My bleeding heart.

At 32 years old, Randy became an orphan. My sister called me last week, choked back emotional tears, and said my dad was going in for emergency heart surgery. His mom, Oma, said she couldn't lose her first born and dropped to her knees to pray. She is 83. She is still a mother looking out for her little boy. My sister and I weren't quite sure the magnitude and extent of the surgery. We cried, we got strong, I told her it would be o.k., I told myself it would be o.k. We thought we can't lose our dad, our paternal bed rock. She said she'd call our brother and sisters. I called Randy. I knew it would be o.k., I just wanted to give him a heads up that if I received "the call" I was out the door on a plane, right then and there. I paused on the other line. It was just long enough for him to remember "the calls". They caught it early enough if you call 95% blockage of the main artery to your heart early. He was literally a heart beat away from a heart attack. It was stress, diet, hereditary. It was scary. Randy came home from work somber. The call sent him into recalling and remembering his parents,, remembering when he dropped to his knees to pray, and then left our house not noticing his mismatched shoes to be with his sisters and brothers. I am thankful it wasn't today, that my heart didn't bleed today for the loss of my dad. Being an oprhan is a lonely scab that can scrape open at any time and bleed into the dark of the night through one's mind and heart.

Winter Break

Last week the kids had a week off for mid-winter break. Yeah, up here in the dark annals of the northwest, you need a break about this time of year. Madalyn spent most of her time in Utah, but came home for the weekend. The Institute rented out Husky Stadium on for some ultimate frisbee and flag football. We had the whole football field to run around, and Cayleb did with his friend Thaddeus (bummer my batteries gave out or I'd have better pics), but little Makenzy-coo kept going for the stairs. Who knows how many dirt clad shoes, bacteria filled flip flops and sticky, poopin pumps have gone up these stairs. I had to keep a close eye on her because at the base of the stairs is a moat complete with little wooden bridges to cross over. Luckily there wasn't any troll. It is about a four foot drop by 5 foot moat that runs the length of the north field. It is probably to throw bad players in after they've made a bad play - a tidy little time out area safe from the crowd.


This is an exhibit from the Wing Luke Museum in Chinatown in the International District a Pan-Asian museum. This is a display of people's experience during the Korean War which they consider the forgotten war. As you walk through this part of the museum, the stories are read in the native languages of those who survived the war. We didn't spend as much time here as I would have liked, we only had so much time on the parking meter and Makenzy meter. We took a class on Vietnamese calligraphy.This was the teacher.

Instruction time. Later we stopped by Mon Hai, a Chinese bakery, it was sooo good. Since we were being "international" we decided to forgo chicken nuggets and fries and go for lunch at Pho, a Vietnamese soup restaurant. So, as a food critic I would say, o.k., but not exactly kid friendly fare. Plus, I honestly didn't know what to do when the waiter brought out a plate of bean sprouts, hot green peppers and lime. I thought perhaps it was a salad so being the mom that knows everything, I told the kids this must be a Vietnamese salad. So we started to eat it that way. It seemed odd, so I started rubber necking to see what other people were doing with their salad. Apparently, it all goes in the soup. It totally reminded me of the time when I was at a restaurant in Park City with my sisters and I mocked one of them for eating the whole artichoke leaf instead of scraping it off. I know someone in that restaurant was slurping down a chuckle as they thought "total first timer." Instruction time for me. Anyhow, we had a 2nd dinner that day, Italian cuisine with Ghiradelli brownies and ice cream.

Our visit to the Zoo. Of all the animals, this is the only animal picture we took.

All my baby birds in the nest, though the littlest baby bird is trying to fly away. In fact, most of the time we were at the zoo she was pretty much a wild animal wanting to run all over the place and escape the captivity of her stroller.

Itsy, bitsy spiders. The week literally crawled past us too quickly. We slept in, went to the movies, had some friends over, slept in, went shopping at Bellevue Square, slept in, Makayla and I did a few projects while Cayden went motorcycle/4-wheeling. For the most part, I really enjoy having my kids home and being on our own time schedule, but it nice to send them off some days.

Yippee! Court Victory for 10 Commandments

A little park in the old part of Pleasant Grove, UT, south of the swimming pool and underused in comparision to the more popular Discovery Park has an old ten commandments statue. In the 10 years plus we lived there, we only visited the park once. A few years back, some egyptian religious group out of Salt Lake City, wanted to erect their monument and when PG said "No" a lawsuit came about. I've watched a little here and there to see what was going on intrigued by what the outcome may be and today the verdict is in - it can stay! Fortunately there is still room for government speech, all the more reason to make sure those we elect and support in office represent the good and middle ground morality we desire. Click here for the complete story http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-02-25-court-religious-marker_N.htm?csp=34

Up, Up and Away

Madalyn leaving for Utah as an unaccompanied minor - yikes! She was looking forward to going solo for a few days to visit cousins and grandparents.
Cupid Cafe. Ahh, the ambiance, the company, the food - c'est la manufique! A tradition started by my mom, we have a fancy dinner with the kids. They get dressed up, I even step up the church clothes to my formal wear and we usethe wedding china, the crystal, and do some pretend high flutin' speaking. The kids always look forward to it. Alongside our steak, we added smoked salmon to this year's menu; $20 a pound it should have tasted good and it did. Madalyn also wrote some Valentine prose for us (verbatim below):

"On Valentine's day I shout horay with a big big smile, it takes a little while for Vanlentine day to come with some little chocolate bars and some candy bars and a little of this and a little of that and I'll wear my fancy hat." U-R 2 Cute Madalyn.

Last week Randy and I celebrated Valentine's early to avoid the dinner rush, and ate at the Royal Orchid, a thai restaurant we like. Then following our Cupid Cafe, we had a ward couples dinner and dance. Funny thing was most of the music they played was what my kids listen to now. It was mostly the thirty something crowd dancing, our ward has a disproportionately large group. We had a few do the worm and even some Michael Jackson moves. We eventually and literally got called on our curfew by Makayla since she was babysitting, and had to leave the dance floor a little early.

The Sweet Meet

Ahh, the annual Sweet Meet, where the guys make yumma treats and the girls bid on them; think Oklahoma the musical, and yeah, there probably still is a weird Curly guy among the group. Since Randy and the girls are kind of exempt from really doing this, the girls made their own yummy treat, Chocolate Fudge Mango cake with carmel, petit fours, fresh strawberries, and 5 honkin chocolate chip cookies. One guy made a birdcage from licorice complete with a Peep bird inside, how "tweet", and another a Twix and Hershey chocolate castle.

Cutie patootie Madalyn, Randy dandy good lookin' eye candy and lip smackin sweet lips Makayla and of course, check out all the crepe paper!
Boogie, woogie, raise the roof, jump up and down and turn around, jammin kind of moves.

Cooking the Costco Way

We all love the big cart store, the free samples, the big, honkin hot dogs for $1.50 afterwards. Anyhow, my sister Tiff gave me a cook book at Christmas called Cooking the Costco Way. There are some yumma recipes inside and most call for ingredients I usually have on hand. Earlier this week we tried meatloaf hamburgers on little buns and it was pretty tasty. Of course, my little one likes to be up on the table where the action is. Note - Makenzy's independence is starting to flourish, notice the three bibs she has on, she didn't want me to take them off.

Chocolate Festival

Chocolate Festival, yum! We tried eggnog truffles, blueberry ganache nougats, of course chocolate dipped strawberries, chocolate covered goat cheese, smoked salmon and lots of other delectable zero calorie chocolates all by the finest chocolatiers in the area!

Saturday was busy - the obligatory Saturday jobs, Randy played morning ball and then ran 16 miles, we attended the baptism of 4 kids, and then headed out on a Girls Night and Boys Night Out. The Boys went and played more basketball and had dinner, well sundaes that were their dinner. The girls and I headed to the Chocolate and Wine Tasting Expo. We had truffles for dinner! Makenzy of course, loved the chocolate. At the spa spot, we lathered up on chocolate body butter.
Madalyn trying some Belgium chocolate.

At the Chocolate Expo., I made petit fours. So easy and beautiful that the girls and I decided to buy the stuff to make them at home. The boys helped and this is a sample of what we created.

Our chocolate fudge, raspbery filled petite fours. We are all pretty proud of ourselves. In fact, we hardly could leave it alone as the chocolate cooled in the fridge. What we didn't eat Sunday, the kids took in their lunches to school. May I mention that Randy hasn't eaten sugar since the New Year and he even refused this! Well, more for the rest of us.

Seeing Red

Today marks Women's heart awareness, where women band together, wear red and show their support for healthier hearts - which of course translates into happier, healthier lives. So today, I am wearing red for that extra girl power.

This Week's Random Stuff

What kid can resist a dirt hill?

Randy cooling down after his almost 6 min. split miles. I opted to come along with the kids as he literally ran circles around us. If you want to start to get psyched up for the Boston Marathon go here!
Makenzy - check out those "chubber" cheeks - you'd think the kid doesn't need "mama milk" anymore - I know it is almost time to wean her - by March, for sure.


We don't have enough sibling rivalry in our home - so Randy mixed up a little more. He challenged Madalyn (who loves to read) and Cayden (who thinks he does just fine with what he reads at school) to see who could finish the Book of Mormon first. The first one done gets to pick out an activity that the other one has to come along and do. Madalyn is already moaning she is going to have to go to the Lego Store - ugh!



Makayla read the Book of Mormon throught the first time on her own by age 9, Randy has read it so many times he can't count, and well the black sheep in the family, me, didn't read it from cover to cover until I was an adult and Nate was on his mission. My kids inspire me. My husband inspires me.



I think it is important for them to know for themselves, not because Mom and Dad said so. We took them to a different church in California (and need to go to a few more) just so they can see there are good people in all faiths and religious followings. But also, so they can find out for themselves what makes our faith stand apart from others and learn how to stand up for their beliefs.




Sister Lauchner and Sister Aria over for dinner. We see the missionaries lots. In fact, we saw them yesterday (to go do visits) today (to get a number), tomorrow (for the potluck), Saturday (for the baptism), and of course Sunday - that is just this week. They are doing great and so on top of it. However, Sister Aria says American food makes her sick, it is so processed - and I always thought it was the South American food. She is from a speck of an island in the South Pacific called Nukufetau (think Elder Groberg's mission). They eat rice and fish, and Minute Maid rice is not real rice, sorry!

Springtease!

Autumn used to be my favorite season; school started, it was my birthday, I got to wear sweaters. My preference changed. I still like sweaters, the warmth of my fireplace and the stunning fall colors, but now I long for the spring/summer. I love the sun. I love the kids being able to go outside. The kids love being able to go outside. I love not having wet shoes dropped by the doors. I love the longer days. I purchased some primroses to plant in the raised planter by the front door - there poppin pink. Today the sun is shining, yesterday the sun was shining and tomorrow it should be shining too. It's a springtease and I love it!

Happy Birthday Grandma French Frye

Happy Birthday Grandma Frye - 83! Today, I had a chance to call up Grandma Frye- Grandma French Frye. After I wished her a happy birthday, she tells me that she is headed over to the rest home to visit Grandpa. She told me earlier in the week, she was thinking how it is hard having her husband in the rest home. She says the rest home is a little depressing. Grandpa's friend passed, and then Grandpa was moved him into his old friend's room, then his other friend died too. I guess "the end" prevails in places like that. But, she said on her way out from a visit earlier this week, she ran into a lady loaded with bags, dishes, clothes headed into the building. She asked her if she needed a hand and the lady gratefully accepted. Grandma found out she was there to visit BOTH her husband who had a stroke and her 19 year old daughter with cereberal palsy. She then remarked, "Can you imagine - both your husband and daughter there." That made having just Grandpa there seem doable to Grandma. "Yvette, you think you have it hard until you talk to someone else. Just remember that you can find happiness in any situation of life. Be grateful for your own problems and that you don't have it harder." Well, Grandma I am grateful - thanks for your continued perspective and wisdom learned over the years!

Ponytail Prison

My sister Tiff is a professional hair dresser which is great for me, because I am in habitual ponytail prison (notice the hair is pulled back in the picture). As soon as my hair gets long enough, 90% of the time it is in a pony tail. I am rushing, rushing and just don't have time to blow dry, straighten, use product or whatever. Now I blame the rain and humidity a lot becaue who wants to spend time curling their hair when the locks are dampened walking to the mailbox. Anyhow, Tiffy-B thanks, I'll try to do your work justice and style the new cut from time to time. As a disclaimer, please no one judge her work by my style, she's awesome, set up an appointment with her.