Today, Benji (I know he wants everyone to call him James, but he'll always be Benji to me) and Erica got married. Erica is a sweet girl and she has a cute little boy named Josh. For all of you who did not even know Benji was dating anyone, don't feel bad. We didn't even know until a few weeks ago. I am definately not anyone to talk about short courtships, considering Josh and I's four week whirlwind romance. That seems to be working out for us 9 years later. So, good for them. I hope they will have a long, loving and happy life together.
On a previous post (Michael Buble), I talked about seeing a new group called Naturally 7. I said how the guy was my favorite because he looked like the guy in the red hat (so, the hat was sort of pink, it's the guy that has the hat covering his face) from 'fat albert'. I'm not sure how many of you knew what I was talking about but in case you didn't, here it is. Fat Albert was a Saturday morning cartoon in the late 70's early 80's. I watched it when I was a kid. Echo put a picture up of my favorite and I. Click her name and it will take you to my picture. So did he look just like that guy or am I crazy? Whatever. He will still always be my favorite guy who makes the base guitar sounds in a group of guys that makes music with their mouths, ever.
The most recent book that Oprah has picked for her book club is A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. I am a big fan of her book club and have enjoyed many of the books she has chosen. I started this book a couple of weeks ago and I am about half way through. I love a lot of the ideas in the book. It talks about how we all have an ego and this ego drives us to make choices in life. If we can set aside our 'ego' we will have happier more contented lives. When he speaks of the ego, I think of it a lot like pride. He talks about how the ego (pride) convinces us that we are victims, that we need to put others down to build ourselves up and hinders us from moving on when we are going through hard times. I must say that this book is sort of a tough read. It has been very hard for me to keep all of the stuff that is supposedly going on in my head straight. Sometimes, I overthink things a little. Anywho, it is a very good book and I think that if we as a human race could put aside our egos possibly there could be A New Earth.
Oprah will be hosting online web classes to discuss this book, starting Monday. If anyone is interested, click on her name and it will take you to her website.
Some of you are of the working persuasion. I think that is great and I celebrate the hard worker. Then there is the not so so hard worker. These people are the types that will get on the computer and check out a blog or two. I love you guys, too. Listen, the 'man' owes it to you. You work all kinds of crazy hours, take minimal breaks, eat lunch at your desk... I think if you want to take a minute to pop around on the internet and check things out, totally fine by me. However, if you work for Sea Island, you will not be checking my blog out anytime soon. Apparently, I have been banned for 'Hate Speech'. I think this may have something to do with my extremely controversial 'Write him in' post. I really have no idea why I have been banned. I will say that I am not a 'hater' of anyone. I am extremely sarcastic and crazy, but not a 'hater'. I love Sea Island, it is a fabulous place to visit and I apparently just do not share their views. I apologize if anything I have said has come across as being judgmental or prejudicial. I do feel like this adds an air of notoriety to my life.
So, as everyone knows, we went to see Michael Buble. He was dreamy, steamy, smoldering, and really talented. His genre is contemporary pop. (or old people's music) His music is reminiscent of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and others like that. Echo and I went together. For a play by play on our fabulous time, feel free to check out her blog. Just click on her name and you will be transported. I know she was exhausted when she journaled our time together, so I appreciate her doing that. The only thing she hasn't talked about, yet, was the fabulous opening act. They are called Naturally 7 and they are so talented. If you click on the video, you will see what I am talking about. If you listen to their music, there are no instruments playing. They are making all of those sounds themselves. Wow!! Each of them is a particular instrument. My favorite was the base guitar guy. He looked like that guy in the big red hat on the 'fat albert' cartoon. That's probably not the best reason for one to be your favorite, but that's me. I hope that Echo will put up a picture of me with that guy. We got to meet them all after the concert. I turned into a total teenager when we met them. I said, "Gee, you were really great." They were like, "Thanks..." Then when I met the 'fat albert' man, I said, "You were my favorite." I think he didn't even know how to respond to that. What a moron.
If you happen to know what 'fat albert' guy I am talking about please feel free to give him a name in the comment section.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
It has been a really long day. Did you ever just know that it was going to be a rough day? Things were just crazy and then I tried to put the toilet paper roll on and two seconds later it popped back off. That sounds really little and stupid, I know. But when that toilet paper roll popped off I just knew I should head back to bed. However, it just doesn't work that way with kids does it? Things continued in that direction with some gross goings on in the toilet, Madi coming up to me with outstretched hand (I'll spare you what was on the hand) saying, "Emma Mae has a stinky diaper" and a minor flip out over toys being all over the floor. Then I look out my front window and I get to see this...sort of. (I had to walk down the street a little bit) I wish you could hear the crickets chirping. Anyway, I will make it another day.
I just have a little rant I would like to share with everyone. I believe that there is a diaper (nappy) conspiracy out there. I believe that diaper manufacturers want for us to keep our kids in diapers until they start school. The sizes of diapers keep getting bigger and bigger. I was just discussing with sass e-mum the fact that most people over there (across the pond, right?) actually use cloth diapers. Not the cloth diapers that we are used to with the pins and all, but new and ingenious diapers that velcro. She has links to different cloth diaper manufacturers. I have already checked them out and have picked which one I will be purchasing. I picked the all- in-one. Hopefully, she will let me know if I have made a good selection. There are two reasons that I am considering the change. 1- ecofriendly 2- I learned with Jackson and Madi that a child has to feel wet before they can understand what it means to pee. Those diapers and even the pull-ups keep them so dry that they don't even know that anything is going on down there. As soon as I started putting underwear on them (and I mean not using any diapers and just letting the pee and poo all over the place) they began to get it. It only took about three days of cleaning up messes before they got it. So I am starting a new web crusade (previously seen on the 'write him in' post). I say get rid of your disposable diapers and choose the reusable cloth diapers. Or don't, we can still be friends.
A side note: I think my husband thinks I am having an internet affair.
My trash can looks so appealing, doesn't it? It's ok, you don't have to deny it. It looks really good to you, doesn't it? I look at it and think, "I'll bet there is some tastey treat in there waiting to be discovered." Actually I don't, but apparently Emma Mae does. Why can't I keep her out of the trash can? She loves it like a crack addict loves their next fix. ( I assume, since I have obviously never done crack) Even now, after I have bathed her, she is trying to figure out a way to get into the laundry room where it is currently hiding. You might say, " What is that delectable treat she is indulging in?" That is a yogurt Madi opened 3 hours ago and would not eat. Sounds yummy doesn't it? Listen, I just cannot watch her at all times. It is physically impossible.
So, yesterday, as I'm perusing my new favorite site, http://www.homemadebyjill.blogspot.com I see a comment from a seemingly nice person who was hoping more people would visit her blog. Of course, being the obliging (slightly nosey) person I am, I go over and check her out. She lives in the UK and she is just like us, a mom struggling to balance work, hubby and a beautiful child. I went ahead and left her a little comment and hoped that she would not think I was creepy. Well, now I have seen that I am on her list of sites on her blog. I am so excited!!! This whole blog thing makes me think that maybe we can all reach out of our comfort zones and make friends that we may have never thought of. I'm glad to see she doesn't think I'm creepy and will be checking her blog out often.
As you can see, we decided to take Flat Kalan and Flat Brook to Fort Frederica. The last time I went to Fort Frederica was in the 7th grade. I really did not remember much about it. I told the kids we were going to a fort and I knew that they would be really disappointed when they saw that there was really no fort there. Then we got there and went into the visitor center. Then the lady said we could put on some of the clothes. This made Fort Frederica the funnest place ever. The kids really enjoyed themselves walking around what is left of the fort. I must say, walking around down there where all of those foundations were left was really interesting. It's like a whole town of foundations. You can stop at each one and a sign tells you who lived there and what their position was in the town. If I had not taken 5 kids, I believe that I really could have stayed all day and been transported back to the 1700's. What a fabulous day I have had. I highly recommend visiting this park, maybe minus the young kids. It was great for Jonathon and Bethany's age. I think we weren't supposed to sit on the cannon, but it made for a pretty picture.
If these kids look familiar to you, that is because they are tiny replicas of two cousins from Utah. They were sent to me from Kalan (one of Lori and Ken's kids) and Brook (one of Mike and Heather's kids). They are known as Flat Kalan and Flat Brook. I got the cutest letter from the kids telling me that they were learning about maps. They asked if I would take them to a landmark in our town and take a picture of them sitting at it. I am so excited about doing this for them. I am so thankful to Kalan and Brook for asking me to do this. So tomorrow I will go try to find a landmark and take some pics of Flat Kalan and Flat Brook. I'm thinking of laying them on a towel on the beach. What do you guys think? Any good landmark suggestions?
I look so foward to the time of year when the girl scouts start selling the cookies. I wonder why they don't sell them year round. I guess that would not be great for me because when I do get the cookies, I eat half of the box at one time. These two are my favorite. Warning: Eating one sleeve of the thin mints will cause a serious headache, thinking you can make the headache go away by then eating the other sleeve only turns your headache to nausea. Do not attempt. Make sure and contact your local girl scout about getting your own, because I'm not sharing mine.
Everyone always asks how Laura is doing. I usually have no idea because we never see her. She's a busy girl, what with work, friends and the guys. But, today we got a surprise visit from her. She played and entertained me for an hour then she had to be on her way. I was just glad she worked me into her busy schedule. (I don't know what that look on Jackson's face is all about, but I thought ya'll might enjoy it.)
This morning Pat (Verla) called to let me know that someone we love is having a hard time with a pregnancy right now. She has low amniotic fluid. Pat asked if I would call out there and talk to them about Katelyn. I thought my blog might be better because a picture is worth a thousand words. When my friend Karen got pregnant the first time, she found out very shortly after that she had low amniotic fluid. She was not working and we talked every day. She had a special diet she had to eat and I remember seeing jugs and jugs of water at her house. She had to lie on her left side all day and drink so much water that I am sure she never wanted to see water again. She went to see a specialist and her regular doctor all the time. I think that time was probably pretty hard for her, even though she would say, "It just is what it is". The baby couldn't really move around since there was so little fluid. I remember wondering if their baby was going to be ok and what she would be like. Finally, at 36 weeks Karen went to the doctor and they said they weren't sure if there was enough fluid for the baby to make it through the weekend. So they did an early c-section. When Katelyn was born she was small, but she was beautiful. You would never know there was ever anything different about that pregnancy. This is Katelyn at Emma Mae's birthday party and she is happy, healthy and doing great. If any of our Utah family are reading this, will you share this with that someone that may be having a hard time. Please let her know that we love her very much and will pray for her and hope that her baby will be as happy and healthy as Katelyn is.
Jonathon has decided he is old enough to drive the golf cart around the farm. Despite the dramatic horror in my face, he really did a very good job. Emma Mae was very scared as well, she just hides it better than me. Jonathon drove around in the mud and never once got stuck. Now Jackson thinks he should be able to drive the golf cart, too. I think Josh lets him when I am not around. Jonathon is so funny. He kept calling it a go cart. I said it is not a go cart it is a golf cart. Then he started calling it a goat cart. When Josh heard him call it that he said, (and I quote) "It is not a goat cart, a goat cart is something you drive goats around in. It is a golf cart." I said, " I don't know if I've ever really seen a cart that you are supposed to drive goats around in." Life sure is fun with these guys.
In our family a lot of tradition is in your name. I read in one of those silly name books once that you should name your child after someone who you have known or someone in your family so that the child will have a real person to live up to. I thought that was great so all of my kids have carried on family names in one way or another. I love telling people how I came up with all of their names, so since it's my blog and I get to say what I want, I will share that now. Jonathon Ebban got his name from his father Josh Ebban. I did not want to have a junior because I could just imagine the guys at the huntin' club calling him Junior or Lil' Josh. ( they do anyway, so why did I bother) Also, I believe that Ebban came from further back in the family, I'm just not sure where. Jackson Burke came from my father, Billy Burke Ryan Jr. and his father Billy Burke Ryan Sr. both pictured on the right. My grandpa has passed away now, but I am proud that Jackson has that little part of grandpa to carry with him. Madigan Lynn got her first name from a book, "The Pilot's Wife" by Anita Shreve. Lynn comes from her mom, (me, Amanda Lynn) and my mom Connie Lynn( who apparently runs from the camera at every family function since I cannot find a picture of her in all my folders. Mental note: make sure and get some pics of Grandma Connie). Then there is Emma Mae. My great-grandmother on my mom's side was Eula Mae and one of Josh's great-grandmothers was Nola Mae. We obviously could not go with either of the first names, nor a combination of the two (Eunola), so we picked the most popular name of 2007, Emma. I thought I might also do some shout-outs to cousins with family names. My sister Melissa has two kids. They are Cooper Lawton who gets his name from his dad Russell Lawton and Bailey Anne who gets her name from her mom and our grandma on my mom's side. Then there are Courtney's kids. I believe Ethan's middle name is Christopher which comes from his dad and Mckenzie's middle name is Elizabeth which comes from her mom. Echo you just have too many kids for me to even try, but I did notice that Noah James' middle name is your dad's name and Chris' dad's middle name. If I got any of the names spelled wrong, I apologize and feel free to comment at will. Was this whole post just too confusing for words, or what?
I hope that everyone is having as much fun for Valentine's Day as we have all had. We had two very fun Valentine parties yesterday, which I volunteered to make cookies for. I wish I were the sort of mom who made the cookies with the kids and let them get icing all over the place and sprinkles on the floor, however I am not. I made the cookies by myself and no one was allowed in the kitchen while I worked on them. I have to accept that this is me and that's ok. They were allowed to come in and put the sprinkles on after I iced them. But they soon got annoyed with that since there was only one small bag of sprinkles (left over from a kit I got at Christmas, but at least they were red) and I was standing over them to make sure all of the sprinkles got on cookies and not on the pan. Ok, I realize I have a problem and that is the first step in fixing it, right? So, now there are still sprinkles from cookies all over my kitchen floor and it is only getting worse with all of the treats they have brought home from school. If you look at all those faces you know that pink and red sprinkles all over the bottom of everyone's feet is totally worth it. I asked Madi who her Valentine is and she said, "Ms. Debbie" who is her teacher. Emma Mae said she wanted me to be her Valentine. (she didn't really because she still isn't talking, but it was written all over her face) Jonathon is still keeping his secret that he announced the other day, but I got him some special candy to take to whomever... Jackson said that his friend Adam is his Valentine. As for me, I'm getting ready for a fabulous candlelit dinner on the bearskin rug in front of the fireplace...I'll let you know how that turns out.
I ask all the kids to get their shoes on because we have to run to the store. I'm waiting in the car and Madi is the last one out of the house. When I see her I immediately start laughing and run inside to get my camera. When I get back out she is mad and doesn't understand why I want to take her picture. At which point she tells me, " I won't say cheese", explaining the look in the picture.
So Jonathon's world was shaken the other day when he learned the truth about Grandma Pat. We were talking about Grandma Pat and Grandma Connie and I said, "Did you know that Grandma Pat's real name is not Pat, but Verla?" He could not believe it. He sat there trying to put it all together. Then he had to call her and ask her if that was true. She was almost as mad about me telling him that as I am sure she will be about this post. So now when she calls the house to talk to him, she tells him it is grandma Verla. I don't know if she will ever get over my betrayal.
Fun was definately had by all at Emma Mae's birthday party. Thank you, to everyone who attended and made it such a great time. Also, thank you to everyone who voted in my poll, the savings bond won with a whopping 66% of the total 6 votes. I will be getting out to purchase one this week. She was really happy with her cake and I am happy to say that she did not get sick at all after eating all of that cake. Overall, everyone had lots of fun. The next birthday in our family is Jonathon's and we are all going to Disneyworld. Kind of expensive but no cleanup...
Welcome to our farm! I wanted a spot to let anyone who was interested know what sort of fresh farm items we have available to the public. We always have eggs. The produce is obviously seasonal and I will update posts to let you know what we currently have. Anyone with any interest in beef can email me and I will put you in touch with the 'man'. Otherwise, if there is something you need or want feel free to comment or use the email attached to the site.
First born, mathematical genius, egg and cheese biscuit lover, video game addict, future Michael Phelps, sweet, all around good kid. Doesn't like the lap time anymore, though.
Jackson
Youngest boy, loves to do anything that his brother is doing, in turn drives older boy crazy, tenderhearted, loves to climb, has had most injuries of all of my kids, pretty stinkin cute.
Madigan
First born girl, gets away with murder, little bit bossy, beautiful, loves to talk to herself and her baby dolls, just as rough as Jackson, very close to Jackson since they are only 11 months apart. Also, she's hot and you're not.
Emma Mae
Last born, will be the last baby of the family making her most spoiled, she feels that there has been some sort of mistake and she was placed in a tiny body that does not fit all of the ideas in her head, aspires to pooing in the potty.
Shirt and Shoes Not Required but Comments Are!
If at any time you cannot handle any more of what I am saying because you disagree and think I may be the dumbest person on Earth, immediately stop reading and go straight to the comments section. At the bottom of my posts there is a little spot that says #comments. If you click on that it will take you to the comments window where everyone else has probably already disagreed as well. Type up your opinion in the little box. Then, if you do not have your own blog, click the anonymous choice. I have changed my settings so if you have tried this before and it did not work, it should work now. Just leave your name in the part where you put your opinion if you want me to know who you are. I love comments, they are my friend.
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