'Sup Peeps!

Wow... sorry to make you wait a whole month for another post. People were starting to get on me about it--you know who you are--but now I have lots to write about!

First off, Josh tapped a gas line. Not in the way you would think (for those of you who know Josh) but an actual gas line to our house. He had help and motivation from his friend John Kendrick. John lives down the street and is always outside in his garage making something. (His latest: a canoe. Seriously.) They dug a trench, accidentally cut the internet cable (which Josh totally fixed, upping his sexy geek image in my eyes), and even welded copper pipe. I'm sure Josh will blog about it, but just so you know, it's good to have a John... he wants to tackle changing the joints on Josh's truck next. It's like over $1000 to get it done at our local automotive place, but John thinks all you need is a manual, tools, and some parts for a few hundred bucks. Go for it, John!

Now we have a natural gas grill in our backyard. We bought it for way cheap, already assembled from Lowe's without knowing that it was a natural gas grill. It was funny when we brought it home, dropped our jaws when we realized this, did some reasearch and discovered that our really great deal was going to cost another $800 in order to get used. I'm really glad that it never came to that since we have a John... and now we are able to grill dinner at least once a week. Woo hoo! I like carcinogens.

Next on my list of things to tell you, the boys finally got haircuts. I took them to Walmart after Sarah insisted that there was a salon there. Sometimes our brains can be so selective in what they remember, and I just couldn't picture it. So we went... and there it was, at the front entrance like always and the boys were stoked. It's not Snip-Its, but it will work. Zack is particularly vain about his hair and he really liked the short back and sides when he was done. Seth liked it, too, and kept getting called baby. The funny thing about getting their hair done there was listening to the hairstylists--all black ladies--tell their stories. I felt like we were in an Eddie Murphy movie. When we first got there they were yelling back and forth to each other, "What's the baby's name?" "Seth!" "What's the baby's name?" "SETH!" I had written my name with a two on the waiting list and they were trying to write in the boys' actual names. And when they started to cut hair, one lady would stop cutting to put her two cents into the conversation. Man, it took us a while to get out of there!

So the boys looked good on my birthday week. I got new nursing bras on my birthday. I went to the mall because JC Penney's has the best selection and I was happy to see that there was a bra sale going on. All of my kids (except sleeping Zoe in her stroller) were beside themselves when they found that I had dragged them to the lingerie department. The groans were felt before they erupted from their mouths, but I had a helpful girl that helped me get what I wanted and checked out in record timing. We were out of there quickly and headed for Bath and Body Works for some anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, and there was a sale there, too! Lucky me! I was born on St. Patrick's Day, afterall. I got Coconut Lime Verbena and Tropical Passionfruit--both are green! Josh met up with us and we hit Target before making it home for him to make dinner for me... what else? Corned beef and cabbage. It was a nice way to end my actual birthday, but my birthday week didn't stop there. I also got surprised with a rootbeer/cream soda float dessert night, time shopping for clothes by myself (and sleeping Zoe in her stroller), and a virus on my computer.

The virus on my computer was a blessing in disguise. Josh helped me kill it by reformatting my c drive. Then he painstakingly reinstalled all the programs that I need for work. It's so nice to have a geek husband. I highly recommend them.

Speaking of marriage... Josh gave a great talk last Sunday. He quoted his mom, he got choked up several times, and he talked about when he first resonated with me. All good stuff. I love my husband.

Last Sunday we also said goodbye to Nana 'Nita and Auntie Chole (pronounced cole-ee, short for Nichole). Nana 'Nita was able to come from Wednesday to Sunday. She brought her famous empanadas for Josh, made Chamorro Corn Soup (made with chicken and coconut milk and, of course, corn), Beef Cudo (included swiss chard that Sarah brought home from the fifth grade garden at school), and was constantly doing the dishes. She even swept and mopped the bathroom floors and cleaned the toilets. I kept telling her to stop, but she was determined to help me since she says that I do too much. I even got a massage sitting at my computer trying to finish my work. This all in addition to taking care of baby. Zoe is the main reason she came in the first place. She did spend time getting to know the bigger kids, too. We love Nana 'Nita!

My single, jet-setter sister, Nichole, didn't come until late Friday night from New York City. We took the kids to pick her up from the airport and take her to the car rental place. Then we had a short panic drive through the woods around Bush Airport before finally making it to her hotel. She insisted on staying in a hotel and getting a car since it came in a package. Nana 'Nita stayed with her. And while we normally would have loved to go in to jump on the beds in their room, the kids were all crashed out.

We met up the next day for a reconnaissance* trip to the Galleria (an underground mall near downtown Houston complete with ice skating rink). There are lots of upscale shops at the Galleria and walking into Neiman-Marcus from the parking lot was like going through an incredible shrinking machine. I felt really intimidated by my surroundings at first, and then I remembered who I was and that the place was a living example of Lehi's dream of the great and spacious building with no foundation. Then it became comical... walking through the make-up and fragrance department to get out and into the mall... there were more employees than customers dressed up in striking suits and flawless make-up... I even saw a GUY with about a pound of make up on. He wore a black suit with a black shirt and black tie. It all worked in that setting, but taken out of context to say, the real world, it was just funny.

*Before I ramble on and forget to tell you why we were there... let me explain my sister's job. She works for J. Crew's art department as an assistant to a fashion designer. Everything in the store now she has seen a year before it came out. Her boss, an ex-model, circles stuff out of high fashion magazines and tells Nichole to go buy them. Thousands of dollars later and having visited all the top fashion stores in New York City, my sis completes the mission. This is my wide-eyed view of what she does, and if I'm wrong, please correct me in a comment! Lately, however, she has been entrusted with choosing the music for the J. Crew stores. This is HUGE. So we were there to listen to what stores were playing what and visit the J. Crew store at the Galleria. Josh bought a J. Crew bracelet for Sarah while we were there. Zoe decided she wasn't interested in sleeping in the stroller and wanted to nurse (and she usually gets what she wants). Seth heely-ed all over the place and Zack did back rolls over a cushioned bench.

And then we were done. It went so fast... we hardly ever go to the Galleria unless we have out-of-town visitors, and there really isn't much point in hanging out there when the thought of spending $8000 on a hand bag makes you want to cough up a lung. So we did the one thing Nichole wanted to do while in Texas... we went out for Texas BBQ. Completely satiated, we went home with leftovers and spent the rest of the day playing Wii. We discovered that Nana 'Nita really likes to bowl, Auntie Chole digs Guitar Hero, and that we are not the only ones that think the racing cow game on Wii Play is hilarious. We also nailed Nana 'Nita's Mii. It looks just like her.

We were sad to see them go, but it was a really great visit. Thanks for coming Nana 'Nita and Auntie Chole! We'll have to see if we can make it to California to see Tata and Uncle Rob's new baby, Devon. I like to call him Little Devo... like the band.

That leaves this last week for me to catch you up on... let's see... my allergies have really brought me down. I am coughing so much that I was unable to go on Seth's field trip on Friday. It would have been nice to go with him to the Children's Museum of Houston, but I prefer to hack away in private. When I'm up on my meds it's not so bad except for the occasional episode, and it only takes one of those in public to make you wish you had stayed home. So I did. Seth was mostly bummed that Zoe wouldn't be there. He got over it, though.

Yesterday we watched General Conference. It's the first one since President Hinckley died, so we tried to instill in the children the excitement of having a whole new prophet and presidency of the Church. Thomas S. Monson is the new president of the Church and prophet. His counselors are favorites with me already. I saw Henry B. Eyering at a stake meeting in CA back when we lived there. He is an especially tender hearted man when he speaks and very powerful with words. Dieter F. Uchtdorf is new to the Quorum of the Twelve, but memorable and very charismatic. How I am able to love these three men can only be explained by the way the Spirit touches my heart when I hear them speak. I will probably blog more on my impressions of Conference later after hearing the rest of the sessions today.

Before I close, I have to make mention of Subway. We've recently moved from Whataburger to Subway in our Saturday outings/slam tournaments. Right now any footlong sub is $5. We were there for a couple of hours last night drinking unlimited soda and playing slam. Sarah ended Daddy's winning streak--go Sarah, go Sarah, it's your birthday!

And Zoe slept in her stroller.