Homemade Chocolate Pudding

We had homemade chocolate pudding today while watching family movies.

And the pudding reminded me of my own childhood. My brother Shane would make homemade vanilla pudding, what seemed to me like all the time. I didn't seem to like it then. Tonight it was yummmmmy.

 I think moving here has definitely brought us closer as a family. Of course I was brought to tears of laughter and longing for the past. You know in these movies I don't seem crazy or on the edge of a meltdown. I seem to be delighting in the wonder of my children. There voices alone break my heart with tenderness. And you know they are friends in the movies too. Genuinely having a wonderful time discovering life together.
It made for a nice moment tonight.

adventures in manure

We have planted winter grass. You kill your prickly, heat resistant summer grass, and plant luscious, green, "winter" grass on top. We added one little bag of manure on top. It covered about a 3 by 4 foot area. But it was enough smelly stuff to send Levi to doggy heaven. He rolled in it twice today. Sigh.

best place to "be still" with boys

Let me rephrase
The best place I have found to "be still" with these 3 Stanley boys is not practical and not very appicable to anyone else but I am grateful for the moments I've had lately.

When we first considered this opportunity to live in Arizona, one of the items on the "pro" list was proximity to the ocean.  We have taken the boys to the Pacific ocean, from Utah, on many occasions and I have very fond memoires.  It didn't matter what the weather, the boys were immediately one with nature as ocean met shore, each and every visit.

The ocean is a mere 51/2 hours from us if we stay in the US. and 4 hours if we brave it to Mexico.  After living here a year, we have now visited that vast wonder, the Ocean, 2 times in 1 month.  And I am better for it!

I can't tell you the last time I spent time just being still and watching my boys live.  Watched, and relished.  I've watched soccer games and basketball games but those are as heart wrenching as they are enjoyable.  I've watched piano practices and overseen chores and homework, and the enjoyment is a bit tainted (I will refrain from describing it).   I've watched interactions with the brothers and as this entire blog attests, the joyful moments are always balanced with boys being, well,  boys.  I've even take the time with them to you-tube videos, read a facebook post, listen to a new song on the radio, or even watch a trampoline trick, but these are brief.  I know that these little moments are valuable and I am working to cherish them but for a guarenteed happy time with children, for endless hours, . . . go to the beach!

A gorgeous 80 degrees, warm sand, freezing water I have no intention of getting in, so I sit and watch.  I didn't get any reading done, and only took a brief nap, and the rest of the time I just watched.  Watched the boys be boys and loved it.   Loved their bravery body surfing, and acutally surfing, those arctic waves.  Loved the comedy of Peter beckoning the crashing waves to try and get the best of him.  Loved watching their dad brave the frigid water for time well spent with his boys.  Loved walking along the beach, looking for seashells, watching them throw a frisbee.  Loved sitting next to them on the towels, feeding them snacks, and just being still for a few moments too. 

We spent a day in San Diego when our camping trip had to be cancelled due to rain in the Arizona mountains, and then another day during our quick fall break trip,  at Newport Beach.  We can't wait to go back again.

Even when camping,  I have never had as much time to be with the boys and not be bugged.  It seems so natural to be on the beach.

Other highlights from these trips:
1. Watching James surf.  He taught himself and did pretty good.  Seth is the killer body surfer because when you are that light, you go forever.  Peter does battle with the waves and even other beach goers enjoy the show.
2. FOOD! -have to mention this!
*Amazing mexican, hole in the wall, food on our trip to San Diego.  I doubt we could even find this place again, but wow it hit the spot!
*Newport was a tie between the Mongolian Stir-Fry, (the boys first try) and Philly Cheesesteak Place in L.A.
*Balboa Bars and Frozen Bananas on Balboa Island in Newport, were pretty amazing as well.
3. Staying in a 3 1/2 star hotel.  I got a killer deal on hotwire.com and usually to save money I will go a little cheap on the "star" rating.  The boys thought we had hit the jackpot, since everything was clean, and nice ammenities.  It was so funny to watch them ooh and aaah over this Best Western.  Ha, ha.  Easy to please them.  I have also vowed never to stay below 3 stars again.  The pool was even clean and nice and a tiny bit bigger than our pool in Arizona.  Since mom never swims it was truly a delight and novelty.
4. The Space Shuttle Endeavor - we got to see the space shuttle at the California Science Center on USC's campus.  It was overswhelming to experience this.  It's hard to put in words but worth a trip and very economical.
5. Knottsberry Farm - it is fun to watch your boys on thrill rides.  They were so brave and we literally had the park to ourselves.  It was the first week of October, on a Tuesday, and we never had to wait to get on a ride.  It was also cheaper than Lagoon!
6. Watching Star Trek the Next Generation, Duck Dynasty and Tanked on the cable TV in our room.  Its just funny to watch the silly shows the boys get a kick out of.  And it was there first time seeing "next generation"  They loved it!
7. Sort of helping to get a fish hook out of a ray.


The not so fun parts -
1. Our vehicle can hold 8 passengers.  The drive was 5 1/2 hours.  It is still AGONY to be stuck in a car with all 5 of us.  We have to get pretty grumpy to keep the tease/fighting from starting.
2. Sand Burns
3. Not realizing how far it was to walk to the end of Newport Beach and then to the end of Balboa Island.  And then not be able to find a restaraunt FOREVER while starving.  Then having to walk back.  But we were troopers.
4. Leaving L. A. at 4:00 in the afternoon and being stuck in rush hour traffic for 2 HOURS!!!
5. On our first trip to San Diego, we all got so sunburned we had to stay on painkillers.  2nd degree burns for sure.  We were smarter the 2nd time.
6. Finding out that the reeking smell in Seth's room was the once living mussle he brought back from the beach.
7. Dave and I discovering that we are through with rides at amusement parks.  Being the "cool" parents, we went on everything the boys wanted us too.  After a little motion sickness, I was less cool and more cautious. 

Summer, in a nutshell

Hardly!  We have packed this summer full we could definitely NOT fit it all in a nutshell:

So here are our recommendations for "must-do's" in a summer:

Mom's  #1 - why haven't I ever realized this before - Run 'em ragged!
     We got out of school in May and took the first week to hang out and just play and then we hit a month of non-stop going from classes, to sports, to scout camp.  It was magic.  It kept us happy to have each others company when we were together and kept these guys from being bored and looking for meaningless ways to fill their time.

Boys #1 - have a pool if you live in Arizona
      We feel so thankful to have been able to have a pool in our yard.  Since its been triple digits since May, it is a welcome relief for the heat and boy energy, and we LOVE to share.  We have convinced a few neighbors to use the pool as their own.  Even my favorite time of day is when I have a pool full of teenage boys or neighbors.

Here are the rest. Some work in AZ, some only in Utah, some in Both.
Try them all !!!!

1. See as much of family and friends as you can.

2. Have some family come and see you!!!!!!!
Two of my sisters, Amy and Rebecca, and families, came in June.  It was like the celestial kingdom, minus the crabby kids, who weren't crabby all the time.

Mesa AZ temple

Dave's sister Jenny and family right now.  August.  Another taste of Heaven.  The only sad part is not getting enough time together.  I wonder how many hours straight we could talk? 
Thank you all so much for coming to see us. 

3. Visit with your parents and grandparents.  Just talk and listen. 

4. Priesthood Encampment - AZ:
but I'm sure they have great scout camps everywhere.
Dave was involved with the planning and carrying out of this Stake event.  Besides merit badge opportunities, the boys went to spiritual classes everyday.  It was a tremendous event.

5. Go to a Temple Wedding or Two - UT:
Although it made me feel old to see my nephew who I met as a 2-year-old, get married, it was also sweet and spiritual.

6. Albion Basin, past Snowbird, Utah:

Albion Basin

If you don't know why, then you need to go.  Just drive to it, or get out and hike to Cecret Lake. 

7. Bahama Bucks - AZ:
This is a taste of Hawaii come state-side.  And I have had real Hawaiian Shave Ice.
Seriously you should visit us just to try this.  It is genuine shave ice, served over ice-cream and topped
with "tropic creme" .

8.  Lagoon -UT:
It's hot, it's classic fun, and the Wicked still is "wicked awesome" .  "Bouncing back" about did us
in, but its a don't miss on our list.

The actual car the kids were in 

9.  4th of July Breakfast: AZ for us this year

This year was a spontaneous one where you invite 3 families the night before.  Complete with patriotic songs and a devotional.  We missed fireworks this year and deeply regret it!






10. Give away a Book of Mormon- AZ:  Dave gave away one in Swahili

11. Sleep over at the 24th of July parade - UT:
Do it once.  The boys say they will do it again, but we aren't sure if we would be willing to.  It is an all night party and exhausting but you get a great spot.  We have been going to this parade since the boys were babies.  Favorite entry, - the highway patrol on their motorcycles, complete with fake mustaches, and of course a member of the 1st presidency.  This year president Uchdorf.


12. Hill Air-force Base Museum -UT - boys can't get enough. 

13.  Watch Chick Flicks- any where:
Do this non-stop for 3 days for your sister-in-laws 40th birthday. Or at your own house (which was miraculously clean enough) , spontaneously, with a couple of friends in AZ to prevent a mommy breakdown. 

14. Neilsens Frozen Custard- UT and AZ.:  Oh man, yum. 

15. Summer Flicks - any where:
Don't miss "42",  "Man of Steel", "Pacific Rim", and "Star Trek" (but cover your eyes for a few seconds),  and Dave highly recommends "World War Z" but yes, its Zombies, but sophisticated Zombies.  Oh and Despicable Me II and Monsters University, of course.  We are not to old for those. 

16. Shop at Savers - any where:
80% of our clothing comes from consignment shops.  Back to school didn't break the bank.  Its taken me years to admit this secret side of me but not only does is save TONS of money, but it is an addicting little hobby of mine.  The hunt, the thrill of the catch, the bargain.   

17. Grill stuff - anywhere:
Hands down my families' favorite dinner; Hamburgers.  Why is this?

18.  Audio Books - anywhere:
I cannot travel without these.  Or do house work.  I'm happy to recommend.

19. Staying on a decent schedule -  anywhere:
I know not everyone will subscribe to this philosophy but this is the first summer we didn't kill ourselves off with extreme late nights.  We had some great late nights, but not too many.  I hope we try this approach again

20. QT (our 7-11 and much classier), ping-pong, early morning dog walks, after-dark dog walks, STARWARS-a-thon (took 3 days ), passing Summer School (after one certain boy didn't pass Biology during regular school, oops), "So You Think You Can Dance", $2 movie theaters, finding very few crickets IN our house, seeing our first scorpion (not in our house), acclimating better to the heat, good watermelon, and many more . . .

Lest you think our life is all roses the thorns would be:
*Eating like your on vacation, all summer vacation,
*Not being sure Mom can ever travel again with teenage boys without Dad
*As mentioned above, having to make up failed highschool credits
*Being short when you really, really, really, want to play basketball
*Helping kids overcome temptations
*Having to prove yourself to your new boss
*Having your teenage boys basically ignore your birthday
*Doing yard work when the weather is always hotter than 90 degrees
*More moments of teenagers losing their minds and parents losing their patience, than we can count
*Black Widows abundant in our yard

Underneath that rough exterior . . .

Underneath that rough exterior, of a full-on, hormonal and insane teenage alien, lies my sweet son.

He held my hand today.
At the MALL!!!!
My sweet Seth, who can make more angry than I knew a person could,
Spontaneously grabbed my hand.
And held it most of our shopping trip.

And this wasn't the first time.
He grabbed my hand when were were at Lagoon in July
I was so thrilled then I sneakily had someone take a picture as he held it.  
Then he held it last week while we were shopping.
And again today.
Sigh . . . . . . . .
I love that little, soon to big very big, boy.
And I guess he still loves me too.

(ps. I just threatened he couldn't go to soccer practice if he didn't get his piano done, NOW! so we are back to normal, but I'm so glad I took the time to relive that precious moment today.)

On a serious side - Mother's Day

My boys just can't do it.  They can't be very thoughtful.  They love me, but the are, boys.  They can't stop fighting or teasing in honor of mothers day.  They can't apparently listen in Sacrament Meeting.  There dutiful letters made in Young Mens were more like year book messages "You're the Best" etc.
But I know they love me!  They are learning slowly from there dad, how to adore their mother and we all really do think each other are "the best".  James wont go to sleep without one or two kisses good night.  Seth constantly compliments my looks, telling how pretty or fit I am, ha ha.  And Peter is my protector, sometimes overly fierce but loyal all the same.  

For all daughters of the same Heavenly Father and for the birth-mothers of my children:
Many, many, years ago, which I can say now, because I lived for more than 40!, I was having a typically busy December.   But each year it doesn't feel typical.  Each year in itself feels too busy and I always feel sad that I allow myself to get caught up in the business and don't cherish the season more.
I also typically struggle to keep those scriptures studied every day.  And I always regret that, and notice the lack in my life.
So I remember this December years ago, committing to NOT miss my scripture study even with the busyness of the year.  I so wanted to feel the spirit that comes when we focus on the Savior so I recommitted to my daily habit.
One particularly exhausting evening, with a house full of babies and endless work, I was thinking I was just to tired to read one night.  Sleep was going to be my inspiration.  It was just one night.  How much would I get out of one moment of reading and what would I really miss.  But I do believe obedience itself brings blessings, so I sat down in the living room, accross from the Christmas tree and opened the bible.  Regretfully I can't remember now why I was reading in the Psalms.  I often like to read prophecies or other topics related to the Savior during December so I must have been doing so that year as well.
The short 9 verses for the night were from Psalm 113.
And oh what a blessing I received that year for my brief moment of obedience.
Verse nine poured over my weary soul like sunlight through the warmest window.  I felt the love of my Father and had one of the most reverent reminders of the gifts I've been given on this earth:
It reads

"He" did just that.  Through our Savior Jesus Christ the pain of our infertility was made endurable.  Through the light of Christ and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, three of his most selfless daughters brought these spirits to earth and gave them to us to raise.  Through the restoration of His gospel, they are now sealed to us for all eternity.
And it can be joyful.  When I remember.
Lately I have heard adoption stories from several families in our neighborhood.  All with children younger than mine.  It brought back vividly our own story, that started over 20 years ago.  I get so caught up in the drama and trauma of trying to raise these crazy teenagers that I had forgotten how precious their beginnings were.

And I was thankful for the nostalgia that is more than emotion but a remembrance of prayers answered and sacrifices made.  I realized I needed to stop and remember, be grateful, and say again Thank You to our beautiful Ange, Ira, and Mandy.  Without them I would not have the purpose in my life I dreamt of as long as I can remember.  Happy Mother's Day to the women who made it possible for me to be a mother.

And I believe that no matter what your sorrow, whether a barren woman, heartbroken, single, sick, or weary, He can make from you and for you, something to be joyful about.
Praise Ye the Lord.

on a lighter note: Mothers Day

True love is when the man who adores you waits in line for 20 minutes and buys you a delicious box of chocolates and a tenderly sweet card. 

The endearingly funny part is that the box of my "favorite" chocolates had mostly ones I've never tried and the card featured a lovely African American couple.
I have to say, and I know that I am extremely lucky to have this be true, but my husband truly showers me with praise and adoration on a daily basis and on Mother's Day, he would do anything in his power for me.
I know not all wives get quite this devoted of a hubby but just think of it this way, I am so hard to live with Heavenly Father knew I had to have a next to perfect husband in order to survive. :)

Dave does not however have the power however to bring my boys into total conformity for Mothers Day. 
My boys just can't do it.  They can't be very thoughtful.  They love me, but the are, boys.  They can't stop fighting or teasing in honor of mothers day.  They can't apparently listen in Sacrament Meeting.  Their dutiful letters made in Young Mens were more like year-book messages, ie: "You're the Best" etc.
But I know they love me!  They are learning slowly from there dad, how to adore their mother and we all really do think each other are "the best".  James wont go to sleep without one or two kisses good night.  Seth constantly compliments my looks, telling how pretty or fit I am, ha ha.  And Peter is my protector, sometimes overly fierce, but loyal all the same.

Later tonight I will hide out of ear shot and let them conform to job of chef while they learn to serve by serving me dinner.  I will have to report back the results.

One Big Pile

 OF ROCKS -
One week we don't have a yard and then in one day the landscape company we hired rolls and by evening we have a yard.  We are excited, grateful and in awe.  We didn't do any of it, except . . . . .
for all of the rocks in the backyard.  And its a lot of them.

We wanted our boys to have to work.  Work grows good boys.  I, I know it sounds crazy, but I was against having a landscaper come in because I wanted to boys to work hard, and see the fruits of their labors. Dave was a little more "this is so great to live in Arizona where our yard is tiny,  takes very little maintenance and is mostly covered in rocks" minded.  Since he would be the one doing all the work, he won.  But we both agreed.  Boys and Dads will shovel rocks.

And man was it one big pile.
This picture is only half of the pile.  We had a tractor to at least get the rocks into the wheelbarrows part of the way but it took all day.  From 6 am. until 8 pm.  Our boys stepped up.  They were steady workers most of the day!  We were very grateful when the missionaries came at the end and helped lift stir our spirits and propel us for the last hour or so.

We now have a lawn small enough we are thinking of selling the power mower and buying a manual powered one!




Most of you have not yet been to see our desert oasis.  Come on down.  See how pretty the rocks grow :)

 

Seth driving the tractor - video!

Boys to Men, Volume 5 - the way to a adolescent boys heart is through his stomach

The way to keep the mom from detesting the adolescent boys is to keep them distracted.

And so I took them to a pizza joint
They got to eat and have fun enough to only tease or bother each other a very little.
I could actually enjoy being with them!

Dave was out of town this week on a business trip.  The hardest part about that these days, is driving the boys to and from there sports and scouts.  Thursday night I was on the road from 5:30 until 9:00 pm.  Back and forth.  Thankfully I had an audio book on my ipod to ease the pain.  I put tape over the gas gauge.  Okay not really.  It would help ease the pain though and since I never look at the gas gauge as a signal to fill the tank, it wouldn't make much of a difference in that regard.

So Friday night, we all went to watch James' basketball game.  We were far from home and I so wanted to have a fun evening with my boys, that didn't include the status quo watching of a movie.  Lame.  So, instead we took our first trip to Organ Stop pizza.  Had I asked the boys if they wanted to go as a family to eat pizza and watch an old man play an celaborate organ, I'm fairly cerain I know what their response would be.  So instead I just pulled in, warned them not to complain, and experienced it together.

It was a BLAST!!!!  Okay at first Peter and Seth were a bit out of control but when the threats finally sunk in by the 3rd or 4th one, they settled down and we had a good time together.

The pizza was actually good and the organ was amazing.  It was rigged to gimmicks covering the front of the large open room, and up to the ceiling.  Its really too hard to explain.  But the Organ version of "We are the Champions, Starts and Stripes for Ever, and Disney medley, and more, are true entertainment.  It took about an hour from start to finish to order, eat, enjoy, and leave before anything went wrong.
The boys even talked about it later.

I am always grateful for the glimpses I get of my boys getting along as a group.  They are rare.  I will cherish this one for some time.

According to Peter:

Life according to Peter is always colorful, very one sided and quite charming and/or comical if you learn to understand Peter "speak".  He just has such a Peter way of looking at the world.  I don't know if I can properly portray the funny "out-there-ishness" of this incident but I have to try.

The scene:
Saturday morning.  A very busy day.  I have a spin/cycle class to teach, then rush to Seth's soccer game while Dave and the other two boys start a long day of hauling gravel enough to cover the entire perimeter and sideyards of the back of our house.

Well into the heat of things (workwise, not temperature wise) I get a text, out of the blue.  11:07 a.m. to be exact.  I receive it during Seth's game.
"Can you get me a Miami Heat tie and shirt please"
To which I respond, "I don't know." which I really meant:  "What the heck is he asking me that for right now, and no way Jose." 
Then I ask:
"How do you have time to text me when you are working" because he is supposed to be hauling load after load of gravel to the back yard"
His response:
"There are ways"
Explanation: The NBA playoffs are starting and Peter wants to show his allegiance to what he deems "America's Team", aka: the Miami Heat.  A tie would allow him to display his affections at church while the shirt would allow it everywhere else.  I do have this uncanny knack of finding him team shirts at consignment/ second hand stores.  No Miami yet though.  
Why he was thinking about it in the early stages of the yard project I don't know.   

And he does.  He really does have ways.
I have to say I really enjoy being able to text Peter.  We have only dared let Peter have a cell phone since his 15 birthday and even then, without internet, he has found ways to overuse/abuse it.  But overall he is a good boy and I like sending and receivng fun little Peterisms.

Here are a couple more:
April 5, 2:55 pm
Peter: "3 minutes til I get home.  Can you type the password into the computer please"
meaning: Peter doesn't want to miss one second of playing on the computer when he gets home.  The boys can't access to the computers at home without us there.

April 11, 11:18 am.
Peter: "Check me out"
Me: Peter why do you want me to check you out?
Peter: "IDK" (I don't know)
Me: "Are you okay?"
Peter: "Ya"

April 15 - 1:04 pm.
Peter: "Is it windy outside?"
Me: "Yes"
Meaning - Peter is hoping it is so windy that football practice gets cancelled.  He has been very diligent but gets tired of going sometimes.  It was cancelled once for a furious wind blowing in a big storm.  This hasn't happened since.  

April 17 - 3:54 pm.
From Peter's bedroom
Peter: "Can you please get me some trail mix"
Me:"Sure"
Peter: "Thank you"
It was just so cute.  I think he might have even been doing some homework, which is rare.  He texted so politely I delivered.  

one foot in front of the other

Sometimes I don't like publishing a blog because I censor myself (not my language, I'm not a cuss-er, but .  censor my thoughts and reactions.)

This post's for me.  For the one day, when all the boys are grown, doing well, having their own family challenges, and I will realize it did all turn out.  I had to force out the other post I made tonight.  I really had to dig deep to think of anything light-hearted thing to write.  And I sure couldn't think of one inspirational thing to write, which is all the more discouraging considering we just listened to general conference today.
We don't even have any conference worthy challenging stories to share.
I just feel BLAH.  Discouraged, and worn.
I know I will feel better soon, but today was more dominated by teasing, fighting, meltdowns from procrastinated homework, tantrums (yes from teens) over grounded electronics, depressing looks in the mirror, to name a few of the negatives. 
Sometimes you just can't have perspective in the moment. 
I know the moment will pass, but it can sure be lame.

I really want to list all the blessings of the last two-weeks, and they are many, many, many, but my heart isn't in them.  
That is not true.
It's my mind wallowing in the discouragment.
My heart is in the blessings, and still touched by the spirit felt from listening to God's prophets.
I look forward to posting again, with a refreshed perspective.
Good Night

Boys to Men Volume 4 - a democracy

I LOVE being the Boss.  I suppose anyone that knows me even a little has easily sensed my type A/Red personality.  Sigh.
Well being the boss at Stanley and Sons headquarters isn't always glamorous, well paying, or even highly respected.  If only the subordinates were more easily bent to my will. 
But now. . . in one way, I have bent to the will of the people.  The teenage boy people.
T H E  - - - S I L V E R W A R E - - - D R A W E R
Let me 'splain   . . .
When moving to Arizona, we started over, with almost everything.  Furniture, bedding, decor, pots and pans, the list goes on.  One item, way down on the list, was the silverware drawer organizers.  They get old, dingy looking, and scuffed, and I couldn't bear to put the old, used one, in my brand, spankin' new kitchen drawers.
So initially, before I had time to get a place for everything so that it could go in its newly designated place, the silverware/flatware/eating utensils (pick your title) all got dumped in one big roomy drawer.
And the dish-doers liked it.  They REALLY liked it.  Just dump and your done.
So as the weeks progressed, and the drawer organizer was still low on the list, the boys came to a decision.
They felt, as the most frequent doers of the dishes, that they would like to boycott the organizer permanently.
Well I ask you, fellow homemakers who may ever read this, or not, would you cave to such demands.
I decided rather quickly, why not?
It isn't that hard to find the individual forks, spoons, or knives we needed for our own or shared meals, so what is the big deal?
And so it remains, as long as I can stand it.  

We had lots of company the last couple of weeks, and got several surprised and perplexed comments, the best one being "It's like a church kitchen",  but it is working for us.  And it isn't very often a suggestion of the pubescent is actually realistically applied to any situation so it is a win for them.  

By the way - the rogue measuring spoons do NOT go in this drawer.  Forks, spoons, and knives only.  We even had a family night game to practice putting all the dishes in the right drawers and cupboards.  Grrrrrrr.
At least they are doing the dishes, most of the time. :)

little drummer boy

I have mentioned before, my little drummer, Seth.

Well I just find it extremely funny that while practicing his drum, he keeps asking me to guess what song he is playing.
Well . . .um. . . it's really hard to guess.
But he seems to think it should be obvious.

So I keep guessing and getting it very wrong.
Apparently he has played the beat to Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Harry Potter, and even Happy Birthday but I have been clueless on them all.  Just sounds like, boom boom boom to me :)

Just let them sleep in a snow cave

Because they will survive in a snow cave.
And be proud to tell about it.

We do have winter in Arizona.  I love it.  Cool evenings and 70's in the day time.  But a month ago it was COLD!  And if you drive up into the mountains its even colder.
So the Deacons, well the non-wussy ones, went on a "winter-camp" in the Arizona mountains, a month ago.
The mountains were covered in snow and it rained most of the18 hours they were there.
But Seth slept in a snow-cave, swore he was toasty warm, and lived!  He is still very much alive, and as fighting with me about piano, as ever.

I have a over-nurturing condition.  So knowing my boys are suffering or perceiving my boys are suffering, tends to cause me pain.  When my neighbor picked them up for the camp-out, she wondered how her sons' equipment fit in one backpack and my boys had a large garbage bag and rubbermaide tote each.  I wondered myself.  Her poor, unwaterproofed, son.
My strategy for living through the thought of them living through the campout?
Left town.  Flew home to Utah for a late Anniversary celebration.

Like I said both of my boys were happy and warm when I returned.

An now a quick update of blessings and realities.:

• James is playing on a comp basketball team and loving it
• Peter just started little league football here
• Seth is enjoying flag football and soon soccer
• notice 2 of these sports are outdoors because you can play sports outside in January in ARIZONA
• Dave was able to go to the most recent Deacons camp.  weather was gorgeous!  Hiking and biking was awesome he says
• Peter found a friend who likes pokemon and legos, maybe as much as he does
• this friend even influenced peter to purchase 2 songs from 'the piano guys".  The rest of Peter's ipod is full of top 40 teenage, excuse my language, "crap", and some classic, though still a little hard, "rock" music.  So we are welcoming this addition of some instrumental music. 
• while Peter was with said friend, and the other 3 were at a campout, I watched the Emma Thompson/Hugh Grant version of Sense and Sensibility at a girlfriends house.  Since we talked through the whole thing I will just have to watch it again. 
• And. . . . I found out I had somehow missed the BBC version of Sense and Sensibility.  I happily rectified that Saturday.
• Seth successfully completed his 6th grade castle, it took 8-10 hours total time
• the home owners association approved our in-ground basketball standard (already purchased and partially installed before receiving a letter that they had to approve it.)
• Dave is now acting in his bosses position.  His boss is leaving to work in SLC at Kennecott, so Dave is the "acting" whatever his boss was.  What a blessing for our job security as his project was cut by 75% of its funding. 
• I finally joined a gym closer to home
• My little sister was Broadway quality fantastic in BYU's elaborate and professional production of The Phantom of the Opera.  Dave and I flew in for one night to see it and it was worth it, beyond description!!!!!!
• I am finally making a difference for about 1/2 hour a day at my job
• A kindergartener asked my the other day if I had "tie-dyed" my hair.  My hair did look different that day, so I'm assuming he was wondering if I had "dyed" my hair.  It was endearing. 
• fondue dessert on Valentines day
• fondue for dinner tonight
• No School on Presidents Day!
• having some scripture reading moments where the boys are ALL focused and seem to be getting something out of it

Reality Check:

• James is really being challenged on this basketball team.  Its hard on us all for him not to be the star.  He is learning lots of good things though. 
• Peter was so sore from his first practice he could hardly move.  I am not exaggerating. 
•  Seth scored 2 touchdowns his last flag football game (did I mention these games are played outside? he, he. )  Well just after that, he went aggressively doing whatever you do in flag football and slit his knee open on some metal grating near a drain on the side of the field.  5 stitches and 4 Saturday hours (which are the hardest hours of the week to give up) later, he is just fine and has a great war story to add to a growing list. 
• after Peter plays the "piano-guy" version of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars theme all day and then all day the next day, and then on and on to infinity, you start to go mad.
• Seth building a medieval castle out of foam, and turf, and paint and hot glue makes a mess that we are still finding little remnants of, 5 days later.
• I tried a spin class (that's indoor cycling) at this new and, so close to home, gym.  It was a torture sessions.  Not a workout torture.  I like to work hard.  I like to sweat.  It was a mental form of torture.  Seriously what has happened to the world where spin instructors are now clueless as to how to instruct a class!
• I have a lot of gray hair so I have to die it a LOT
• my boys took for granted my gestures to make Valentines day sweet for them.  I made heart shaped pancakes and pink smoothies for breakfast, and "heart-attacked" the sliding glass kitchen door with love notes and candy, and only one of them gave a sincere thank you.  I think they are too spoiled.
• had to drain our pool and have the surface redone.  We have never used the pool.  Crossing our fingers we didn't hire a faulty contractor
• having nights where contention leaves one or more boys skipping scripture study
• these are all light-hearted sorrow, but trust me, we have the deeper ones too.  Stay Praying and Carry On.

Boys to Men volume 3 - a LOT of Cereal!

Peter can eat a lot of cereal.
1 big box of cereal - 2 days.  Just him.
The other 2 are cereal monsters too, but Peter is incredible.
Comically, he will eat ANY kind of cereal.
The funniest is when he finishes a half a box of grape-nuts in a sitting, okay maybe a third of a box.  Those little babies really pack a punch.  Needless to say, fiber is not lacking in that boys diet.
I don't buy as much cereal as I used to, because at the rate described above, it would take about 10 boxes a week for 3 boys.  That's about $30 bucks just in cereal. 
What do I feed them?
Still working on that.

I have to share a Ramen story quickly.  You know, Top Ramen.  A sort of food substance, with an Asian twist.  Really its fried white flour with lots of MSG for flavoring.  It does provide calories, and calories keep the human body alive, but it provides no nutrition as far as I can tell.
Well James was in scouts a few years back now.  I'm going to say 10 year old cub scouts.  I came to pick him up from our diligent, sweet leader, Liz Jensen's house.  Out he runs with a plate full of treasure.  I'm not sure what the occasion for scouts was.  Maybe a "learn about other countries" lesson, or maybe knot tying, but whatever the instructional theme, the "treat" provided that day at scouts was to James a delicacy beyond his wildest imagination.  When he got to the car, his leader, Liz, was following.  He then enthusiastically described to me this scrumptious creation of special noodles his leaders has introduced him to that afternoon.
If you can't tell where I am going with this, James had just had his first taste of Ramen noodles.  And he was smitten.
His leader came to the car to, to see how it was possible that this was James' first experience with Rames, a staple of every American household.
Simply, I had never allowed my kids to eat such nutrition-less junk.
James somehow tweaked the situation so that he brought home all the left-over Ramen,  and he has never looked back.
I have joined the ranks of Ramen-purchasing-mothers-of-growing-children who sometimes need cheap junk-food to fill the gap in their tummies or in their perception of hunger.
I mean 24 packs for, what, like $4.  Even I can't resist now.
Happily our last supply is gone for now.
The boys are stuck with healthier stuff
Ya, like $3.50 a box, cereal :)

Boys to Men Volume 2 - Tweezing Doesn't

 

No, I didn't say teasing doesn't work.  Here at Stanley Central, teasing works perfectly.  Teasing here always results in a reaction.

I said, Tweezing doesn't work.
In step two, of "dealing with early facial hair", I assumed that where waxing doesn't work, tweezing will.  Those stray chin hairs, and extra bristly eyebrows, or the dreaded beginnings of uni-brows. 
"Screaming like a girl" was the result of my tweezing experiment.  Okay not quite.  But flinching, watery eyes, pulling away, running away, etc. was.
It was comical.
I have tweezed myself enough it doesn't even faze me now, but these boys couldn't take it.  I even chilled the skin a little first, but to no avail.  They won't let me anywhere near them with a tweezer now.  And I don't trust myself with wax on eyebrows.  So I guess they are just destined to let nature take its course. 
I promise I am not a sadist.  I just got a little carried away with some willing-to-give-it-a-shot teenagers.  Hopefully I haven't completely lost their trust when it comes to other, less extreme grooming suggestions, like, "I don't think you should go to school without combing your hair" or "if you do not put deodorant on, I will not let you leave the house". 
I just love them and want them to look decent.
XO guys.

boys to men volume 1 - waxing works

This is a first, in a serious of posts, in a survival series Dave and I are creating.  Surviving raising boys into men.  Not that we do much of the raising.  They grow and mature, and I lament the fact and then am forced to live through it and have so far survived.  So . . .

Tip/skill #1 - Waxing Works:
Yes waxing.
For any male readers who may not know, or postertity, who may wonder as well, it is a way of removing unwanted hair from the body.

The problem: my 2 oldest boys have started looking more like Poncho Villa, okay wait, I have no idea who Poncho Villa is, so lets say,, the 2 oldest, have started looking more like Pedro (Napoleon Dynamites best buddy) than themselves.  That dark hair on the upper lip has becomes hard to ignore.  But Peter's started coming in thick at least a year ago, and he was only 14, and James is right there with him now, at almost 14.  Shaving at 14?  Weird.  The Latino look isn't quite what the boys want to sport right now, but the prospect of shaving has us all leery.
MOM to the rescue.
Waxing Strips.
You don't even have to heat them up.  They come in a little kit at the drug-store (which is also a retro name in this day in age).
Not dummy proof, but not too hard to deal with, and we are keeping those budding mustaches at bay.
I don't know how long we will keep this up.  I am sure I will record, at least in writing, the first shave, when that comes about.

Opposites Attract

Breakfast:
Homemade, fresh, home- ground whole wheat flour, oat, flax, walnut, banana, blueberry, agave nectar muffins for breakfast.

Dessert:
Butter, more butter, Ghirhadelli 60% cocoa baking chocolate, semi-sweet baking chocolate, milk chocolate, eggs, and 4 teaspooons of flour.  Yes only four TEASPOONS.  Individual Molten Lava Chocolate Cakes.

Let's call this a balanced diet, shall we?

It made for a great day.  With some frustration, sadness, blah, worship, excellent family night, mixed in. 

A Shock

So we only went back to school two weeks ago.  Christmas already feels very far away.

The most famous line from all Christmas Carols has got to be
. . . "and Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again".
Let's put some exclamation points at the end of that line. !!!!!!!
Like the title of this blog - can't live with them, but wouldn't, couldn't live without them. Still sending them back to school puts a little much needed distance from them every day.

So a few days back into the routine of life: school, afterschool-hour-of-hang-out, homework, chores (theoretically), dinner, activities, had set back in, I had a shock.
I was home from my little job, puttering around for something meaningful to do until the boys came home, when it hit me!
I actually MISS my kids.
I did a double take on that thought.
This had never happened before.
Oh sure, after a week at scout camp maybe.
And I am always very happy to see them when they walk through the door after school.
But after they went back to school at the end of Christmas break?  That is 2 WEEKS.
I don't think missing kids equals loving kids.  Or even liking them.
I know it has to do with such a blissful break.  A couple of days celebrating in Arizona and then a whole week at home, Utah, with family and friends.  We weren't all forced on each other in the same house, no distractions, for 2 weeks straight. And I had Dave as a companion the entire 2 weeks.  Couldn't have been more ideal.

But before I  get writing some Pollyanna-ish version of our lives for posterity, let me give this moment a check and balance.  This very night Dave and I quietly snuck out of the house because we couldn't take the hurricane, as in boys chasing and trying to kill each other, any more.  We had a lovely walk to the park, looking at the night sky for about 20 minutes.  Dave kept assuring me that if anything truly dangerous happened they were bound to come outside screaming for someone to help with an emergency.
It worked.  When we came back in everything was mellowed.  Dave and I even used mellow tones as we insisted they clean up everything they had thrown at each other (toys, shoes, clothing, etc.  No food.  They have their limits).

But I wanted to remember that moment of remembering the joyous moments spent together this December.
I hope it happens again sometime, and before they are all gone for good.
Good luck me :)

"Baby I'ts Cold Outside"

Current Status:

Cold - for us desert-ians.  A freezing cold high of 47.  I was totally meant to live here.  I think the tears would freeze on my face if I was stuck in the cold that is Utah right now.

Spoke in Church yesterday.  Scary.
Our ward takes fills up the entire chapel and one of two gyms.  So its like speaking in Stake Conference.
But I survived.

Other highlights of late:

• Made about $120 from a a garage sale I had with a couple of neighbors.  I only had about a truck load worth of stuff, so I am thrilled with my little cash.
• James remembered to go to guitar lessons today
• Pomegranates.  The hard part is starting to eat them, the happy part is the long, drawn out, actual eating of them. 
• My Merry Christmas Blendtec.  Somehow my kids think having it means more shakes.  NO! I keep telling them when I see the empty shake glasses. 
• having Dave as a husband
• fleece jackets and blankets, pajamas, etc.
• Thai House
• Book Club
• "Chocolate Covered Cherries" flavor of custard at Nielsens Frozen Custard.  YES - we have one, two actually, here!
• texting
• shopping at Savers
• keep my New Years resolution for 14 days straight.  I wont say what it is right now but I'll tell you what it isn't.  Last year I set a goal to have 0 (that is ZERO) library fines.  This is not a good goal to set.  It is not realistic and not achievable.  People should set realistic and achievable goals, say the experts.  Like say, keeping your balance under $30 per card, ie: per person.  This I may have been able to reach.  And really if we didn't pay fines how would the library have money for more wonderful books.  It's a service I am depriving the community if I set such a goal.  So it is not that goal, and may never be again.  

And the not so much . . .

• missing recycle day
• stubborn pre-teenagers
• stubborn self
• buying a pair of pants in a bigger size, for myself.  NOT a good day
• getting an MMR shot because I have no record of mine, and have to have one to work in the schools.  I have been lying to my children for years.  It stung soooooooooooo bad!
• Ordering hotness at a level 3 of 5, at Thai house
• Eating Nielsens Frozen Custard when you really want to trim down a little.  Just a single serving but, calories, calories. 
• the dog eating a giant Hersheys kiss
• Peter refusing to go to his first class the first day back at school
• feeling your children's pain
• I just realized I forgot to pick up James from guitar.  Bye

"Til Christmas Comes 'Round Again"

And so it came.  And then it went.  And it is always wonderful.  And it is always spiritual.  And we judge our time each year based on the event of the Saviors birth.  Christmas both begins and ends our time spent each year.
As it should be. Our lives defined by the Savior.

A few more details about ours:
Finally - the weekend before the weekend before Christmas, we went to get our tree.
We have been cutting down our own tree for years now, in Utah, and as one of my favorite traditions I was jubilant discovering we could carry on our tradition in Arizona
And NO, you don't cut down a cactus instead.
You just drive into the sub-par mountains.
So ensued a mighty hunt for the permit, since I missed the initial buying window.
Then we had to wait for a weekend without soccer, basketball, events, etc.
I was disappointed to find we had waited so long that now the first wet weekend in months was upon us.
But hey, this could mean snow where we were going.  Snow is novel.  Snow can be charming.
So we packed up snow clothes, etc.  just in case.  Dave mocking that we would even need any.  So its raining in the valley.  How much 'snow" could there even be in Payson, AZ, about 1 1/2 hours north-east of us?
We left really late because we didn't want the boys to miss some service projects that morning, that were truly valuable  Then we encountered a stubborn teenager, to be left unnamed (and I count all 3 as teenagers now), who was officially "left behind" twice, but who still came.
So by 1:30 we are finally on our way.  Tithing settlment, yes on Saturday night, was at 8:00 p.m.
Plenty of time.

The gray skies made the atmosphere more appropriate and the light drizel that slowly turned flaky, added to the ambviance as well.
The higher we got, the snowier it got.
Down right snowy.
As we reached our destination, well we never really reached it.  We couldn't see anything, in what was the now BLIZZARD.

When we finally pulled over to ask a highway patrolman to direct us, his reaction that we make us seem somewhat CRAZY to even be thinking of trying to turn off the main highway to our side road into Winter Wonderland.  I guess he didn't want to have to rescue us.

This place had received snow, not-stop, for the past 2 days, and it was one of our snowiest tree adventures ever.
Trying not to be too disappointed, we turned around, and crawled back out of the blur.  Making one stop further down the mountain,  where we could actually pull off the road and play a bit.  (if you want to see Levi, watch the video )
We arrived home just in time for tithing settlement.  We went straight to the church in our wet, bedraggled ensemble.  Then we pulled into the first place we saw a tree, the grocery store, and bought THE ugliest Christmas tree we have ever placed in our home.  Noone ever grew to love it.  We never gazed at it, we didn't even ever finish decorating the sad, fat little, kindling dry bush.

Ah well, somehow we still crammed a few meaningful presents under it and had the merriest Christmas ever.
Okay maybe not ever, but its hard to tell.  They are all wonderful for different reasons.

Christmas Eve, we got to share our  home with a group the size our house was meant for when we had my Uncle Ben, Aunt Inger, and all their kids, and relatives over for dinner.  They brought all the dinner.  We provided tables and chairs for 40, and a wonderful gathering place for a family who hadn't been together since they could remember.  My cousin Julie's wedding brought them all here.  It was as delightful to watch my Aunt and Uncle relish the joy of being with their posterity as it was to be with them.  Swedish food, music, Santa, laughter, and testimony.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus got to bed late again since our guests arrived late and we had a little putting together of the home before Santa could come.
Rumor has it that the Claus' watch Disney's Tangled in the sleigh DVD player, as they stuff stockings and deliver presents.
Sadly the boys had found their Santa surprises,  hidden by elves in our garage, several weeks before.
A sobbing lecture about all the joy of Christmas morning being destroyed, was my response to my poor husbands "Christmas isn't ruined" encouragement he gave the day of the accidental present finding.
But to my amazement the boys were still thrilled with Christmas morning.  We had a very simple one, with just a few present for each and a quiet day at home (I was coming down with a cold and took 2 naps).

Then that night we packed for our trip to Utah.
Going home was the perfect ending to quite a year.  Spending hours every day with the people you love most in the world, is just the way to do it.
A little sledding, lots of good food, and quiet talks with Grandparents made it even better.
On January 2nd we left the snow behind and teary but willingly came back to our blue skies and warmer temperatures.

There are so many many details I will never have time to give thanks for.  So many happy moments.  It actually does make the hard moments seem distant (even though I'm writing this entry minutes after anguishing to Dave over how hard of a combination our boys are and perhaps they should have never been placed together in a family :( :)  I am very dramatic when distressed.)

We can't wait to see what a full and challenging year we have ahead.  Okay who am I kidding.  I like "uneventful" unless its road trips or date nights.  But I'm sure I will have lots of things to "gain perspective" over as the boys live through another year of teens and Dave and I grow older, and please Heaven help us, wiser.

Delight - December 9

So to try and get the Christmas feeling going, the Christmas events start.
And with it cooler weather.  A few days clear down in the 50's and nights close to freezing.  Brrrrr.

We missed the ward Christmas party because we were at Dave's work party.  We thought the boys might enjoy a nice dinner and meeting Dad's coworkers.  Oops.  Not so much.
They did however, immensely enjoy us winning and IPOD touch in the raffle.

Next came the classic school music concert.  Elementary school music concert.
Just the thought of 6th grade string, brass, and wind instruments conjured in me apprehension.
Luckily Seth plays percussion, all kinds of drums, and banging things, so at least his portion had less chance of sounding like cats and seals performing in pain.  Sorry Seth.
So I got to the school a little late, secretly ecstatic that I'd missed the 5th grade orchestra.
With my best effort I enjoyed the mixed grade chorus.  And only when the last song had 12 verses, did I get impatient.
Then much to my wondering ears did appear but the 6th grade orchestra that wasn't half bad.  
I moved to an ideal photo and filming location in the roasting gym.
And really I found my self thoroughly enjoying the performance.  Seth was good.  His neighboring percussionist were good too.
Their little drum sticks were in perfect rythm.  Way to go Seth.
Wow!
Look at my sweetie go!
Listen to how well they play the beat.
What a charming version of "The Night Before Christmas" with lots of colorful sounds representing each section.
By the end, I was beaming.  A very proud mommy.
And apparently it showed.
The Olsens, who live nearby, and also had a percussionist, said that they took a picture of ME during the performance.
What?  Why?
Apparently the look of pride and joy on my face, watching my baby play, was priceless.
At first I was embarrassed, but I chose to squelch that and go with the moment.
It really as priceless.  See for yourself:  (he is the one closest to the camera)

the anti-Atheist

So the other day Peter was mad at me.  This does happen often as human nature, teenage hormones, and obsessive personality will dictate.  The anger was spurred by my refusal to let him play any more video games.  (Picture here in your mind the biggest sigh you can.  Boys + video-games is bad enough.  Add "limits" to those video games, as any good parent should, and wonder with me on why it is a source of contention EVERY TIME you tell the kids to turn them off.  Sigh with me!  A collective, will it every be easier, SIGH).
So, this particular time, Peter was particularly mad.  I can't say why.  So to show his anger, his disdain for those rotten rules, his independence, a way to hurt me back for being a dictator, he threw the worst words he could think of at the moment.
"Mom, I'm an ANTI-ATHIEST!!!!!!!"

Shock?  Awe?  Not exactly.  I was more surprised and endeared.  The next moments are fuzzy.  I"m not sure if I hugged him or sent him to his room, but it left me relieved. 
Yes relieved.
Because Peter didn't really have a clue what he was saying.  Obviously  he had some idea, but knowing this boy the way I do, it was just words.  Words meant to wound but instead they represented to me that we can't get away from the truth around here.  We definitely believe in God.  Even Peter.  Even when he is mad.  Even me when I'm mad. 
We are definitely ANTI-ATHIESTS.

It's begining to feel nothing like Christmas - Thanksgiving and beyond

Because it still gets to 80 degrees everyday here.  I AM NOT complaining about that though.  LOVE IT.
LOVE the warm, sunny and bright days.  The crisp cool nights and morning.  Love it.
One day last week the sky was cloudy until about 10:30 and I was so disappointed thinking I wouldn't see the sun at all that day.  I was trying to self talk myself into being glad for the diversity, look on the bright side of cloudiness.  When the sun was out by lunch time, I was so relieved :).

Going back in time, one last time (who am I kidding right?  This will probably always be a month behind)
THANKSGIVING - again beautiful weather was welcome.  My brother Joseph, his beautiful wife and one of my best friends Erin, and there awesome, darling, high energy kiddo's: Annalyn, Isaac, Max and baby Kayla, thought it was too hot.
We had the entire feast at 4:00.  Considering we started cooking at noon I think that is pretty good.  We dined on divinely candied yams, homemade cranberry sauce, two kinds, we even threw in a cooked vegetable, which mostly got ignored.  I made homemade rolls and since that only happens once every few years, I'm grateful they turned out decent.

The boys played a football game with the ward that morning.
Erin, Annalyn, Kayla and I went for a nice walk.
There was a little football watched, a little wii played.
There were blessings shared around the dinner table and food greatly enjoyed.
There was a store bought Costco pumpkin pie, a Toll-house pie, a chocolate cream and a cherry pie.  The cherry never did get eaten.
Oh yes, Seth and the cousins had a coconut cream pie for breakfast.  It was left-over from Seth bringing a pie to school the day before for "pie-day".  Pie-Day has more to do with math than thanksgiving.

It was a delightful day to be sure.

The stores sort of ruined the evening for me by starting Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving night, but it does make for a better nights sleep. 
James has been dreaming about how magical, intense, incredible, etc. Black Friday must be, for a year now, after hearing war stories from friends.  So I let he and Seth tag along, which is tricky while shopping for them.  Luckily they missed the insanity that is WalMart while holding our place in line at Target.  The secret items I had been hoping for at WalMart had been sold earlier than the add said, I will refrain from describing my disappointment.  Apparently I was the only one smart enough to look on the regular shelf, as opposed to the pallet they were sold on the hour before, and I found exactly three of "said item" waiting quietly for me to purchase them.
Then I sprinted to the Target line, to find my boys, just in the nick of time.  The fear of them being hurded into a Black Friday crowd without me to protect them, fueled my run.  I should mention the Target and Walmart were across the street from each other so it worked out perfectly.
When I arrived to our spot in line, they were already complaining.  Ha!
They helped Erin shop a little for her kids and after 15 minutes we were done there too.
Surprisingly Seth enjoyed the maze like dodging and maneuvering of shopping with thousands of people but sadly James was very let down and has no desire to accompany me again.

When Joseph and Erin said they could only stay 2 and 3/4 days, I was sure it would be more painful than happy to have them for such a short time because we would be so sad to see them go so soon.  I was proven wrong.  We loved every second and would take them for 3 hours if we could.  And any of you too. We were sad to see them go but so grateful for the family to share the holiday with.

We are now trying to focus our thoughts and hearts on Christmas.  And it's 80 degrees outside.
We laugh at the Christmas songs about snow now.
Our neighborhood looks like Who-Ville with all the decorations people put up here.  I think the lack of vegetation makes the lights more vivid or something.  And Blow-Ups, you know those parachute material, life-size, or beyond, blow-up with powered warm air thingies you see around.  Well this is like their "North Pole"  I didn't even know so many existed.  It's comical to me, and sweet.
I have always believed that it is because of the light of Christ in all men that spurs them to such enthusiasm for Christmas decorations.  More and more people do not understand why it is the most celebrated holiday in the year, but the origination cannot be denied.
We have zero blow-ups and not even a tree up yet.  Yikes.