Have you ever seen anything this steaming hot?

I was at my desk doing some bill paying and planning and I turned around and saw this...

He had just gone on his morning run.

Steamy, huh?

In Mourning...over a camera

I told Will as we drove away from my sister Beckie's house..."I feel like I lost my best friend."

I had to give her her camera back.

Now everytime I see something I want to take a picture of...it's not worth it. I took a picture of Willie today with my very expensive HD video camera that I got for Will to take to Afghanistan - it ended up being too big to fit in his pocket behind his body armor, so he left it home - GREAT video because it has a hard drive, but not so great still picture taker. It's very slow.

Will - this is not a ploy to get you to buy me a camera for Christmas! It's NOT and I already spent the money you could have used to buy one! Ha HA!

So until I save enough money to buy what I want, pictures are going to be rare! Once you experience high quality...it's hard to go back!

I might be on Santa's naughty list for being so spoiled!

HELP!!!

The background paper I was using for my blog apparently expired - because I think it was from someone else's Photobucket account...oops! and I got all frustrated and click-happy trying to figure out how to fix it and get the confusing blocks of info that were on my blog, that I just saved a new template to my blog. Forgetting that I had spent HOURS - it seemed - trying to get everything all centered and stretched so that it wouldn't be all narrow in the middle with my old template.

Major headache!

Does anyone know how to get the left margin closer to the left...instead of all lop-sided like mine is? I did, many, many, many, many years ago take a DOS class, but all this new language and numbers has me completely mixed up. Crimeiny!

And my blog looks so dumb.

I just want simple. No more changing paper styles and colors for my background. I'm just fine with the white. I just don't want my blog to be too big for the computer screen so you have to slide over to see the entire page.

Does anyone know something I don't about setting up a new blog template?

How Thankful I feel.

This time last year, I was really struggling with Will being gone. I knew the end was near, but that didn't help the stress and the anxiety and fear go away. Will had missed birthdays and anniversaries and some holidays, but we've always been together as a family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And maybe if I hadn't had to struggle with the Christmas tree lights things would have been better...that was always Will's job.

You know how sometimes you realize how blessed you are in your life, and then a little time passes and you forget how blessed you still really are? That whole taking things for granted stuff. While Will was gone, my testimony of the importance of family and eternal families was solid. I knew that whatever happened, as hard as it may be, we would still be a family as long as we were each doing our part. Since he's been home, I've definitely taken family for granted again.

Then this weekend, Will received a call to do a job he's trained for in the National Guard for the first time. Its called - get ready for another Army acronym - CAO, which is Casualty Affairs Officer. A CAO is someone who has the...unfortunate task...of telling a family that their husband, wife, son or daughter has been either wounded or killed in action. Sunday night's call was for Will, along with a Chaplain, to tell a family that their son was killed in Afghanistan.

My heart was so heavy as I thought about this poor family, seeing two decked out in uniform soldiers at their doorstep giving unimaginable news. My heart was breaking for Will, too. I can't imagine how hard that would be.

This event has had me on the verge of tears since Sunday night. I knew where Will was going and what he had to do, but the kids kept asking questions about why Will was in in uniform and where was he going so late at night. I realized that for more than 6 months last year, I could have been the one to have two decked out in uniform soldiers at my door. It just made things all too real. And, sadly it happens daily somewhere in this great country. I honestly can't imagine.

So this morning, I was on calorie 764 on my way to my daily 1000 and mile 4.6 on the elliptical, listening to "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus (don't judge me) and Iron Man started playing on the screen in front of my face. I know it's just a movie, but it's just too real for me now - especially the first part of the movie. I know Will traveled those same roads in Afghanistan...the same ones that many men and women have lost their lives on. Wow! I feel so thankful. So the combination of "Party in the U.S.A.", Iron Man, the thoughts of the sad news Will had to deliver on Sunday night, and realizing how lucky I was that I got my husband back - how lucky so many are - brought me to tears at the gym. I guess my mind was putting a little patriotic theme together in my exhausted condition.

I am so thankful for my family. I'm thankful that I can see the eternal perspective of things. How humble I feel to know how blessed I am. I'm thankful that I have a desire to keep my family together forever. A lot of people don't because they can't see past themselves.

I'm overflowing with things to be thankful for. But mostly, I'm thankful for hope and faith. Life would be very hard without those two things. I'm so thankful for the teachings of Jesus Christ...without them Thanksgiving would just be about the food.

Lots of fun...and lots of vacuuming!

I love the fall...I love the crunch of the leaves...I used to love playing in the leaves (until I started to care what might be accumulated along with them in the pile - bleeeck) and I'm so glad that my kids had enough energy to collect all these leaves into a pile, just to scatter them again. That's why leaves fall to the ground anyway, right?

This, by the way, was the second or third leaf accumulation pile of the season. I have my BFF's in the house - vacuum, washer and dryer - and Will has his BFF in the garage - Mr. Leaf Blower!

Needless to say, during the fall I daily find a small trees worth of leaves in my house...a leaf here and a leaf there...they come in on my kids and they come in stuck to Willie. But if it weren't for these leaves, my kids would never be this nice and have this much fun together without forking out beaucoup bucks for their entertainment. This was definitely a sight to see.

Brother and sisters...being nice to each other! Fall in the Twilight Zone!

Add this to the list

A few weeks ago, I got a new car. Not exactly the one I was planning on getting, but I love it and I can finally give Will his truck back after 2 years. I wasn't too thrilled about driving a huge truck around as a family car anyway. Not quite the "image" I was going for. When I think of girls driving pick-up trucks - as their first choice - they usually have big, long hair, wear pants that are too tight, own cowboy boots, and can pull a horse trailer. So not me!

So gladly, I will FINALLY let Will drive the truck that fits him so much better than a 20 year old Honda with almost 300 thousand miles. I would always get the image in my head of "Bob Parr" aka Mr. Incredible, jam packed into his teeny-tiny car, when I saw Will drive away in the Honda. Anyway...


I just discovered something AWESOME about my car...or something temporarily AWESOME about my car. Of course, most new cars come with a trial of XM radio for a few months. So I preset all my radio buttons to channels like the 80's (I usually love EVERY song that plays) the 90's, Love Songs...of course, Disney Radio (annOYing!...especially with a car full of girls singing every song), I even found a french channel...which I don't really understand but I love to listen to, and one of my favorites is the 40's channel. All 40's and big bad type music. Love it! So when I turned the channel to XM 4 the other day and saw "Traditional Holiday" as the channel description, I was so excited. A channel that plays my favorite old, classic Christmas songs....24/7!

Bing to Goulet!

XM 23 - the normal love song channel - also plays Christmas music, but nothing is more annoying than to hear a rapper try to sing a Christmas song! Way corny! And a Christmas song is not a Christmas song if Miley Cyrus sings it. Sorry...it's just not!

All I need is a stash of hard-tac candy, XM 4 and I could live in my car!

Project # 1539...since Will's been home

I don't know how many more things Will is going to find to do on the house. He's been making up for a lost year at home by spending almost a whole year working on our home. I'm so glad that he can do these projects and that he cares and wants our house to look nice though.

I think I've said this before, but I love my house. I love that it's old and has so much character. I love the spirit that it has.

This is a picture I took when Will refinished the original screen door...I had to use this picture to show ONE of Will's latest improvement projects/changes. The metal pole has been there from the beginning. It never bothered me. In fact, I never really paid attention to it, except to tie a yellow ribbon around it when Will left...which has been there until last week...like I said, the pole never bothered me. But Will and I had talked about making it look more like a column or something...something I THOUGHT about, and something he ACTED on.

This is the post now! Didn't he do a great job? It's finished but I think we're going to stain the wood more to match the front door and screen. I had to use this picture because Willie wanted to come outside so bad and watched me from inside while I took pictures. I love seeing that little head peaking out the window!

I'll post project #1540 when it's finished...probably this weekend!

Thanks for being so talented and such a hard worker, Will. xxooxxoo

Halloween...THE end!

Will the late posts ever end? I was looking at pictures today and found a whole bunch that never made it to my blog and must be included since if they're not on my blog they won't make it into my book. Uggg, the responsibility!

So for posterity sake...here is more of our Halloween 2009!

Mmmm! Pumpkin seeds! I think I got enough to last more than a month! (that's a lot because I LOVE them and eat a lot of them) Will was gone helping a friend during this fun, messy, rather stinky activity, but it's gotten better throughout the years because the kids are older and can do most of it themselves - minus the cutting part - I still don't entirely trust the kids with sharp knives and thick, hard to cut pumpkin. I think that's more of a mom fear than one of my neurotic traits.

Grrr...blurry picture of Jay with GUTS! It's odd that my girls don't mind reaching their hands inside the pumpkin and pulling out all the slimy, stringy stuff but Jay...won't touch it. The ladle is his weapon and he'll show a brave face...but has no brave pumpkin carving skills! Honestly...not one time did he touch the inside of his pumpkin!

Lauren...no problem!

Katie Jane...no problem!

Emma...No problem!
In fact, Emma is my dare-to-touch-anything kid. Worms, live fish (ewww) gerbils (double ewww!)

Since Beckie's family got sick, we had an impromptu Halloween Party at gma and grumpa's house. Chili and soup on a not so chilly day. I realized after I looked at all these pictures, that I didn't get a single picture of Katie Jane in her costume...she was Mother Nature.

My mom always has big plans for her and my dad's costume. They've been ketchup and mustard, ghooly ghosts with flashing eyes, she made my dad dress up like white trash, complete with a mullet hairstyle and cut off t-shirt with some rock band or something on it and I think my mom has had him be the Tooth Fairy. Yeah...it WAS funny.

This year, my mom was Captain America and my dad was...

Nacho Libre. He didn't even know who Nacho was. We had to tell him how to pose! He's a good sport. And Nacho's been working out, or at least on a diet so that belly is Nacho (not so) big! My dad's used to the teasing from us kids. Until he stops wearing black socks and sandals riding on his Harley...we won't stop!

Batman had all kinds of flying, swooping and running skills! All things that Jackson is really good at too!

Tyler has been growing his hair out for MONTHS in anticipation for what he wanted to be for Halloween. A mad scientist doesn't have manicured cheveux. He's got to have MAD hair! Watch out! He's gone MAAAADDD!

Love him. Trevin can transform into any character...with only facial expressions! And watch out, he's got a fast draw!

Ballerina Emma refused to go "trunk-or-treating" so she handed out the candy, and me (I was Raggedy Ann) and Will (he was...whatever we found in the costume container) went around to all the other "trunks" and saw how creative people are.

I'm not really a good Halloween mom. I'm always trying to throw something together at the last second without spending any money. Can't we just eat the candy without dressing up? I'm kind of a poor sport...not even kind of...I AM a poor sport!

Case in point. Lauren was an Afghani girl- something that is very really in our home. She's learned that mom's not going to buy costumes and so she works with what she's got. AND she loves the outfit Will brought back for her from Afghanistan. She likes to wear it at any and every opportunity! Especially if I let her wear make-up...that's what she wants to be.

I'm so glad I took pictures of the kids' pumpkins, because about 1 hour after returning home and putting them on the front porch all lit up and in great Halloween tradition...some brats came by and took them off of our front porch and splattered them all over the road and filled the streets with ours and several other neighbor's pumpkins.

It's times like that, that I wished that either the Great Pumpkin from Charlie Brown was real - except really, mean and attacked kids that destroy others property and/or that we could hire the Headless Horseman to scare those disrespectful brats to death!

But I've got Will instead...that's going to be fun to watch next year!

Biesinger Fall Family Party!

Hosted by wonderful Gerald and Marlene who had a great idea to get all the adults in the family together to enjoy dinner and visiting.

(The bigger I made these pictures, the worse the blurriness became...grrrr! Just squint and pretend that you don't have your contacts in or forgot to wear your glasses. Great camera, poor - well, saying photographer is really stretching it, so I'll use - picture taker!)

This is going to sound rather, ummm, I'm going to have to make up a word here...ostracizeical (?) of me, but...

Since we're part of the generation that's still in the child bearing and/or rearing years, when we all get together for family reunions and dinners it's near chaos, but not quite mayhem with all the kids running around and or requiring attention - as most children do. It's just a phase of life we all must go through and enjoy...Eating at super speed, almost being able to finish eating and not even given the chance to eat at all. So when we were wrapping up our family reunion this past summer at Anna and Ryan's, we noticed that us adults hadn't really had a chance to sit and visit and catch up, amidst varying children issues and activities! I'm more of a sit and visit kind of person...I'm not really interested in competitive games and active activities - I'm a lot about relaxation!

Marlene had a great idea to have an adult dinner, yes - SANS children - so that we can actually hear each other speak! And eat our own food! And not help anyone to the bathroom! Can you imagine???

We had so much fun. The food was wonderful (Ask Gerald for ham cooking tips), and the decorations were so creative and beautiful. Marlene had given us all an assignment to pick an item that describes us as an individual. It was so neat to hear what everyone came up with and to get to know each person a little better. Everyone was so creative. So fun!

Will's parents, Marianne and Jim

Will's sister Anna and husby Ryan

The oh so talented Marlene. She used to be a baton twirler when she was younger (she is STILL young) and Jon being the awesome man that he is was so excited to learn how to twirl! I love the look on his face!

Will's cousin Craig and his cute wife, Cassidy.

( Craig is holding my descriptive item...a Nut Roll candy bar. It takes a little explanation!)

Will and Ryan - having both served their missions in South Korea - are super competitive ping-pong, I mean table tennis players! It's a big thing over there!

Lori and Chris - Will's brother

Cousin Connie and her mom, Will's aunt Carol.

Todd and Connie

Jon, Will's brother and Tasha

Andrew, Will's cousin - we learned something very 'revealing' about Andy!

Dallin and Will's sister Donna

Missing were Will's cousins David and Celeste in VA, Elder (Craig) Biesinger in the frozen land to the north - Canada, and Brian and Jane, Will's sister in Kansas. We missed them for sure! And of course Will and I were there, but I managed to stay behind the operator-challenged camera while Will was playing ping-pong. Just as it should be!

The whole evening was so much fun, but it came to an abrupt end when we got home and Emma - happy birthday to her :( - and Lauren were throwing up. It made me appreciate this evening so much more!

Thanks again, Gerald and Marlene! Thanks Biesinger family! Date and time are already set for next year!

What? She's 7?

When I look at these pictures, I can barely recognize my kids! Time has gone by so fast and there are days when I think I can see my kids growing before my eyes. It has been such a pleasure and a joy (along with the frustration and sorrow, of course) to raise these kids. I am so glad that I have taken pictures of them since they were little so I can relive the memories of them growing up! They are so, so, so cute!

My baby, Emma. She's 7 and I almost can't believe it! Although she told me yesterday that she still feels like she is 6 - it's so hard to feel the difference sometimes, right? When the ultrasound tech. told us that it was a girl, we were thrilled. Some people might think that hearing that girl #3 is on the way would be a discouraging thing. I don't think that I wouldn't have been a very good mom to boys anyway...I can't handle the mess and smell and the endless hours spent on bleachers watching sports. I love exactly what I have, thank you very much!

Emma was a joy from the minute she was born. She had a FULL head of black hair, which NEVER fell out...I remember sitting on the bathroom floor with Emma on my lap, round-brushing her hair dry. She couldn't even sit up by herself and she was enduring salon-style hair do's. I loved it! She was a clone to Katie Jane both in looks and personality...full of spunk, attitude and energy! She's the same 7 years later.

(I love Emma's little glare...saved especially for her uncle Ryan!)

Emma knew exactly what she wanted for her birthday - thanks to the Disney channel and Nick Jr. As it gets closer to Christmas, there are ENDLESS commercials for toys and games that all kids want and parents dread. Their wish lists get huge and of course, they expect it all. Emma really wanted a Zhu-Zhu pet...I know, a what? Well, if you watch the Disney channel and Nickelodeon you would know! (to me, it's dang mouse...bleeeeck!) Thanks to Amazon...I found one because walking through store after store in shoes that were too small and were killing my feet, let alone broken toe, didn't produce the desired gift. All I would find were signs saying that there was a limit of 2 per customer in front of an empty shelf and horror stories of long lines.

Am I THE mom, or what!

She got her desired 'pet' as well as another pet to help manage the 'mouse/hamster'...a Fur Real cat (the only kind of cat allowed in my house), which Willie is having a hard time figuring out, and mom's favorite gift to give...clothes! She was ecstatic and thrilled and promptly made beds out of shoe boxes in her clothes drawers for her new pets. She's my animal lover. ANOTHER one of my animal lovers!

This brought back way too many horrific memories of seeing little, disgusting, intruder mice running across my floor in Nephi. Rodents of ANY kind, fake or most definitely real give me the heebie-jeebies. I seriously can't enjoy Cinderella or any other movie with mice in it. Not even cute! It's such a Japanese toy too. It makes all the sounds of the Teletubbies...sounds that all Japanese cartoons/characters make. Why? I don't know.

But, whatever my baby wants...my baby gets. She told me that she's not a baby anymore either. I know, but she's MY baby and she always will be. I still try to cuddle with her and I'm sure she gets special privileges that the other kids don't. All "youngest" children get special privileges, don't they?

Emma told me several times that she had a great birthday. Will made her an over the top breakfast and me and Will took her to lunch at her favorite restaurant - Red Robin - where she got her favorite - chicken strips and french fries...she LOVES french fries! Sadly, after dinner she got really sick and spent the night throwing up! What a way to end her great birthday!

My baby, Emma. She is grown up beyond her years - a result of being the youngest and wanting to be like her older sisters. She amazes me every day with her spunky personality and the clever things she comes up with to say and do. She has an amazing imagination and is a super artist. She knows what she wants and says so. A tender heart to her mom and dad, and a quick punch, jab or slap to her brother and sisters...that's Emma.

I Love you, Emma!

Falling

I looked out the window last Friday morning and it was literally raining leaves.

I couldn't get the camera to capture how many leaves were actually falling, but it was incredible. It was RAINING leaves. The poor walnut tree just decided that it was time to let them go all at once.

I love the colors and the sounds of fall.

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU, to the thousands of men and women who so bravely and voluntarily serve our country. Not just our country, but the people in this country who think that whatever they want, they should have - because it's their right as an American.

Yes, these men and women even sacrifice for, serve and protect idiots that think like that!

I'm so thankful for the soldiers in uniform who have served and continue to serve for our country - which I happen to believe is the most blessed country in the world. Of course this is a day that is close to my heart. It's been such a blessing to know how special our country and our freedom is. Patriotism is not something that everyone has or feels. I think most Americans realize that this is a great place to live (even with the current administration's decisions) and some of the most patriotic people are willing to die to protect what we take for granted. That's something that I didn't realize when Will enlisted...that he was willing to leave me and the kids to fight and die for "One Nation under God". That's how much these soldiers love this country and believe in what our Forefathers established. Less than 2% of the population in the United States serves this country.

I think it's a great honor and I definitely feel honored to have Will in my life. One of Will's favorite sayings and motto's is from the song "Battle Hymn of the Republic":

As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free.

This is Team Spike...Will's team in Afghanistan. THANK YOU, Team Spike!

Will, Chuck and Dusty...flying the US flag at Nagalu reservoir in Afghanistan on Veterans Day last year - November 11, 2008. It was a flag that Chucks sister had sent from her classroom for him to fly in Afghanistan, and then he sent it back and they now fly the flag at their school.

Thanks CPT Biesinger!

This verse of this song makes me cry EVERY time. The entire song makes me cry EVERY time!

Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our Trust!"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

New Gym Saga! - Revisited

Since Rodney or "Star Man" has not been coming to the pump class at the gym anymore, things have been fairly boring. Not that going to the gym at the early squirly hour of 5:30 in the morning is exciting, but sometimes it's fun to have someone to watch...there's always some idiot trying to show off. Gym Weirdos.

Case in point - since I broke my toe OVER 3 WEEKS AGO, (grrrr!) I have been banned to the elliptical machine only. I've been setting a goal to stay on the machine until I reach 1000 calories burned. So last week, at about 700 calories in, I watched a girl walk in. Super short shorts over white tights (gag me with a spoon!) and she was working that gym floor! With every step she took she would drop and sway her hips to the point that she was making a fool of herself! She was acting like she was on the cat walk or something! Not even 10 minutes later, out she walks, obviously in the same un-sweaty condition as when she walked in and she just kept on walking and swinging her hips all the way out the door. Maybe she didn't like the movie in the cinema theater or something, but who gets up early to go to the gym and only stays 10 minutes? Like I said...gym weirdos.

Enter "Mr. Googly Eyes"!!! Latest gym weirdo!

My sister Jill, who runs about 8 miles before the 1 1/2 hour class everyday (seriously, she does) was on a treadmill last Friday running like normal. I was on the back row...elliptical machine...going for my 1000 calories when a friend who I do KYT with on Wednesdays (kick your trash) was on the stair climber machine and turned around to ask me who the man was that was talking to Jill and did Jill know him. I had a big column blocking my view of Jill, so I couldn't see what was going on. Apparently, as Jill was running as usual, listening to the news/music, an older man - for sure in his 60's - decided to use the bar of her treadmill to hold on to while he stretched, putting his face about a foot away from her. And he stayed there and continued to stretch for more than 5 minutes. Jill was speechless and didn't know what to do so she kept on running and he kept on stretching...and looking.

Jill is beautiful. Let's just say, that Mr. Googly Eyes is not the first person at the gym that I have seen watch her.

So I decided to try to intervene and I thought that by me walking up to her treadmill that he would move away and go somewhere else to do his endless stretching! I couldn't get past him so I waited until he noticed I was there, but instead of stepping away from the machine to let me pass, he stepped TOWARD her machine and continued to hold on. As I walked past he said to me, "That will be $10 to pass." I told him that I don't carry money with me at the gym and he said, "Well, now it will be $20!" I ignored that comment and said that I just needed to talk to her, motioning to Jill and stepped close to her machine thinking he would finally move...still HE HELD ON, and as Jill and I came up with an impromptu conversation about Costco and family - with winking and eyebrow raising in between - he listened to every word and stretched.

Endless stretching this man needed, apparently!

Jill said she was almost to 6 miles and was just going to go into class, and we kind of ended our conversation - it was at least 3 minutes...us talking, him stretching - as I walked away, he stepped to the side and said (very heebie-jeebie-ish) "Can I pay you $10 to continue stretching here?" to which I replied, I don't think that's a good idea and Jill replied, I think you've stretched enough.

Still, he continued to stretch...and look...for a few more minutes until Jill got off her treadmill and he decided to actually exercise.

I couldn't believe it! Sometimes you have to give a person the benefit of the doubt and think that they don't mean any harm, but what this man was doing was NOT normal and even Jill said that after a minute, she started feeling really uneasy - that something was really wrong, but she didn't know what to do and wasn't about to be pushed off her treadmill. It was a total invasion of personal space. Very creepy.

So all this past weekend, this has been a major topic of conversation in our family. When I called Will and told him about it on the way home from the gym, he was so upset! We were kind of laughing, because we couldn't believe what had happened and that someone could be so brazen to do something like that. But Will and Steven were really upset. Will was saying that what this man was doing was sexual harassment! I felt really bad that I didn't stay by Jill and wait until he left or tell the creep to move! I have a hard time with confrontations, even when I'm being wronged.

So as we've talked this past weekend, we all decided that this man was in for major trouble if he tried something like this again - to ANYONE. We formed a task force that was ready to attack! Well, this morning, Mr. Googly Eyes was back and Jill decided to go in for the attack! All alone! I can't remember what she said to him, but she told him that he better watch out because we're on to him. She told him what he had done was wrong and, get this, the only thing he had to say for himself was, "I always ask permission." Like that makes what he did okay!

These are Jill's words to him on Monday:

What I actually said to him was "Howard, I'm going to teach you some gym etiquette so you don't look like a pervert. See this wall here? That is where you should stretch out, NOT holding onto to someone's treadmill." This is where he tells me that he always asks permission first. I then told him, "permission doesn't count when you are taking advantage of somebody." "Howard, we are onto you, and we're watching you like a hawk." Then I just walked away. This was on Monday, and he hasn't been back since. Guess I scared him away;)...Really? permission to stretch means he can put his face 3 inches away from me while I run? I don't think so. Never again! He messed with the wrong woman!

Jill has his name and has probably already checked him out on the sexual predator list. He's also been reported to the management of the gym. Apparently, the girl at the front desk noticed what was going on too, and remembered who he was and wrote his name down and reported him. Way to go!!!

Unfortunately, Will is worried about me going to the gym where, honestly, I feel very safe. He says that he knows how men think and thinks that I'm too naive. I told him that I'm not the kind of girl that stuff like this happens to. I'm the girl that is blocking the guys view of the girl who is getting looked at! I know that if something were to happen to me, or any other girl at the gym, that there are people there to help. Us regulars watch out for each other!! Sadly, there ARE people who come to the gym for other reasons than to exercise. I'm glad I've got my sisters and numerous friends there to watch out for me too.

And I can throw a mean punch if needed!

"This is Maverik requesting a fly by"

I know it's lame that I remember lines from the movie Top Gun. But what high school girl didn't swoon over Tom Cruise back then? Mmmmmm...the volleyball scene! We were so young and naive.

But back in this life...Will had a childhood friend named Peter F. In fact, this same Peter F. was the first boy I ever slow danced with in Middle School. I think I've shared that story before, right? The slow dancing where no touching was involved? Yup! That was Peter. I'm sure he could never dream of remembering something like that...but my brain remembers stuff like that. Anyway, he was Will's best friend until Peter and his family moved to SLC in about 8th grade. (right Will?)

Will has kind of kept in touch with Peter - probably wants to be called Pete, I bet - who has really made a name for himself in the Air Force. Will always remembered that Peter wanted to be an astronaut some day...and the fact that Peter is now flying a $250 MILLION dollar plane speaks for his accomplishments. A few weeks ago Peter told Will that he would be flying one of the new Air Force F22 Raptors (the same $250 MILLION dollar plane) over the U of U vs. Air Force game in SLC. I'm not into knowledge of Air Force equipment, but this new F22 is new and impressive...has stealth capabilities etc. and yada yada yada. Will wanted to go watch and possibly see the air craft (it's not really an air plane...) up close, but we were gone to Las Vegas for the U2 concert that weekend.

So because Will has awesome friends that do neat stuff, Peter called Will and told him that he would do a fly over our house on his way back to his base. (I'm impressing myself with how much detail information I am withholding for Will's peace of mind. Are you proud of me honey?) Exciting!

Of course we called some family and told them to watch...and me, Will and my bro Ryan (who wanted to see flips and tricks done in this $250 MILLION dollar plane over the housetops and in between commerical air planes) sat on our roof and waited for the planes to go over our heads. We had our fingers on the record buttons ready to push record because we knew it would be over in mere seconds, but didn't know how low Peter was going to be able to fly.

So we waited...and waited...and I took some pictures from our roof. Beautiful perspective!

looking to the South...

Looking to the North...where we were expecting the planes to come from...

and then, with my perfect vision eyes - thanks to Hoopes! - I saw two tiny specs to the North in the distance...

You could hear them, but not really see them. Without the camera I could see their shape and you could tell that they weren't planes that normally flew over, but with the camera they looked like tiny dots. I'm sure they were obeying rules and couldn't get any closer...how cool would that have been?

I blew up this picture a lot so you could see them. It was really cool. Peter texted Will and told him that he lit up the backburners for him...what a rumble!

Thanks Pete! "U R Awesome!!"

Oh, Front Yard Tree

This tree has been one of my major stresses in life. My dad says that my grandpa Jay planted this American Elm tree when they built this house over 50 years ago.

I love this tree.

I love the color of it's leaves - hence my bedroom color. I love looking through it's branches in the dark and seeing the huge American flag all lit up a few blocks away. The moon looks beautiful through it too. It's our air-conditioner. It completes our home. It's majestic and perfectly shaped. It's our family tree that we have taken family pictures in. I grew up with this tree.

And I'm so afraid that it will die under our care! Such pressure!

So we had a tree trimming company come out and give us a quote to trim it. Cha-Ching. I know $400 doesn't sound like a lot to some people, and I know that $400 is probably a good deal to trim this ginormous tree...but then I always remember who I am married to.

Will can do ANYTHING!



One lift rental, one borrowed chain saw, one borrowed harness and voila! Tree trimming by Will!

And, sorry he's not for hire!

Obviously this was done a while ago...like in September...there are no leaves on this tree anymore and all be beautiful green leaves turned to bright yellow and fell to the ground where our kids had a blast jumping and running through them. They did NOT have a blast raking them up though.

Worse comes to worse...we will stay warm thanks to this tree. It's kind of like the story "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein...except it doesn't grow apples and we won't be building a boat or a house out of it!

I had to rescue Willie a couple of times from falling branches. Willie tried to drag off some smaller branches a couple of times for ultimate 'go fetch'. He thinks he's so tough!

Will mostly trimmed the dead out of the tree. It was growing so far out over the road that when big trucks would drive by the top of the truck would scrape against the branches...those branches had to go! We had an awesome friend and neighbor helping out on the ground. I couldn't and still can't imagine me using a chain saw. I would if I needed to, but I already feel like I've done things that not a lot of other women would do - as far as yard work and machinery and home improvement goes, so I'll gladly bow out of that responsibility as long as someone else will do it!

And then...the very best, most wonderful, most exciting, joyful, hallelujah of a moment happened...

Will hacked this stinky, smelly, annoying Ginko Biloba tree to the nothings. He didn't cut it down, but he cut about 99.8% of the branches that were carrying the fruit. You think these little berries look innocent? Have you smelled one? Or maybe tried to mop the squished remains off of a floor or carpet, or tried to scrape the berries out of shoe crevices? They stink like vomit that smells like poop. Seriously.

They must be a curse that we brought onto this house, because before my Grandma Jane died, she came over to the house to watch her kitchen wall crumble as we were building the addition, and in order to get into the house we all had to tip-toe over around and through these wicked berries. She said that that tree had never fruited before...just my luck!

Good BYE stinky berries! Two truck AND trailer loads of branches and twigs and our beautiful majestic tree in our front yard looks better than ever. The Ginko tree looks pretty sad...but once the leaves grow back next spring...no one will notice!

It must be unconditional love...for sure!

I would never have imagined that Willie would have turned out so mellow. So fun. So irritating. So lovable.

I had visions of children crying from being bitten and I thought for sure that Willie's temperment was going to be more like a cat than a dog. Which is...stay away from me please, You're in my personal space and I'm too good for you! (that's what I imagine cats are like anyway...which is why I don't own a cat!) He's not perfect...for sure...and there have been times when he's embarrassed me as much as my children have, but WOW he's a great dog!

These are the kinds of antics my girls put him through on a daily basis...

Willie in the bathroom garbage can. The girls laughed hysterically, and Willie just sat there...all squished in this garbage can. Waiting for permission to get out. I think he liked it actually. He seems to like to squish into small spaces. Only unconditional love would allow this to happen.

I love to look out the window and see him waiting at the edge of the grass, all scraggely and stuff. Taking it all in. Waiting for some unsuspecting child to run through the yard so he can attack their pant leg and shoe laces (that's one of the embarrassing things.)

I'm so glad he loves us unconditionally.

What happened in Vegas...

I really don't understand why people flock here. Las Vegas is really a nasty, filthy, prey on weaknesses and habits kind of place. And if you're not into drinking alcohol and/or smoking and/or gaining 10 pounds for keeps in a weekend and/or reading the little cards that are constantly being passed out by children (you know the ones?) then there really is no reason to visit. BUT...if you get far enough away from the main strip, it's an okay place!

Will bought tickets to see U2 clear back in April. And the trip finally happened last month! Me and Will alone was the best part!!! I read an entire book on the trip down and back too. That's a first for me. I even liked the book so much and wanted to finish it so bad that I fished Will's head lamp flash light out his I'm-always-prepared-for-an-emergency backpack...must be a soldier thing. (Looking for a good book? Read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" LOVED IT!)

Will was so excited to go. I really was to, but I think my age is getting to me. I was worried about the drive back to St. George we were making that night after the concert, and my broken toe was/is still hurting and I wasn't thrilled about sitting for more than 2 hours and I'm not an expert in U2 songs, and the kids, and are we going to get lost. You know, all the whinny complaining kind of things that I'm good at.

lots of people...lots. And it turned out that I shouldn't have worried about what I was wearing. All the girls wearing tops that were barely tops and shoes they were teetering in and shirt dresses with belts and big bellies, made it so no one was looking at this mom of 4 wearing jeans and gym shoes - it's all about comfort, folks!

We got inside and tried to take some pictures with our ancient phones. I wanted to bring my camera in, but I'm glad I didn't. The less to worry about the better. And I didn't need to worry about someone breaking into our car because our seats for the concert were the second from the top row and we could look out over the fence and see Will's truck...we might have actually been closer to the truck than the stage, but we heard ALL the awesome music!

Will and the parking lot!

ancient phone pic!

U2 was AWESOME! We loved it. Even though Bono was a spec in the distance - thank goodness for the jumbo screen. U2 is a class act (unlike the opening act). And even though we may not have looked like we were enjoying it as much and didn't dance as beautifully as all the completely drunk people around us. We did...and we remembered it the next day, too! I could not BELIEVE how much people drank? Is the alcohol content lower in NV than in UT? Or did I just exit my bubble for a while?

Great opportunity to people watch!

Black Eyed Peas opened and were okay. I always think that I'm being a little prudish when people start to throw around the f bomb. Hi! I'm Julie and I'm a prude and I'm glad! Like they're so cool and they can be so much cooler if they say the f word some more. But I decided that people who talk that way don't have the ability to use their brain to think of a word that actually describes what they're talking about instead of using a word that basically means 'blank' and is a filler. No thought. So they lost my interest a little into their show. Music sounded good, but no brain cells...typical for most famous people!)

My most memorable moment was the song 'Where the Streets Have No Name'. Gave me chills. Too bad all the drunks around us won't remember it!

I have a great life!

Spooooky!

And as I close this day, I leave it with a few questions.

1. Why do people think that dressing up as 'goth' is cool? I saw almost 300 people dressed up that way at Walmart tonight (over-exaggerating only a little).

2. Women over the age of, ummm, NEVER, should wear skirts that barely reach the bottom of their behind. G to the R to the O to the S to the S!!! What makes some women think they can pull it off?

3. What kind of parents raise children that think it's okay to destroy other people's property?

4. Is it okay to be a party pooper and not dress up when you're my age?

5. Did I eat too much chocolate today.

Hey...put that candy down!

Visiting the Ole' neighborhood pumpkin patch!

This day just so happened to be my birthday, but I'm not really into any of the "YEA, ME!" stuff, so I thought that doing something the kids really wanted to do would be fun! Again...Beckie's camera was soooo lovely to use!

I'm so tempted to go get a few more pumpkins, not because I want them to decorate with, but because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE pumpkin seeds! If I cook enough, they might last until December! Not that they would go bad - I would just eat them all!

There's a house close to my dad's office and really, only a few blocks from our house that always has it's yard filled with pumpkins of ALL kinds. I bought my first "Cinderella pumpkin" there last year - and of course, I had to get another one this year. Will was with us this year and adopted another original pumpkin into our family.

Will was extremely tired of my anti-birthday antics, but was still being a great sport!

Lauren likes to go for the original pumpkin! The bigger the better!

Emma modeled several for me. Of course, she ended up with one that was much larger! I wouldn't have allowed this one - not enough seeds!

I love pumpkin colors...I love to decorate with pumpkins...I love pumpkin seeds...I love pumpkin pie...and I even have a husband who will make pumpkin pie from pumpkin. Not the stuff in the can that I use.

B...JAY B...HE LIKES HIS PUMPKINS SEEDED, NOT SQUASHED!

Frosty's here!

Wait...should I get my Christmas music out yet? Yes? No? I'm tempted! If there's snow, I kind of might need to! Maybe I can wait a few more days...Sunday for sure, there will be Jingle Bells at the Biesinger house!!

Will built me a snowman at work and took a picture of it for me! Now if that's not love then I don't know what is!!! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

(Does anyone else remember that Frosty says that in the 'Frosty the Snowman' cartoon movie?)

Just in passing...

I want to brag (and I'm sure Will is going to get mad at me for doing this) that Will was made a Company Commander for his Unit. Just to make him happy, I won't say what unit, but his responsibilities just doubled if not tripled and it makes his next deployment a little more interesting - to say the least!

The change of command ceremony was very interesting to watch. Very symbolic. The First Sargent holds the Unit flag, passes it to the out-going Company Commander, who passes it to the Battalion Commander, who passes it to Will - the in-coming Company Commander, who passes it back to the First Sargent. Got that?

And then he got to speak to his men.

It was very humbling to be told, "Welcome to the Unit, ma'am." by so many men. I'm sure my implied duties as the Company Commander's wife will be more than I realize, but I'll just cross that bridge when I need to!

Will's parents are a great support and they made the long drive to see Will take this command. Yes, it was early in the morning and my eyes were tired, but it's just poor photography skill by me with this picture!

I'm proud of you, Will. I knew that you being such a hard worker, being so honest, and always doing your best - no matter what - would get you to where you are today...and you're just going to go up from here, too!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Lauren Elizabeth

Lauren...my little surprise from conception on.

Happy 11th Birthday - October 16th

Lauren wanted into this world faster than Will and I thought could be possible, but she has filled our lives with giggles and smiles and hugs and kisses. Not to make anyone else feel bad, but she was THE most BEAUTIFUL baby! She had so much black hair and a perfect little nose and beautiful big eyes, oh and her dad's dimple! I think she's a clone of her Aunt Donna! She has cute little freckles that make her face even that much more enjoyable to look at!! She was my calm after the storm (Katie Jane!). She loves dressing up and looking "fancy" and always has ideas for activities for us to do as a family. She's a planner.

And she's a talker! If you ask her what a book is about and you ask her to just give a brief description, she doesn't know what to leave out so she tries to tell the whole story...in a very long way! But she giggles in places in the middle and that makes listening to her so enjoyable!

Lauren sometimes gets forgotten or at least called Emma multiple times every day...so we tried to do something fun this year for her birthday. I'm not be best birthday-planning-mother. I don't usually do friend parties because...well, any party with multiple girls ranging in the age from 5 to 14 is not my idea of relaxing, fun or do-able! So we tend to stick to smaller gatherings and family parties. I took Lauren and a couple of friends to Color Me Mine. They had so much fun as I tried to keep my heart palpitations under control as I imagined what the price was going to be.

So she got her "pumpkin" cake and her outing with a couple of her friends and her choice of dinner - which was Korean. Love it that Will still cooks Korean for us! Bul-Go-Gi and Jap-Chae (or pronounced in our home - Pull Kogi and Chop Chay). I always think my kitchen is big enough until Will cooks Korean and everyone swarms in to enjoy it!

DE-licious!

Lauren is such an amazing daughter and Heavenly Father knew that I needed her!

Happy Birthday - Lauren, Lauren, Bo, Bauren!

Dear Diary

I started this 'Blog' thing to keep friends and family up to date on what was going on with Will while he was in Afghanistan. Sometimes I 'Blog' for fun, but lately I've decided that I really need to use this wonderful tool as a journal. You know those times when your child does something amazingly funny or says something really smart or looks super cute and you think that you will NEVER forget that moment and how he/she sounded and what they looked like. That you'll never forget that special memory with a loved one or a friend and have eternally etched in your mind what they said? Well, I've come to realize that...I forget.

I was really, really good at recording things when I only had Jay. I had his first year of 'firsts' on a calendar and all kinds of information that he would never care about in his adulthood, all recorded, very responsibly and energetically on a calendar. As well as his baby book. Jay has two FULL 12 x 12 Creative Memories scrapbooks...my girls have 1 that's maybe 1/2 full. Sadly, all my scrap booking efforts completely stopped about 1 year after I had Emma.

Too much cutting out and too many cute paper choices and it was so hard to be original with every page. Mine always turned out looking exactly the same but with pictures of different sizes and different colors of paper. All square. All framed. All predictable.

So everyone, welcome to my scrapbook!

I've been making a Blurb book of my blog the last few weeks (AWE-some) and looking back at the pictures from only one year ago and realizing how fast my kids have grown and reading and seeing things that I had totally forgotten about. So this here blog is now my scrapbook and my journal, which it kind of has been already, but now I must add more interesting only to me information that I'm sure no one else will care to know. Nothing revealing, just some of those - I'll-always-remember-when moments...that's I'm sure I'll forget!

So here's one.

We measured all the kids on Friday. Here are the results since I won't be recording them on a calendar for each of the kids and I won't be able to drag my broom closet door with me wherever I go to remember my kids heights at what ages.

Jay - 6 ft 1/8 inches (not including the carpet of hair on his head) at age 14

Katie Jane - 5 ft 5 inches at age 12

Lauren - 5 ft at age 11

Emma - 4 ft 2 inches at age 6 (almost 7)

Doesn't almost every home have a measuring mark door? My grandma Jane had one in her kitchen and we even measured our Cabbage Patch Kids dolls on it! It's flooded with markings and it's a treasure! Our measuring door is my broom closet door - or my vacuum closet door because that's my broom. I almost had to get a step stool to write Jay's information on the edge of the door. The kids love measuring how tall they have gotten and all four of them have grown at least an inch each since June 1, 2009. Lauren was most especially excited because she was convinced that she had stopped growing. Go Lauren! Go Lauren!

So now, when I finish my Blurb book, I can always look back through it's pages and remember how tall my kids were on October 16, 2009 without having to decipher which line goes with which date and which child's name, and hopefully remember all the neat things a mom always tries to find room in her brain to remember about her children!

The sad part is, is that I'm 12 1/2 years behind already. What's that saying? Oh yeah...one day at a time.

Strike a pose

Oh, the things I can imagine I can do with an awesome camera! I know my sister probably wants it back, but I LOVE, Love, love hearing that expensive camera - click - sound. I've been practicing and trying to figure out a camera that has more options than just zoom.

And I found that I have a very willing model, too. Emma has been my little "Cindy Crawford". (because I think Cindy is the prettiest model.) Emma is a true natural!

Don't believe me?

Someday I'll figure out how to make people jealous with my photography skills. But for now...I'll enjoy pretending -

And making my kids feel like SUPERSTARS!!

Ummmm, Happy Halloween!