Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Well, David, that's just plain wrong...

Katy had to go to bed really early tonight to make up for a short sleep last night & a short nap this morning. So it was time to have family prayer right when the boys were getting ready to take a shower. David was naked, and hesitant to come (apparently he's growing up - walking around the house naked wouldn't have bothered him a short while ago). So he reluctantly came out and knelt down, and dropped this gem on us:

David "Nobody likes seeing other people naked."

silence...trying not to giggle...

Daddy "You're probably right," then quietly to me, "We're not going to touch that one for a loooong time!"

Monday, August 25, 2008

The Counsel of Church Leaders & Modesty When Exercising

The Bishop came to give a message from the Stake President to the Relief Society women yesterday. He started off talking about the importance of wearing our garments appropriately. He went on to say that the Stake President has seen women walking at all times of the day in clothing that could clearly not allow them to be wearing garments. He said something to the effect of "Maybe, if you're training for a marathon or something, wearing garments could make it difficult in some way." He also said to make sure we don't lounge around in them after exercising. And that we should look for reasons to wear them rather than not wear them.

A couple weeks ago I would have heard this counsel and felt smug & superior (more or less of a sin than immodesty?), knowing I always wore my garments whenever not swimming or showering. That's what my mom always did, so that's what I felt was appropriate. Then at the beginning of the month I noticed my dad wearing shorts to run. I'd been having a hard time running in this yucky Utah heat (the average high temp over the last week is 93), or stressing & yelling at the kids to get out the door early enough that it wasn't totally unbearable. I decided if my dad felt okay with it than I did too.

So I went and bought two pairs of shorts & two tank tops. The shorts I got are pretty short, but I chose them only because they were $5.99 each instead of $10 or more for everything else. I tried on a cute exercise shirt with short sleeves, but the heat difference, even just in a fitting room at Target, was amazing. So I chose tank tops that are about as covering as tank tops can be, almost to the shoulder & neck. There were some really cute ones with much thinner straps, but I don't think the heat difference is much between the thick straps & the thin straps (nothing like the heat difference between having sleeves and not!), so I decided to go with the more covering ones to show that it really was just about comfort, not cuteness.

So I've been wearing them, now called my "running clothes," for a couple weeks. I usually get out to go running around 8:30-9:00, I'm out for about 20 minutes, then I cool down for a few minutes, then take a shower and get dressed. Well, Saturday I was planning on walking with a friend around 9:30, but we didn't get going until 11:15. And I mowed the lawn while I was waiting, so I was HOT! I didn't think I was physically able to go for a 3 mile walk (in the middle of the day, on a day with a high of 95!) in my sweat pants, without passing out or something, so I changed into my running clothes. I felt a little funny, but figured it was better to walk without garments than not walk at all.

Then the VERY NEXT DAY the Bishop comes in to talk about that! I felt like he was talking just to me! I felt like everyone who has seen me out in my running clothes was thinking "Ooooh, Rachel does that, she's a bad person." I don't know, maybe there are lots of other women taking casual strolls in skimpy clothes. It IS the middle of August in Utah, when it is about 90 degrees most days. It just felt like more than a coincidence that it was brought up so soon after I started taking off my garments to exercise.

I feel like what I'm doing is okay, but then I think "Oh no, am I just justifying myself?" I'll make an effort to make sure I walk early enough & without exercising right beforehand so I can wear my garments for walking. Even changing to thinner pants would have been better, I was wearing actual sweat pants, so maybe I need some better modest exercise clothes. But what about jogging? He pretty much said it wasn't okay for walking, but probably was for marathon training. There's quite the gray area between those! I would ultimately love to run a marathon, but at this point I'm only doing about a mile and a half. So if anything, I'm in the really, really, really early stages of training. But I personally feel okay wearing my running clothes for that purpose.

I know that the Stake President can receive Revelation for people under his jurisdiction. But is this Revelation, or just something he is worried about? And is there a difference in our need to follow it? I mean, if the Prophet were to come out and say "You should wear your garments whenever exercising." I would make that work. But is this maybe just a pet issue of the Stake Pres?

A couple years ago our Bishop at the time spent quite a while in Sacrament Meeting talking about how we need to make sure we drive really slowly in the neighborhoods, and also along the long straight road leading up to it. He gave some numbers about how driving fast down it only saves us 8 seconds or something. Anyways, we found out later that this is something he personally feels really strongly about, and years ago had put up a sign along the long straight road that says "Please Slow Down." That's kind of rude, that assumes that everyone needs to slow down - it would have been nicer to write "Please Go Slow" or something. And even though it's a great idea to follow the speed limits, it felt like he was taking advantage of his position to push is agenda. It wasn't something he was worrying about as a Bishop, it was just a pet peeve of his that he now had the opportunity to make it seem like it was coming from a higher power.

So, is it possible that this is a similar thing? Not that that makes it not important to wear our garments appropriately...geez this is hard to explain! I guess I mean, is it coming from him as a person or as the Stake President? And where along the range of strenuosity (okay, not a real word, but it fits here!) does he draw the line?

And now I feel like everyone is judging me for wearing my running clothes. Especially because I only ever walk in Kiowa Valley (our neighborhood), as my warm up and cool down. So are people peeking out their windows, seeing me walking by in my immodest clothes? If they see me on my return, it's clear that I've worked out pretty hard, but do they guess that I've been running or just assume I'm a wimp that gets that red & sweaty from a walk? And do people drive by while I'm cooling down, usually watering the flowers, and assume I just dress like that to do yard work? I guess ultimately it doesn't matter if other people judge me, but I also want to avoid the appearance of evil!

Well, if you're still reading, you have a lot of patience. I guess in a couple more weeks it'll cool down and I won't have to worry about this again until next summer. I really do want to do what's right, I just think it's a little ambiguous here. I guess Heavenly Father knows my heart, and that's the most important thing.

Now time to get ready to eat lunch, then take my grown up baby to his first day of Kindergarten!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Caught!

It used to be super easy to keep the kids' TV time limited. Most days I'd only allow them about 2 hrs worth for "quiet time." And I always made sure the shows they watched were at least somewhat educational - Dora, Little Einsteins, etc. Then we taught David how to use the remote.

Now he keeps turning on Spongebob & other brain rotting shows, and turning things on without permission. I keep finding out and feeling frustrated, but all I do is tell them not to. And that's not working, but I don't really know how to appropriately punish them other than maybe take the TV out of the playroom. But that would punish ME as well, because I NEED them to have quiet time!

So yesterday I turned on their quiet time shows (I recorded a block of 4 shows in a row again), then took the remote. Problem solved, right?

This morning while they were (supposed to be) getting dressed, they started singing "Please Bring Honor to us All." Hmmmm...soooooo....you boys have been watching Mulan, huh? That means they broke into the theater to get a DVD AND watched TV when they weren't supposed to! What am I going to do with them?!?!

But boys, you would have gotten away with it if you hadn't sang that song! If you'd been obedient and gotten dressed right away, I wouldn't have noticed your other two rule breakings! So much naughtiness!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Morrill family updates

So it occurs to me that there are several situations we should update you all on. Just on the off chance you're sitting around wondering how they resolved...

First of all, the yard. I really should have a picture to accompany this, but it is dark right now and if I put this off I'll forget. The grass has come in beautifully! There are still a few bare spots, and quite a few thin spots, but if you don't look too closely it looks amazing! It sure was a lot of hard work, but it paid off! Yay!

Next up - selling our house. We've listed with an agent, and we've shown it to 7 different families I believe. One family even came back a second time. But alas, there have been no offers. So we're debating the next step. We don't really want to drop the price much, and we really aren't in a huge rush. The main reason we want to move is to have 3 bedrooms on the same level. But if we don't, we'll just have to move the boys downstairs. Tonight Katy went to sleep about 15-20 min before the boys, and while the boys were hugging Daddy I opened the door and walked in, and she woke up. The hall light was off, I didn't say anything, the only difference was me taking a few steps, and she woke up. So if we don't get out of here soon, we'll just have to move the boys into the theater. We've been hesitant to shut down the theater, thinking it's a big selling point, but apparently not.

And the whole bike/jogging situation has become sooooooo much better. I've gone for a much longer (3 miles I think) walk with a friend a couple times, and the boys have done great! Getting David the new bike really fixed the problem. And I've really gotten into my groove with jogging, where it kind of feels good and energizing rather than draining. This morning I jogged and the boys rode their bikes to the school and back (so about 1.5 miles round trip), and there really wasn't any whining or other problems! Yay!

So, that's the update on those situations. Just in case you were wondering.

This will blow your mind

The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle - "The principle that there is an absolute limit on the combined accuracy of certain pairs of simultaneous, related measurements, especially that of the position and momentum of a particle." For example, you have a particle of a certain mass moving at a certain speed in a certain direction. To measure the speed of the particle it is required that you bounce light (a photon) off of it...but the photon itself bouncing off the particle alters its direction and speed. Thus, having any certainty in its direction and current speed (after the measurement) is impossible. Sounds boring I know....but watch this:



So...that's pretty cool right?

Now with that under your belt, check this out. The following video describes an experiment done by physicists using electrons. The thing to remember about this is that the "interference pattern" seen when electrons are sent through the two slits is the set of possible places that an electron could arrive...as soon as it is measured which slit the electron passed through (even though nothing was done to the electron) there is no more "possibility" anymore. We know which slit the electron when through, and therefore the pattern changes.



(The video is kinda cheezy, but the experiment described has been confirmed over and over and over):



This concept (which was not proven experimentally 'till later) really peaved off Einstein, who said that "God does not play dice."

Isn't that amazing!? The simple act of measuring which slit the electron travels through changes everything! I know most of you don't care because it isn't about babies or naughty children or why two x chromosomes are better than one...but I care. So there.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Happy Anniversary!

Seven and a half years ago, on February 27th, 2001, I was studying for a Physical Science exam in the hall right outside the band room right after getting out of band. I was unsure about a concept, so I asked a friend, Joe Jensen, if he knew. He said he didn't, then as a friend of his walked up, said "Ask Dan, he'd know." So I started chatting with his friend. Turned out we were in both Symphonic Band and Physical Science together. We made plans to study together for future tests, and I left to go take that one.

Over the next couple months we became really good friends. We studied together for a few tests, sat together in Physical Science every day, and starting hanging out outside of class/studying as well. The last day of the semester came, and I really wanted to go to the dance that night. I had gone on a few dates with somebody else, and had been waiting for them to ask me. They hadn't, so I was thinking of asking someone else that I had a little crush on. I didn't run into him all day, and time was running short, so I asked my good buddy Dan if he'd go with me.

So we went on our first date that night, April 17th I believe, still just good friends. The guy I had been kind of dating showed up with someone else, so we didn't hang around all that long. We left and went for a walk around campus. I decided I was in the mood for some recreational kissing, and made the move on poor sweet Dan, still not interested in more than friendship.

Well, the kissing meant a lot more to Dan than it did to me, and he started hanging around a lot more. Over the next couple weeks I came to realize that he was everything I should be looking for. "Should" because I was 18, and mostly dated guys solely because they were cute, then breaking up with them once that got boring & I realized I didn't like them. Dan had become my best friend, and the physical attraction part grew as I fell in love with who he was as a person.



Once I realized that, there was no point in waiting. We got engaged sometime in the middle of June, setting a date for only two months later.



From then on we were the typical blissfully self-absorbed engaged couple. I actually didn't even put a lot of thought or effort into our wedding & reception. Look at our announcement, for crying out loud - there's a typo! I was just so ecstatic to be getting married to someone so perfect for me (even not knowing at the time how much so), I wasn't really concerned with the details.



August 18th, 2001, we got married in the Seattle temple. I always thought I'd cry at my wedding, but it was Dan that did the crying. I, instead, just smiled the hugest smile until I felt like my face would fall off. I was so happy!


Seven years have gone by and three children have joined our family. And even with all the trials of raising those kids & taking care of a home, I'm living the life I always wanted. And I'm still so very happy to get to spend my life with my best friend. Happy Anniversary, my Danny Love!

Friday, August 15, 2008

If only...

Last night as we were sitting down to dinner, David asked Dan "So, how'd you do on the test to see if you don't have to go to work anymore?" It didn't take me long to figure out what he was talking about, but Dan just sat there wondering what the heck was going on as I just kept saying "Oh! Oh! Oh, David!".

In a couple weeks Dan is taking another licensing exam (I think that's what it is...). He told me that it starts early enough that he probably won't have to go to work before taking the test, and it ends late enough that he probably won't have to go back to work that day.

So David heard Dan say that he was going to take a test, and probably not go back to work after he finishes it.

So sweet little innocent 5 year old that he is, David was thinking that his daddy would take a test, then not have to go back to work. Ever. And even though I know that that would get annoying (sorry Honey, you know it's true!), it must sound absolutely wonderful to a little guy! He thought his daddy would get to stay home with him all day just like his mommy does! It makes me just want to give him lots of hugs!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Elder Smith!

A couple days ago I mentioned that I had tons of stuff to blog about. Only now I can't quite remember what all it was. Well, luckily I have pictures to remind me of some of them!

My baby brother is all grown up and leaving on his mission! We went out to dinner last Tuesday, and he went into the MTC the next day. So I'm only a week behind. Although I just found the paper my mom copied for me, and it says he's probably leaving the MTC for his mission in Ventura, CA on September 3rd. So that's only 3 weeks from today. I guess they don't stay in the MTC very long when they don't have to learn a language! Well, I had lofty ambitions of writing to him all the time, or at least printing my blogs and sending them to him. I guess I'd better get on that!

Katy and Uncle Danny
She'll be a big 3 year old by the time she sees him again!


This sequence of pictures cracks me up! Thank goodness for digital cameras that allow me to just snap away over and over until I get a picture worth saving!
Ryan, what are you doing?

Don't you think you should smile for the picture?

Apparently not

But then he thinks he is REALLY funny...

...so we get a good picture in the end!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Katy, the Genius

So, despite her love of making messes (see post below), I have to say that my baby (14 months old) is the smartest baby ever! After the toilet paper incident (again, see post below), I was back doing my face when I told Katy we were getting ready to go. I said "Can you go get Mommy some shoes?" I wasn't sure if she would be able to understand the difference between that and "Can you bring Mommy your shoes," which she does all the time. She did! She ran out to the living room, and came back a few seconds later with one of my flip flops! Yay Katy! You are a genius!

Oh, Silly Goo!

A few minutes ago I was in the bathroom doing my hair & make up, when I suddenly remembered something I wanted to ask my mom. I called her, turned off the light, and went to my bedroom. Katy seized her opportunity, and a few minutes later I saw her run down the hall, holding the end of the toilet paper roll! She made it to the corner of the living room before it finally ripped.

Here's where she ended up...

and the t.p. is all the way down the hall...

and still attached in the bathroom!

She is very proud of her accomplishment!

Silly, silly, silly Goo!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Lamb!

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Museum of Flight, Part III - our family as Astronauts

Okay, this'll be my last post for right now - be sure and read the other two as well!

I don't know why, but I always like pictures like this. They make me laugh. Especially the children, who don't quite do it right.

David
Ryan
Katy
Dan, my lovely husband
Rachel, the prettiest astronaut ever

Museum of Flight, Part II - in the museum

The museum had a kids area that kept my little monkeys entertained for quite some time! The boys are really into planes, jets, rockets, etc., so this was right up their alley. We were there (including the picnic out front) for almost 5 hours!
The boys immediately went over to get in a little plane in the kids area. They thought they were pretty hot stuff!
I didn't think Katy would be interested in getting in the plane, but after watching her brothers she decided she should have a turn, too. Here she is waiting in line, making her silly squinty eye smile.
And finally Katy's turn! She loved it! She kept trying to climb back in with other kids, even when it was already full! Silly Goo.
David sat in another plane while Katy wandered around & Ryan took a potty break.
They had this hooked up to a screen, and you were supposed to land on a target. I tried to get David to look at me, but he was very focused.

Museum of Flight, Part I - Blue Angels

One of the unfortunate things about blogging (or letter writing, journal writing, etc.) is that the more you have to write about, the less time you have to write. We've had a busy couple weeks with lots to blog about, but we've been so busy doing that we haven't had time to write about it! I'll try not to do it all at once and overwhelm our readers, but I've got to do it while I remember & have the time!

So last Friday, August 1st, we had the awesome opportunity to see the Blue Angels! They were staying at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, then practicing over Lake Washington that afternoon (with a performance Saturday, but we were leaving before then). We had planned a complicated day of hitting the museum, driving over to the Lake to watch the practice, dealing with traffic, parking, and crowds, then coming back to the museum to see more stuff. Instead, we went to the museum, stayed to watch them take off, sat on the front lawn and ate a picnic while watching some of their practice (they came by a few times, enough for the boys to feel satisfied that they watched the Blue Angels), watched them land, then went back inside. It was a really fun day!

Daddy helping David get a better view
My dad works right across the street, so he was able to come hang out with us for a little while! Here he is giving Ryan a boost.
We all know that Katy's favorite person in the world is her mom, but after being there a week she started tolerating Grandma.
Our camera's battery keeps dying after a very short amount of time, so we ended up only having cell phone cameras this day. But I was able to zoom in and crop enough to get a decent picture of the take off...
...and the landing. I just didn't get any of them flying in formation, which was super cool. Oh well, maybe some other time.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

FWD:the cutest cow EVER!

the cutest cow EVER!