITE MOVIE EVER!) where it's a mash up of Frank and some other girl doing a really retro version. VERY cool.

Mahone's over it now, but when he was very little, he was determined to be an astronaut. Everything was ALWAYS about the moon and Mars. It was darling. We also sang Nat King Cole's "It's Only A Paper Moon" to him a lot, but this is the one that stuck.

Mahone is so sensitive. He has so much energy, and so much crazy in him that daily, he makes me want to pull my hair out. I always thought that was the dumbest expression from mothers. Why in the world would ANYONE want to pull their hair out? Well, Mahone solved that mystery for me. LOL. But he is SUCH a little gentleman. I look at him, and I know he'll be a wonderful, compassionate, sweet, and sensitive man. And I would LIKE to take the credit, but I don't think I can. That boy has it built into his very genes. He is my hardest worker. He is a storyteller, and can tell a tall tale to fool ANYONE, but he has NEVER lied to me, not once. He has a smile and a giggle to light up the whole wide world- and he has come up with the best one liners that I have EVER heard from a kid. He has me cracking up daily!




Scarlet's Song:  When It Comes To Love by  Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

I am in LOVE with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. FOR REAL. I was a total "Swing Kid" in high school, and spent many a weekend at the local dance club "The M.A.C" (Murray Arts Center) which, sadly, closed last year. The end of an era. Of course, when I sing it, since I'm a girl, I say "I'm just a small town girl with a handfull of dreams...."

Scarlet, oh how I love her. She's a typical 3rd child, I think. Right now, I spend a lot of time alone with her, because she is at home while the older two are at school, and Teague still sleeps a lot. What an ANGEL she is! She is quiet and sweet and polite...until the older two come home, and then she's hell on wheels. That girl, from the moment Lilly and Mahone walk in the door, she is picking on them like there's no tomorrow. She makes me laugh, she is responsible for every single one of my gray hairs, and she is independent, sassy, and such a REDHEAD!!!! So beautiful, so sweet.





Teague's Song: Beyond the Sea, and The Way I Am - I put up The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson a couple of weeks ago, so I'm putting up Beyond the Sea this time. Teague is still little and his song may change. I don't have a reason to be singing this song to him. I don't know why I started singing it, it just felt like a soft, but upbeat song late one night. But I'm leaning toward The Way I am more...something about the lyrics "sew on patches to all you tear" and "if you are chilly, here take my sweater"- such a lovely song for a mom to sing to her little boy.

Teague. What to say about him. Oh dear. He's the cutest thing this side of the universe. Already, this child is careful. He is gentle and specific. He loves trucks, and light sabers and pretending to sword fight with his brother. He loves our dog, Hunter- well, any dog at all really. And he sure loves his mommy. He is a happy thing, all the time, and always has a smile for me. My cuddly little man, just makes me think everyone should have one of him. He's the answer to world peace.

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February's Weekdaily Flash Giveaways




ANNOUNCEMENT: READ FIRST:

Okay, friends. It's time for a chat.

 I have been doing giveaways for a grand total of about 3 months. At first, this was working really great for me! My numbers got up pretty high on my twitter, google+ and facebook accounts.

And then I noticed something. The number of visits I had to my blog PER DAY were going through the roof! Multiplying! BUT the people who were actually READING what I have to say was declining. I know, because  the comments that were made on a daily basis have declined by about 75%! (And my numbers aren't growing much now, because most of the people who enter already follow me.)

So, since I do about 2-3 giveaways per week (and have been doing these daily flash giveaways for 2 weeks now.) I added "Leave a comment" as a way to earn an entry.  For a day or two, this got my comments back up, but the majority simply stated "thanks for the giveaway!" - You know, you're all very welcome!!!!

The problem is, that's really hardly very genuine or thoughtful, though. I feel like I have much more provocative and wonderful stuff here on my blog than "thanks for the giveaway!" In truth, I feel a bit discouraged. Especially since, after a few days, the comments went BACK DOWN.

If you do giveaways on your blog, you know how long it takes, and how much work it is. If you don't do giveaways, trust me when I say that it takes a TON of time, sacrifice, and, when I do these sweater giveaways and these ring giveaways, MONEY- out of my own pocket.

So, since my Rafflecopter hasn't seemed to make it clear, I'm posting my own disclaimer: ALL ENTRIES ARE MANDATORY. Every one must be done, or the entrant is disqualified. That means comments, follows, and likes. (I WILL let such things as google+ or my linky friends follow pass here or there because I know not everyone has those accounts - BUT they are worth a lot more entries than others BECAUSE I know it's a pain to create an account.) PLEASE understand that I want these giveaways to work for everyone. You get your entries and your chances to win AWESOME products. And I need to be more than just a free for all blog that doesn't get looked at beyond what's free.

Thanks so much! Good luck to everyone! 

Ring size 8-8 1/2

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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What Exactly Does This Say About Me?

What Exactly Does This Say About Me????

Honestly, I'm curious. 

I have a bad habit of identifying with the bad guy. I mean, it's not so bad that I think their decisions are okay, but I find myself seeing from their point of view. 

For example, in the bible, when Moses is trying to free the Hebrews from the Pharaoh's control, and the Pharaoh keeps saying no, so there are all kinds of famines and whatnot, I can't help but empathize with the poor king. Obviously, the way the Hebrew people were enslaved is a terrible thing. The way they were treated, and beaten and starved was a terrible thing. However, from the Pharaoh's standpoint, you have to understand the panic he must have felt. 

1. The man who was raised in his home as his BROTHER, a person he likely shared secrets with, played games with,  and loved at least to some extent, blatantly betrayed him. Of course, we know it's because he's a prophet of God and the key to his people's deliverance. But, really, this family situation isn't any different from YOURS if your sibling was getting into situations you felt were dangerous and inappropriate. 

2. As the king, the Pharaoh had an explicit responsibility to his own people. To feed and clothe them. As of this point, the  Hebrew slaves were his kingdom's main source of EVERYTHING. Again, it's obvious that it wasn't a good or correct source. But, when you're looking at your kingdom and thinking "We're going to starve if they run out of here...." it can be terrifying. I know- I've faced the possibility of not being able to feed my 4 children...and that's just my family, rather than hundreds of thousands of people. 

I know. A lot of you lovely Christian women out there are thinking I'm missing the point and that I'm an absolute heathen, aren't you? Well, I promise you that my loyalties are always with the right side...I just can't help looking back with regret upon such people- people who are just trying to do what they've been taught, wrong though it is, and who may have been very severely tricked, the way Pharaoh was by his soothsayers and magicians. He was raised to believe in them. 

You'll recall the movie Letters To Juliet? I remember watching that with some friends who vehemently hissed at the screen while the heroine's fiance repeatedly ditched her for wine, cheese, and authentic Italian recipes. WHAT A JERK!!!  I kept my mouth shut- I'm too smart to start fights- but inwardly, I strongly disagreed. 

1. At the very beginning of this movie, it is made obvious that the fiance is opening his own Italian restaurant. There are so many obvious issues and hardships with this, but I won't name them. 

2. Our little miss Heroine also makes it plain that the trip to Italy that they will be leaving on IS SPECIFICALLY FOR finding places to provide cheeses, wines, and other delicacies for his new restaurant. It's NOT a honeymoon, it's NOT a romantic getaway. It's a business trip.

3. It's really SHE that ditches HIM. SHE is the one who asks if she can go do something other than taste cheese.  When a relationship doesn't work, TWO people have to take credit. 

4. She ends up with a guy that's better suited to her, but it's not because her fiance is a jerk. He didn't cheat on her,(though, it can be argued that she possibly cheated on him.),  he didn't push her around, and it's fairly obvious that he loves her. But if we all broke up with our husbands/boyfriends/fiances EVERY SINGLE TIME they had a responsibility to fill (in this case, he had appointments he needed to get to, and things to do to ensure success for his business)or we just got bored, then it'd be a very sad and lonely world, indeed. 

Lately, my sympathy has settled upon a dear old nemesis, Lex Luthor. 

Now, I LIKE superheros, but I'm not, like, INTO super heroes. My husband and my son are, but, while I think the movies are great, I don't get all obsessive over them...usually.

When I was growing up, though, I had uncles that were very near me in age, and they were Superman fans. I wanted desperately to be like them, and so, I  read some of their comic books, I wore super girl underoos, watched all the Superman movies, and I had a super girl costume.

Due to my worship of my uncles, I am very well aware of Lex Luthor, who he is, and that he is, indeed, a very VERY bad guy. (Though, admittedly, I don't know what the original Superman creators intended his past to be, or if it's anything like the way I perceive him now.)  Recently, though, my husband brought home the first two seasons of Smallville, and even though it never caught my fancy when I was in college, now, I really like it, though, I spend most of the time that I watch it wishing I could give Lex a hug and just tell him that everything will be alright, and, that even though everyone ELSE misunderstands him, I get it!

I am fully capable of admitting that my affection for him might stem from the fact that he's ridiculously handsome, and his uncanny resemblance of my husband. (I tend to be attracted to power. Not like, kings and rulers or even money or wealth, but a guy who is confident, in charge, organized and in control of a situation really gets me going. Not to mention, he dresses really well, which is also a big thing to me. Heaven knows why I married Brandon. He is disorganized beyond anything decent, and if he dresses well, it's because I bought him the clothes in the first place. But I love him dearly, nonetheless.)

(And really, it's not just 'cause they're both bald, though Brandon does look older than Lex here. He has the same self confidence as Lex in the series, and the same way of having a conversation, as well as some same mannerisms...)

(This one looks more like him,  but then, this is of Brandon when he would have been the same age as Lex in the series.)

You see, Lex has it a lot harder than his rich-kid demeanor betrays.

1. His dad is a total jerk. Over and over again, Lex rises to whatever occasion is given him, and every time his dad just tells him how he could have done better, or how he was wrong and how he is further disappointed him. Even in saving his father's life, Lex is demeaned by him because, though his life is spared, he is  now blind. Lex's father feels that he would be better off dead.

2. The whole town of Smallville has been gyped in some way or another by Lex's father. Of course, it's obvious why no one really wants to trust him. Clark Kent's father is the absolute WORST about this.  He even destroys a check that Lex gives him for the cost of land and cattle destroyed by one of his employees.  However, Lex proves his good intentions multiple times over, even saving Johnathan Kent's life. Still, he's snubbed by everyone.

3. Lex has a very obsessive nature. He has people investigating the meteor crash and the kryptonite too. Often, this leads back to the Kents, despite Lex's honest warnings for people to stay away from them. (And lets face it. We as NORMAL people in the REAL WORLD would probably be curious and interested, even to obsession, if there was a meteor shower that left the whole town full of mutants and it was discovered there was a space ship that fell in the middle of a corn field. This trait is NOT exclusive to Lex Luthor.)  As we all know, his curiosity gets the best of him, and that is the straw that breaks the camel's back. However, he does his very best to protect Clark and his best interests in the beginning. Clark is ridiculously bad at choosing who to trust and who not to. When his friends find out about him, they flip out like crazy for awhile, and luckily, they're loyal. I feel strongly, too, that if Clark had placed any small amount of trust in Lex (and probably even Lana- because that girl can smell Clark's lies 5 miles away. Maybe she wouldn't have turned rogue.) and told him his secret at a point where Lex was still trying his darndest to push past the image he inadvertently inherited from his father, while his intentions were still pure, then Lex, instead of becoming his arch nemesis, could very well have been one of his most valuable protectors, a person who would have had his back.

I may be wrong. And maybe it says something terrible about me that I feel so strongly for all of these "bad guys", but I wonder, if we all could take a step back and look through the eyes of our enemies, how many disputes would be thwarted in their tracks? How many misunderstandings would resolve before they began? Maybe compassion is more important than we let it be. Maybe I'm a rebel at heart...or maybe I have a gift. I don't really know. What do you think?

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Touchy Topic Tuesday- Education vs Trade. Is a degree SO important?

Touchy Topic Tuesday

Education vs Trade: Is a degree SO important?

Months ago, I engaged in a facebook conversation about education now-a-days, how expensive it is, how those going to school now will spend the rest of their lives paying it off, and how sad it is that, despite it's impossibility to afford, it's so necessary that even a person with a physical TRADE skill can't get a job without it. 

I had intended to write this as today's Touchy Topic anyway, but, in googling the subject of Trade Skills vs. Education for blog fodder, I came across an article that encompasses EVERYTHING I intended to say about the education part anyway, and I feel the need to share it. 

"Education in America- Read the Fine Print talks about education being almost entirely out of reach for American middle class people, based on it's astronomical cost, and the problems that exist inside the educational system anyway- the things they AREN'T teaching, that we SHOULD be getting in order to be successful in THE WORLD.

On top of all that, I have further ideas to explore.

Back in the 80's, when I was raised, I recall multiple television shows and movies that continually made fun of college. Why would anyone go to college? It was a ludicrous idea to many people- at that time, Trade schools were booming, and people were learning valuable skills using hands-on techniques. Artisans. Those who worked in bakeries, who built buildings- stone masons, electricians, carpenters, contractors, and so on, people who built instruments, roads and many other things, were finding great opportunities and were widely respected.

By the time I graduated from high school, an explicit value was placed on college education. Well, SOME college education. A couple of years, maybe an associates degree or so was admired and hireable. Now, a decade later, there is so much value placed on education, that a person simply can't be hired without the maximum amount. Bachelors degree? Not good enough.

It's something that my husband and I have battled since we got married. I was 22 when we tied the knot, and I went to school for 3 years, goofed off a bit, and escaped with an Associates degree. My husband, at the time, didn't have a degree, but had his associates degree by the time he joined the United States Air Force a year after we got married. He was 23, and he was behind because of the two years he spent serving an LDS mission in Kingston, Jamaica.

The military promised free education, and was the main draw for us to join. What we didn't know was that they would leave him ZERO time to actually take classes. It wasn't until our 3rd year of active duty that he was able to enroll.

Upon our separation from the military, Brandon found it infinitely difficult to find a job. Due to his training and type of job WITH the military, he met all qualifications for jobs in leadership experience, working with hazardous materials, and so on. Most of the time, he exceeded the requirements. What he didn't have was a Bachelors degree. He spent two more years, under employed, working days going to school at night, and recently received his Bachelors degree.

We thought it would be easier for him to get hired now that he HAS the BS, AND two more years of experience. In two years, the requirements have jumped to a Masters, and requires even more experience. Disappointed, my husband has set his sights higher- to an MBA with an emphasis on advertising. Two more years and we should be set, right? Like, what are they going to do next? Add another degree? Triple the experience required? It's the end of the line.

Often, it feels like that light at the end of the tunnel is really just a train.

This isn't the first experience I've witnessed, though. My dad is a drywall contractor. He has been my whole life and throughout my childhood, he made an excellent living. He is actually quite the artist. My dad is a perfectionist, and what he does is always good work. On top of that, he can do anything. And that's not just a little girl goo-goo eyed for her perfect daddy. He really can. Tile, plumbing, welding, heat/air, appliances, carpet, remodeling, electronics- anything. You name it, he can do it, and he can do it, and well. Any engine hums happily after a visit to my dad. Yeah- he can fix your car too.

My dad has near FORTY YEARS of experience under his capable belt.

Just after I started college, my dad's company, where he was partner for over 20 years, paid employees, made an excellent, trusted name for himself, went out of business. He has struggled, since, to provide for my family- marrying off two girls and a son, paying for my brother's mission, and my youngest brother's diabetes, which happened right in the midst of his company going under.

Now, my dad is the best handyman West Jordan has EVER seen. He gets work by word of mouth, and does pretty decently. But he can't get licensed as a professional contractor the way he once was, nor can he be hired with another contracting company. Know why? Education. He doesn't have any.

My dad never went to college. After high school, my dad spent years as an apprentice, learning a TRADE.

Education for him is so expensive, and- get this- he makes too much money to qualify for government grants and student loans! Nevermind that he makes less money than my underemployed husband does. Nevermind that he has dependent children. It's so far out of his reach that it's hopeless to even try. And it becomes a vicious cycle.

Ivory Homes, a pretty big-time building company here in Utah- one my dad actually worked for before the creation of his business, Venture West, in his younger days, won't hire him, despite his excellent resume (he built most of the western Salt Lake Valley) and vast experience. The problem? Once again, the issue is my dad's lack of a degree. They would rather hire some 25 year old kid who spent the last 6 years sitting in a desk, getting his masters, who doesn't know a bazooka from a knife (don't worry, they're drywall tools), than they would my dad- who has no degree...but obviously knows what he's doing. I mean, if this were Hell's Kitchen, my dad would win.

Heck, even home owners are getting picky about it all- they, too, would rather hire someone based on college education as opposed to experience and referral- since that's all the business my dad gets is word of mouth.

Now, this isn't just all about me and it's not, by any means, a pity party. We're all happy, and we're on our feet, and we're making it just fine. But I know there are others out there. In the first job Brandon worked when we moved out here to Utah after the military, he met more than a handful of welders and carpenters and electricians who are in the same boat as my dad.

And we come back to the question: Is it REALLY that necessary in ALL cases? A surgeon? You bet, if I am about be operated on, I want to know that my doctor spent hours in classrooms learning all about my body and it's organs and functions so that, when he gets in there, knows how to fix it and put it back. A teacher? Uh, yeah. I want to know that the person who is teaching a subject to ME has actually spent time studying the subject. But some of these hands on jobs, these artisan trades, are only perfected through experiencing them. Through labor and apprenticeship. It doesn't matter how many years you spend in a desk, reading a book, doing math problems...there's a huge difference in knowing, in theory, how to weld a pipe, than there is in doing it.

I am not by any means disparaging education. I actually find education VERY important. I expect all my children to go to college and get degrees that will help them support their families and give them satisfactory lifestyles. I don't think, at all, that some education could hurt my dad, and as absolutely brilliant as he is, he'd do very well with it. But, considering what he knows about his trade- and believe me, that's inside and out- he wouldn't use a lick of his education, really. At least not anything that he doesn't already know.  And it's getting more and more expensive every year. Kids fresh out of high school can't afford it now, how can a person of middle-age or beyond afford to go back to school when there is so much resting on their shoulders? And what the heck is wrong with people and businesses who can't recognize when education matters less than skill?

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What do you think? How do you feel about the cost of a decent, University level education these days? How do you feel about skill vs. degree? Do you feel that there is a time and a place, or is it really absolutely necessary for every person to have a high education? Are you or someone you know stuck in this same predicament?  Let us know!!!


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Thankfulness Project, Day 24, Writer's Prompt

(Brandon after Boot Camp Graduation- Texas, January 2005)

Thankfulness Project, Day 24

November 24, 2011, Thursday: Thanksgiving Day

(These are terribly out of order...well...mostly they're backwards. Sorry.)

(Karaoke with all the mcnuggets- October this year.)

I am thankful that today, my husband has work off and gets to spend the holiday with us.

(Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House, July 3, 2009- Mahone's 3rd birthday)

I am thankful that, after 8 years of marriage, my husband still calls me on every single one of his breaks, and misses me when he's at work.

(Family pictures, spring 2009. i love this one, because it's NOT picture perfect. Life is crazy- and so is this photo.)

(Our wedding day- November 21, 2003)

I'm thankful that he is completely oblivious to other women- even though he's very handsome and girls flirt with him in FRONT of me. If I mention it, he just looks confused.

(Brandon and my oldest son, Mahone- age 2- at my brother's wedding, December 2008.)

(Early February, 2008 when we blessed Scarlet. Lilly-almost 3, Mahone 19 months, Scarlet- 3 weeks)

I'm so thankful that he adores our kids and is such a great father.

(Disneyworld, December 2007)

(At a lighthouse on some beach in New Jersey....or New York. I don't remember. LOL. Mahone-10 months, March 2007.)

He puts up with a LOT of crap from me, and I don't really deserve his patience. But I'm thankful for it.

(Brandon and Lilly-11 months- on the pedestal of the Statue Of Liberty, New York, March 2006.)

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Mama Kat's Writer's Prompt.

In honor of Thanksgiving Day, the prompt I chose is:

"A Favorite Thanksgiving Memory"

____________________________________________

The truth of the matter is, I am not the biggest fan of Thanksgiving. That's not to sayIi don't appreciate the sentiment. Still, the holiday doesn't hold much weight for me, as far as tradition goes.

I suppose I have to mention the jigsaw puzzles though.

My family is a big GAME family- as in card, board and so on. We love games. And we love puzzles only slightly less. With all my babies running a mok everywhere, we don't break out the puzzles (500-5000 pieces) all that often anymore. But they still come out every Thanksgiving day and stay out until after Christmas.

Folding table

Chairs

Several puzzles.

We all join in, get addicted, get frustrated, leave, meander back eventually. And when one is finished, it is put away and replaced within minutes by another one- often autumn or Christmas themed.

Often, my husband and I take our children to a new holiday movie after the meal. We started that tradition when we lived in New Jersey for the military, spent the day with friends who also had no family (they were military too) and after dinner decided to go see something. The day feels kind of anti-climactic to me once we eat and clean up. The movie helps bring it to a smooth end.

Still, all traditions aside, I have two favorite Thanksgiving MEMORIES- the first was the birth of my youngest brother, Bozton.

What I remember is that my mom had been in active labor with him for days, but was not progressing. My dad took her to the hospital Thanksgiving morning 18 years ago, and they sent her home because , long story short, they didn't want to do anything on the holiday. Unfortunately for them, babies don't care if it's a holiday or not.

My mom had opted to stay home from Thanksgiving, since she was literally having a baby, and my dad took my brother and sister and me to my grandparent's house for the family party. We walked in the door just as my mom paged (yeah- pager. Crazy how times change, huh?) my dad that her water had broken and the baby was crowning. So he left. We had Thanksgiving while my mom was at the hospital. She very nearly gave birth in the car but missed it by minutes.

Of course, sibling anticipation is always fun when you're a kid, waiting for a cute new baby. So, that's a fun memory. My brother will celebrate his 18th birthday this Friday, after thanksgiving.

My other favorite memory is of the Thanksgiving I spent in Jamaica. Brandon and I were married on November 21st in 2003, after which, we honeymooned in Jamaica- the place my husband had served his 2 year LDS mission. The hotel we stayed in was owned by an American and his Jamaican wife.

In Jamaica, they have this wonderfully delicious thing called "jerk"- Jerk chicken, jerk pork, jerk....you guessed it, TURKEY.

Well, Jerk chicken and pork are sold on the road side all over Jamaica and it's fabulous, but turkey is not normally something they just do there. Still, having an American hotel owner, he threw a great Thanksgiving party for all the guests, and we ate from a buffet of a "jerked" turkey, lobster, fish, shrimp, oysters, and all manner of fruits. The hotel was right on the beach and our table overlooked the ocean and the sunset while we enjoyed a light cool breeze and Bob Marley playing on vinyl in the background. Hibiscus flowers the size of my head adorned our table. It was amazing.

Our lovely hotel. We're standing on the beach taking this picture.

Just ONE of the gorgeous Jamaican sunsets!

Yeah...that's me on the beach.

This little place was about a half mile down the beach from our hotel. It doesn't look like it, but I was actually really close to this bird, and I was trying hard to sneak up on him. LOL.

Gorgeous waterfalls- K&M or something like that. We got to swim there too. Such a gorgeous color to the water, and it was warm, and just so beautiful!

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Thankfulness Project, Day 21

November 21, 2011, Monday

Today I am thankful for my husband, and an eternal marriage that happened in the Salt Lake Temple 8 years ago today.

Marilyn Monroe said:

The perfect description of ME- And I don't know anyone who deserves me at my best than Brandon does.

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The Blue Beetle, Wordless Wednesday

Please stop on by http://www.5minutesformom.com/ to link up your photos for wordless Wednesday!

My husband, who is so very infinitely a geek, and, yes, I find that completely adorable MOST of the time, would love nothing more than to BE Harry Dresden from the book series The Dresden Files- a very powerful and talented wizard who works independently as a consultant for the police department and solves magical crimes. He also drives a blue beetle. Brandon bought one. It does not suit our family's needs...and I'm making him sell it, much to his chagrin and that kind of breaks my heart.

If you're interested, let me know. It really IS stinking adorable. And it runs well.

***FOR THE RECORD, because I'm actually quite surprised at the several private emails I've gotten just this morning telling me how I'm a selfish witch of a wife to make my husband sell something he loves so much, just going along with the assumption that it really is something I owe an explanation about, I have to explain that it really isn't about that. LOL.

Brandon's car (a black Neon) broke down beyond repair in January of last year. He looked for a car, bought this one without discussing it with me or my dad, who is a skilled mechanic, among many other things. It cost 5000.00 because it's rebuilt and is a classic.

About 7 break downs later, and late nights spent waking my children, driving an hour to his work to pick him up in the middle of the night (he works until midnight each night) or begging rides and tows off friends, and one night that Brandon spent pushing his car down the freeway because he knew it would seriously piss me off to no end knowing that it happened AGAIN. It spent hours and days and lots of money in the shop for problems. And all of this in 3 months. Not to mention, we are about to have our 4th child and even if we could FIT carseats in the back of it, there are NO SEATBELTS. Yes I have a minivan. It doesn't mean I'm the only person who ever needs to take a child somewhere. It doesn't mean that occasionally I need to take half the kids while he needs to take the others somewhere.

In March, I made him buy a new car because the blue beetle he loved so much was just unreliable. And being pregnant and with 3 kids at home who need peace of mind and sleep at night, I told him he needed something we could rely on. He agreed completely and bought a Taurus for 800.00 that, while it won't fit all 4 of our eventual children, it WILL fit the 3 we have safely and comfortably. It was used as a high school drivers education car and so was maintained meticulously. It works.

In the mean time, for the last several months, my dad, the genious mechanic that he is, spent quite some time with my husband, fixing all of it's problems. It's still old, it still rattles, but it runs, amd well. And we just can't afford to have a car sitting in our driveway, no matter how loved or adorable, for the rest of forever, or until it's something that is right for our family.

It's not about being a jerk, or a selfish wife who doesn't ever indulge in my husband's hobbies or likes. It's about my children, our family, and what we need at the moment.

Anyway, I didn't really think that it'd sell by posting it here on my blog. Just thought I'd post about it because it pertains to my life. And that's what my blog is about.

A rose by any other name....

My name is Brae. I know. It's different. Many people tell me it's beautiful, and usually ask me to repeat it several times.

It's not hard. Not if you understand the English language. You've heard the preschool poem "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking. It makes a sound just like it's name, the second one goes to sleep."

So, with that in mind, one should know it's pronounced "Bray" Long A, silent E.

All three of my years in junior high school, I had the same teacher for 4 different classes. He was my science teacher for 3 years, and my last year there, he was also my home room teacher. Every single day for 3 years and 4 classes, Mr. Sherratt would call roll and over the chatter of students, he would say "Brea?" (which he pronounced Bree-uh)

I would answer with "It's Br-ay"

Once, somewhere in 8th grade, I stopped answering his call for "Bree-uh", and simply ignored him, thinking I'd teach him a lesson.

Instead, my parents got a phone call stating that I hadn't been in class for over a week, and I was the one who learned the lesson.

From that point on, i just answered "Here."

********

This Saturday, which was too long and awful to go into much detail about, we were walking around Wal-mart while our car was serviced, and Mahone, dressed, as usual, in his superman cape, was flying much too far ahead of us for my comfort. He also has this knack for being under people's feet and on top of everything else at the most inopportune times.

So, I broke out the middle name.

"Mahone Raphael!" my son did a loop, one hand at his waist, the other in a fist out in front of him. But he behaved.

Brandon mentioned, with a smirk, that he could always tell how long he was grounded by how many names his mom called him by.

"Brandon!" meant "Be right back, guys."

"Brandon Craig!" meant "See ya in an hour guys."

"Brandon Johnson Craig!" meant "See ya tomorrow guys."

"Brandon David Johnson Craig!" meant "see ya next week."

"Brandon David DAMN-IT Johnson Craig!" meant "See ya in AT LEAST a month, guys- and that's if I live through it."

My dad usually called me "Miss Lee" (Lee being my middle name) when he had something to talk to me about, but it wasn't that serious, but I don't think my parents ever used my name at all when they were angry at me.

Now a days, I have a nickname for my husband. He hates it. He always has, but it's just always been what I call him. He teases that he knows when I'm angry, because it's the only time I call him something affectionate, like "honey." Otherwise, i just call him "Punk."

In retaliation, he has developed a nickname for me, and calls me "Brat." If he calls me "Brae" then I know he is serious.

So, the question posed is- would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Yes. But how many names do you think Romeo's mom called him by when she found out he had murdered Tybalt, married a girl who was supposed to be his enemy, and then killed himself on her death bed? Hm. I wonder.

Writer's Workshop

Losin' It" src="http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac331/mamakatslosinit/poodle4.jpg">

The prompt I chose from Mama Kat's Writer's workshop (click above to link up!) is:

Can you almost stop time with your words? Write about the fastest ride you ever had, but describe only a few seconds of it…as though it was happening to slow motion.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZipper.

Metal clangs into place. It's too late now, to turn back. I shiver beside my sister in law, who looks exactly the opposite of me. We giggle. I have not been on any type of roller coaster or fast moving ride for at least five years- before I was pregnant with my first child.

Engine starts, like a heart throb, we go up, and over dizzying flurry starting in my forehead. Upside down, my hair hangs, whips against my chin, eyes, lips parted in a horrific, choking, but uproarious scream as my eyes open, lights stretch into lines that zag around into a curlicue once again, as we flip over the center bar, losing our breath.

Brandon and I on the Tidal wave

I'm gonna get you!

(Nyssa and Stephie-my sister in law- on the Tidal Wave)

(Brandon and Nyssa together on the Zipper- Steph and I went together because we didn't want to spin much...none of us knew we had no control over the matter.)