Feeling neglected?

We had a lovely Christmas, seeing most of our families during the week leading up to Christmas, and coming home just in time for Santa to visit. But this, in combination with research trip the weekend before we left for MO, means the blog has been sorely neglected. We didn't even have internet access for much of our trip, though the locations we stayed at now have wireless internet in their homes, many thanks to Aaron. Gotta love modern technology, and the ability to use it!

So we have a lot of pictures, but none of them are uploaded to the computer yet, so that will be the next post. As for what I've been doing with my time, here's a quick rundown, and maybe you'll forgive my not posting.

Dec. 12: work like crazy to get ready for research trip
Dec. 13: get to school by 6:15 am to be on the boat by 8:00. Realize that bad weather above the ocean means standing at the edge of the ocean is a very bad idea. The cove that usually looks like a swimming pool had 4 ft breakers crashing in the very place I would have been standing. Instead, harness Carlos into helping me clean out the storage locker. Yeah!!!
Dec. 14: get back on the ferry since they may not run it the next day.
Dec. 15: run around like mad to get everything done -- turn in keys and reimbursement forms, go shopping, more shopping, send package, get AJ, pack everything we need for a week in caryy-on only bags (no waiting at baggage pick-up!)
Dec. 16: be up and to the airport, then wait, fly, then wait again, fly again, get the rental car in four inches of snow (I think they punished us for not paying the extra $18/day for the all wheel drive subaru by giving us a rear-wheel drive Grand Marquis.), figure out that we should NOT try to drive all the way to Springfield from KCI with such slippery roads (thanks, Laurenda! and Jason!) crash for the night in Harrisonville.
Dec. 17: get to Mom and Dad's, go out with Aaron (yeah!!!) and harrass Hallie at work.
Dec. 18: shop for Christmas gifts for Missourians (what, you thought I was going to fly stuff from California? not a chance), have Sudholt Christmas, hang out with cousin Josh (fun, fun), laundry.
Dec. 19: get a haircut, go through old stuff I had saved (why, oh, why did I save that crap?), drive to Grandma's house in Columbia, go through things in the house in preparation for future disbursement (happy and sad activity)
Dec. 20: clean up Grandma's house, see her at her apt in Jeff City, go back to Columbia to extended Pabst Christmas, drive to Hannibal, more laundry
Dec. 21: church in Hannibal (and wish I had volunteered to sing), Davidson family Christmas at Joy and Al's, see Susie at her apt, monitor the boys playing Wii
Dec. 22: more shopping, lunch at Sonic (which we don't have in SoCal)
Dec. 23: more laundry, Pabst family Christmas, lots of good times with cousins and in laws
Dec. 24: get to KCI (a four hour trip which turned into five due to unexpected bad roads, no thanks to MO Highway Patrol), run through the rental car return, luck into a shuttle just leaving for the terminal, try to get through the horrid security at KCI, with Levi escaping me and bags I didn't pack (because Aaron did) that are triggering the stupid machine, fly, wait...and wait...and wait, because the second plane is late, fly again, try to get a soda or something but everything is closed because it's Christmas Eve, drag two sleeping boys in the house, put jammies on them, wrap the last of the presents, put everything under the tree. Collapse into my own bed, with my own pillow on top. ahhhhh.

Whew, does that sound busy to you? Not that I think most of you were any less busy, but that's my excuse, and I'm stickin to it. Pictures as soon as I can!

the things I learned...

...while on facebook. A.J. loves to play computer games, especially ones involving knowledge. He discovered that facebook has a number of these games, and so likes to tool around with it. Last night, as I was getting him signed in (to my page, he doesn't have his own) I saw that a high school classmate had added me as a friend, so I clicked on her page. Her picture included her boyfriend, whom A.J. promptly called her husband. I tried explaining what the difference between dating and marriage is. We got on a whole discussion of the temple, because he had put together that since you are old enough to go to the temple at 12, and that you get married in the temple, that must be what you do there when you go at age 12. Uh, no. We got that all straightened out. Whew.
He's had marriage on the brain for a few months now, and while I was explaining that you date people to find out if you share interests and such, he said, "Well, Rachel (a girl he's been in class with every year so far, K-2) and I have a lot in common."
Something about the way he said it led me to wonder if there was more to the story. So, I asked, "Did you already ask her to marry you?"
"Yeah. She said, 'No.'"

So, my son has already asked a girl to marry him. And he's been turned down. And, knowing him, I recognize that this is no typical playground romance. He's serious. He thinks he should know right now who he will marry. Oh, boy. I have many long years ahead of me, I think.

A Baby Changes Everything

I just got this from my scripture class teacher. It's about the birth of Christ, but I think it is very appropriate today, considering my last post. Because every baby, especially the hard ones, changes everything.

Faith Hill's A Baby Changes Everything

A Prayer Request

For those who are inclined to pray, even for people you don't know, I have a couple of requests for you. My old friends Jeff and Cari just had their third baby girl. She is beautiful, but not without problems. They learned a couple of months ago that she has trisomy 6 (a third copy of chromosome #6 attached itself to chromosome #3 -- not good, like down's syndrome is a trisomy 21) and that it appeared that her lower jaw was seriously malformed. However, upon her birth last Friday, it turned out that she has no lower jaw nor tongue. Her lungs have not and will not develop properly, so they are preparing to let her go back to her Heavenly Father. I know they could use as much support right now as possible.

Secondly, my cousin and his wife will be having their third child soon, too, but hopefully not too soon. Steady contractions at 28 weeks is not good, so she's on bedrest for the duration. They are hoping to make it past Christmas, but every day past that is even better. Thank you for adding my friends to your lists.

I've been tagged...for the first time!

My old friend Laurel tagged me on one of those "tell about yourself" things. So here it goes:

Eight shows I watch:
Mizzou football (not that it's been enjoyable lately)
Mythbusters
House Hunters
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Renovation Nation
How Clean is Your House
Designed to Sell
Any science, history, or nature show on a variety of channels

Eight restaurants where I like to eat:
Star Cafe (the. best. rolls. ever.)
Quizno's
Arby's
Clancy's Seafood
Zeke's Smokehouse
Catalina Jazz Club
IHOP (it makes the kids happy)
my kitchen...Aaron is a pretty good cook, and when we have the time, it's yummy

Eight things I did today:
Got the kids to school
Cleared up some confusion
Called the marine station
Had lunch with my friend Alison (Yeah!)
Went to a lab meeting
Picked up AJ
Cleaned up the dining room
Picked up Levi

Eight things I am looking forward to:
Diving on Friday
Elder's Quorum Christmas party Friday night
Parent-teacher conference on Monday
Getting my research back on track
Our anniversary dinner something...Aaron won't tell me what it is
Graduation...but it's a while away
Christmas
Owning a house again

Eight things on my wishlist:
A digital camera
A house I own
A backyard
For my kids to be less destructive
Central Air
A decent kitchen
A master bedroom decorated the way we want
A vacation for just me and Aaron

Eight people I tag:

Cari (before baby, I hope!)
Tami
Brenda
Sarah
Katrina
Laurenda
Megan
Sabra

the haircuts

Levi's version of the haircut:

I loveded the buzzer cause it was tickly. And even I loveded the zizzors cause they were tickly, too. And I loveded going in the shower cause it was fun. Um. I loveded my haircut cause it was all fun. That's all I wanted to tell you.

And now A.J.'s:

Before the haircut, I was kind of scared and nervous. But when I got farther into it, I wasn't too scared anymore because it was very tickly. At the very end, it was so tickly I needed to take a shower, and I had to wash my hair four times! And after the shower I wasn't so tickly anymore.

Love,

A.J. and Levi