Modesty Isn't Cheap!

So, we leave for our Disneyland vacation on Friday, as in this Friday, as in less than one week.  Stay calm, no need to panic.  Why?  Because I have a plan.  I'm currently constructing a detailed list of all that needs to be done.  Once the list is done, it will all be assigned to its own day.  This way when we leave on Friday, it will all be done.  And, here's the magical part, it will all be done without a scream fest.  That's the best part, right?!?

Well, one of the main things on the list was to find Jenna and Abby new swimsuits.  I'm not one to procrastinate shopping, I procrastinate plenty of other things, but never shopping.  :)  So, realizing that this isn't prime swimsuit shopping time, I began my search about a month ago.  Abby's swimsuit was no problem.  Thank you Lands End Overstocks for having exactly what she wanted for $6.99 with a free shipping code! 

Jenna, however was a different story.  She hasn't quit growing so she doesn't fit in those cute little girl swimsuits anymore.  Needless to say, I begrudgingly have searched every teen shop and store that carries teen girl swimsuits.  I realize that my opinions aren't the same as everyone else's.  But since this is my blog I feel justified in saying that I don't care how cute she is, a teenage girl should not have a swimsuit that looks slutty.  Sorry, I don't know any other way to say it.  However, it turns out my opinion is not shared by the fashion world.  I have seen more string bikinis and barely covering the business swimsuits in the last month than I can even begin to convey in this post.  What ever happened to modesty being in fashion?  Why do our teenage girls have to be faced with dressing completely inappropriately?  I could go on and on about this, but I'll spare all of you.

Today Jenna and I decided that today was it.  We had to find a swimsuit today or she was going to be skinny dipping at the hotel pool and at the beach.  Okay, I'm only kidding about the skinny dipping part.  There are no words for how annoying this shopping trip was.  You see, I'm not only tasked with finding a modest swimsuit, I'm also tasked with finding a swimsuit that the pickiest girl in the world will like.  Wow!  A nearly impossible task.  After hours, and I mean hours, we finally found one.  It was "the" swimsuit!  It was so cute, darling, adorable, modest and here's the kicker, Jenna actually loved it!  But alas, I made a rookie mistake.  I let her try it on before looking at the price.  It fit her so well and she looked truly amazing.  I know, I know, I'm the mom.  What else am I going to say?  I agree with her this is "the one". 

Then, I look at the price.  Are you kidding me?  You must be!  You want me to pay $150 for this swimsuit?  Okay, I'm totally joking, it wasn't $150.  But it was more than I wanted to pay.  However, I was totally in a quandry.  We have been looking forever for a swimsuit for this kid.  Swimsuits are assigned to Saturday so we won't have a scream fest, remember?  I stand in the store, nearly breaking into a sweat, over this swimsuit.  Finally I decide, it's fine, I'm going to get it.  Jared will totally agree that modesty is worth a little extra money. 

We leave and I call Jared, who's at work I might add, and tell him that we found a swimsuit for her.  He says, "Finally!"  That alone should tell you how annoying this venture has been.  Next, I drop the price tag in his lap.  I know you're wondering what his answer back was.  Here you go.  "What!  Seriously!  Why didn't you just get her a $6.99 one like you got Abby?"  This is where I explain the extreme difference in their sizes.  Now, here's the funniest part of this post.  He says, "You could get her a swimsuit from Victoria's Secret for less than that."  (I'm not even going to get into why he knows that.)  To which I say, "Really?  Do you want her to wear one of the ones at Victoria's Secret?"  He said, "Well, no!  Of course not!"  My answer back?  "It costs more when they use more fabric!"  We both started laughing at that one.  Modesty isn't cheap.  

The problem has been solved though.  Jenna wanted the swimsuit so much that when I told her we felt like it was just too much, she offered to pay the difference between what we budgeted and what the swimsuit cost.  See what a great kid she is.  I have to say that I'm really grateful that she wants to dress modestly.  She is such a good girl with such high morals.  I hope you always stay this way, Jenna.  Choosing the right, even when it's hard, is something you always do.  Thanks for the great example you set for our family every day.

DON'T FALL IN THE LAVA!

Jared is a fabulous husband. Over the past 13 1/2 years I have learned so much from him. One thing that he is exceptional at is taking time to smell the roses, so to speak. I'm a crazy, busy mom. I know some of you are the same so don't deny it. :) Jared is an equally busy dad, just with different things. However, he never ceases to amaze me. He is so good to stop and just take a moment. He notices things in the world around him that I never notice. He will come inside from work and pull me out the door to see a beautiful sunset. He will notice a cute scene with a toddler at the store.

I suppose it shouldn't come as any surprise to me that he is really great (most of the time) at enjoying the little things with our munchkins. He frequently tells me that someday they will be grown up and gone and we will miss all the little "isms" that define each of them. I have been trying really hard the last couple of years to find the joy in motherhood. I realize that everyday isn't roses and chocolate, but I'm learning to enjoy the little things. I'm sure you've heard the saying, "Enjoy the little things, for one day you will look back and realize they were really the big things." I truly believe this.

With that introduction, I bring you to today's post. A few days ago it was terribly cold here. Okay, let's be honest, it's been terribly cold here a lot lately. The kids were filled with energy that needed to be channeled. Since they couldn't go outside, they asked if they could use the beanbags in the family room and the pillows to play "lava". Desperate for some sanity, I agreed. A few very short minutes later, my family room was filled with the delightful laughter of children. I went downstairs to see them jumping from coffee table to pillow to pillow to beanbag, etc. They turned to me and screamed, "Mom, you're going to catch on fire, get out of the lava!" What could I do? The last thing I wanted was to die, in my own family room, by catching on fire from the lava. Can you see the obituary? "Orem woman dies in lava pit in her own home." As far as I could tell, I had no choice. I jumped on the closest pillow before I ignited. The kids cheered as I was saved from inevitable death. For the next half hour we had an incredible time dodging the lava bubbles and the lava monsters. True confession...we might have jumped on the couch too, but since that's a big no-no I can't actually confirm or deny that fact. Like all moms, I had to snap a few pics.

Don't they look like they're having so much fun? That's because they are! A quick note... that's Abby's t-shirt you see, not her backside. :)

I found this on Pinterest not too long ago and it seemed fitting for this post.

"Admit it, at some point in time you've pretended that the floor was made out of lava and jumping on the couches was the only way to survive."

The Daddy Daughter Wedding Dance

I have a really good client at the bank that Jared and I have been friends with for years. His first child, a daughter, got married this past weekend. He came in to the bank today and told me about it. He talked about how incredible it was to be in the temple with his daughter and now son-in-law. Then he told me something interesting. He said, "Tell Jared something for me. The next time he's really upset with one of your girls tell him to think about the daddy daughter dance at her wedding. I thought I had it all together. But, no." Then with tears in his eyes he told me that was an amazing moment, sad and happy all at the same time. It made me think of this picture I had of Jared and Sadie. She had turned three a few weeks earlier and had been spoiled by her grandparents with this beautiful Cinderella dress. Cinderella was her favorite princess then, it still is. She found Jared and asked him if he would dance with her. She needed someone to be the prince and Ethan wouldn't cooperate. Jared agreed thinking this would be a quick thing. Not so. She made him wait while she put the Cinderella dress on. Then, she had him find the spot in the movie when Prince Charming and Cinderella dance. As I recall, she had some specific instructions for him about doing it right. When all that was done, she was finally ready. You can tell by the grin on her face that she thought it was a fantastic dance. I'm not sure her dad enjoyed it as much as her. Jared has always been a good sport about these type of things. I suppose that with all the girls at our house he hasn't had much choice. Someday when this little munchkin is all grown and gone though, I know he will look back at this picture, smile and remember it as a fantastic dance as well.

The Year of No Candy

At the beginning of 2011, Jared and I told the kids if they could go an entire year without eating any candy we would pay them each $100. All of them decided this was a terrific plan and thus began the year of no candy. Sadie lasted a total of 18 hours. What can you expect from a then four year old kid. Abby made it until Valentine's Day. Apparently the candy was calling her name and begging her to eat it. She couldn't disappoint the candy. Jenna and Ethan made it the whole year. Now, I'm not a big candy eater so this would not have been a difficult thing for me. However, think about how much candy is thrown at kids all year long. There are countless candy holidays along with all the candy they give out for every reason under the sun at school. There were plenty of temptations. I frequently heard them saying, "That candy isn't worth $100." This was no small task for these little cuties. Nevertheless, they made it! Today was their first official day they could eat candy in a year. The second we walked in the door from church they both went for it. I had to snap a picture of the momentous event. I don't think I've ever seen Ethan eat a candy bar so fast. It was actually kind of disgusting. Now for my parent payday. I asked them what they were going to do with their money. Jenna is, of course, going to go shopping. Typical teenage girl, no surprise there. Ethan, however, made my day when he said, "I'm going to put mine in my savings account. I'm going to need some money when it's time for my mission and college and I don't have enough yet." I love knowing that he really is listening, even when I think he isn't.