A wink and a smile

Evelyn found my 1992 lip gloss and generously applied it to create a new look. Well done, sister.

Burn, baby, Burn

We went to watch indoor arena football. Salt Lake's team, the Blaze, were fun to watch. We left after injuries on the sidelines created interference with the enjoyment of the game before too many penalties piled up. A fun use of our Pass of all Passes.

Cousins Camp 2012

Cousins Camp 2012 was totally awesome. I learned a ton about myself. I appreciate living near my sisters. I appreciate my dad cleaning up a big mess he saw. I appreciate creative minds of children doing chores and creating a block mansion. All in all, a complete success. Not success as in everyone promptly followed directions and no one pooped in their underwear and my house was immaculate, but success as in cousins hung out together and loved each other and when the party was over, Johnny woke up the next day walking around an empty, dirty house, "Guys? Hey, guys! Where are you?". I love our family.

Quotes from Cousins Camp 2012

After the pinata, everyone got to choose 5 pieces of candy to save for after dinner. Then we went reverse trick or treating where we knocked on doors and gave away candy instead of asking for it. Lulu wanted to eat her candy right away. I just told her to eat one and save the rest. She comes running in to me with Weston close behind and candy wrappers in hand. Lulu: This is why you have to hurry and eat ALL your candy. Because Weston will take it!"

I don't even know how this conversation started...

Isaac: The average adult weighs 97 pounds.

Christine: Well, I don't think so, bro. Did you know Johnny weighs 220 pounds?

Isaac: Oh, that's only for females. Guys can go higher.

Nigel: Hey, you guys.

All eyes on Nigel. Seriously, there was complete silence.

Nigel: I love my mom and I'm going to marry her.

We spent the last day at Beal's house. I actually went back to bed and forgot to childproof lock the front door. They can open a regular lock but not the up high lock. So I hear silence around 9 am and I know I've been duped. Everyone had escaped down the street to Beal's. It had been a long week of 12 cousins with lots of needs and a personal re-evaluation about the timing of my future children. I finally get myself out of bed and head to millie's with my 2 children that couldn't escape. Kids are running around as we make a plan for the day. Imagine loud chaos. Ruby walks into the kitchen to Beal. Ruby: You need more kids. Aren't you lonely?

I knew that if I laid the law down the first night for bedtime, kids would be compliant for the rest of the week. They come up with good excuses but this one was specific to Ila's sparkling personality. I admit it was very tempting, for selfish purposes. Ila: Can I clean for a little bit because cleaning makes me tired.

Beal drove all of the big kids to swimming lessons every day. We decided if they made their own lunches, they would have ownership and more incentive to actually eat them at the pool after swim lessons. Johnny was apparently a little attached to his lunch. He came home from Beal's sobbing. After he calmed down, he was sitting next to Ruby. He whispered in her ear. Johnny: Hey! Do you know that girl that took away my lunch? Her name is Camille. I don't like her.

We had a lemonade stand. We learned how not to run a lemonade stand. Next year's will be better. Although we did make over $20. The shining moment of the lemonade stand was Isaac's generosity to 2 different customers at two different times. Isaac gives a dollar bill back to them so they don't have to pay. Both customers insisted he take it back, but he wouldn't have it. Isaac: Sometimes we like to just give back.

At the lemonade stand, tons of cars stopped. One customer asked, "What do you have?" Nigel is showing his business skills early. His eager reply: Everything you like.

Cousin Power

Swim lessons 2012. So adorable. Melts my heart.

What manner of man ought ye to be?

The kind that would pee in a cup for his friend. Jeff Crook walked into my office and said, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I've been meaning to book a cruise for you and surprise you, but I know you'll get it down faster. So, go on a cruise. On me." Totally awesome. So we went on a cruise with Corporate Alliance to the Caribbean and met wonderful friends and had a great time back in February 2007. One of our friends got stung by a jellyfish on the beach one day and Johnny was willing to pee in a cup and wash the sting. I assume there is some sort of healing property in urine OR the pH of urine helped to counteract the sting of the jellyfish. What a guy. Then, bring the story full circle when we moved to Cedar Fort, the bishop of the ward was the brother of the woman who was married to the man who rinsed his foot in Johnny's pee. The bishop's father also went on the cruise with us and was also father to the woman who was married to the man who rinsed his foot in Johnny's pee. What a small, wonderful, germ-filled world that we live in...

Happy Father's Day, Johnny. We love you. We honor you. We are grateful for the man and father and husband and brother and teacher and creator you choose to be.

Opposites attract

Do you ever look at your children and wonder where they came from? As in, how in the world could someone you helped create act or feel that way? Johnny takes it in stride. He despises few things in this world. The two things on the list are bubble gum (do NOT chew in front of him. You also do NOT want to be around homeboy when he steps in gum that someone has spit out. It is truly disgusting to him.) and mustard (even though I love mustard, Johnny will not eat it on his sandwiches). So, along comes little Evelyn with her arms full from the fridge. She brings me the loaf of bread, grape jam and...mustard. And asked that I put them all together. She has ordered "purple and mustard" enough times in a row to warrant documentation. Hilarious. We have, however, brainwashed our children to believe that bubblegum is poison. When they see it in the grocery stores in the 25 cent dispenser stands, they point and say, "Ew! Gum! Gross!" Totally awesome.

This is the summer of fair weather

I know a place where we can get it together! Get it together whenever you're ready to go.
Thank you, Saturday's Warrior. I LOVE what summertime is meaning so far.

Scotty was given a name and a blessing today. We love our Grandview 16th Ward family. Scott Parrish Covey was blessed to know of the love God has for him and that his family has for him. He is named for his grandpas - Scott for Beepa and Parrish is Papa's middle name, his mother's maiden name. Scotty was blessed to stand on their shoulders and the shoulders of those who have gone before.

Scotty wailed the whole blessing. At first, I thought, "Who's baby is crying?" Then I realized that it was mine...Fun gathering at our 1375 West home afterwards. We had Cafe Rio and a pinata for our cinco de Mayo baby boy. Camille Anderson guessed closest to what number baby Scott was born at the American Fork Hospital in 2012. He was #1,211. She guessed 1,111. We love you, Scott.