Daily Dribble

First, some sad news. We have canceled our trip to Mexico. We called a few bishops down there and the swine flu is a problem in the Cancun area . . . all the missionaries have been told to stay in their apartments and they've canceled church for 2 weeks. We don't want to bring it back to our families, etc.

Second, some OK news. Tiffany won 1st runner up in the Motherhood contest. I still think she deserved 1st place. I should have mentioned the fact that her babies were very sick after birth, but I didn't use that card. DANG IT! She won a nice prize though. Thanks for your votes, it made her feel good.

Third, some great news. Emma had her dress rehearsal tonight and she did GREAT! It was a funny play and I laughed the whole time. There were a lot of great actors and singers and I enjoyed the whole thing. I should have taken my camera tonight, darn it. I will try and get some tomorrow.

GIVE AWAY TODAY

Hey everyone! This is my cute sis-in-law Tiffany and her wonderful kids. I need your help to REWARD this lady. I've been entering myself in this daily give away blog everyday for about a month. One day, they asked followers to enter a special mother in an online contest for Mother's Day. I entered Tiffany and she was selected as a finalist!

Now she just needs YOUR vote to win the awesome package (including baby headbands, scrapbook supplies, and jewelry.) Anyway, go HERE to read the essay I wrote about Tiffany (scroll down past today's contest. . . )

And then VOTE (hopefully for Tiffany and not a stranger).

And spread the word.

Please.

I really want her to win. She's the best. And all the stuff I wrote about her is true.

RELEASED!!

Today I was released from my calling as 1st Counselor in the Stake YW Presidency. I've served in the Stake for just a little over 2 years and it's been wonderful. If you are new to the LDS lingo and don't know what I'm talking about, read THIS post to get up to speed, OK?

I've worked with the greatest women and learned so much from them, as I've served in the Stake. They've taught me a lot about leadership, but more about humility, sacrifice, serving on a council and the joys of hard work. I've made some great friends in other wards that I'll always treasure. Friends that I've SERVED and those I've SERVED WITH that I'll miss when I return to service in my ward.

I've had some great experiences including being involved in a 4-Stake Youth Celebration, planning a 4-Stake Youth Conference and 2 years of Girls Camp excitement and Priest/Laurel activities. I loved being involved in planning/going on a Pioneer Handcart Trek. I've gone to/spoken at LOTS of YW Leadership Training Meetings and I've gotten to observe many fun 'New Beginnings' and 'Young Women in Excellence' nights. I've taught at Ward Conference Youth Meetings and sat through almost 20 of them. I've attended close to 30 youth dances and feel very current on the music/fashion in the world today. I really will miss doing all those things, now that I'm released from this calling. Actually, I won't miss teaching at Ward Conferences, but all the rest I'll miss.

I've grown to love this calling and there are many other things I'll miss besides all the fun activities. The thing I'll miss most though, is the thing that I didn't like AT ALL when I first started serving. At first, I felt really far removed from serving "The Individual." I was supposed to serve the Young Women in 9 wards (about 175 girls) and their leaders (about 50 women) It was overwhelming and hard to figure out how to do it. Over time, I got to know EACH of the girls and I truly love them. I am so impressed by their desires to follow our Savior and do the right thing. The girls in my stake are inspirational and beautiful. I've enjoyed working with the leaders also. The women that serve the Youth in our Stake are dedicated, self-less and such good examples. I am grateful for the chance I've had to work in calling because I truly have grown more during my service.

I can't wait to see what the Lord calls me to do next. I do hope it's somewhere I'm super comfortable (the Primary). One area I know I need to improve in though, is as a teacher of the youth. Even though I've worked with the Youth for 2 years, I still don't feel confident teaching them. We'll see, I'll keep you posted!

Eric and Emma

My littlest brother, Eric and my oldest daughter, Emma have brought me some very 'Exquisite Moments' during the last few weeks, because of their choices and decisions.

Eric has been preparing to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints his whole life. He's really made it a priority and focus over the last year. I've seen marked growth in his maturity and spiritual stature. I am so very proud of him. He received his mission call to the LA, California Mission, Spanish Speaking. He'll leave July 29th. I'm so happy for him and he's so excited. I can't wait to spend a little time with him before he leaves for 2 years. Although we'll miss him, I know his service will bless the lives of others, including our family!


This is my FAVORITE all-time photo. I've been waiting for the perfect moment to "unveil" it on my blog. It's of Eric (about 7), Emma (about 6 months) Daniel (about 10) and me. I had bangs and no fat on my neck. I love this picture. Isn't Emma a little IMP in it?

Emma just turned 12. In our church, that's a huge milestone. You "graduate" from the Primary (our children's organization) to Young Women's (our girl's youth organization). Now, on Sunday's Emma associates with the 12-18 year old girls. She is SOOO happy. She's been waiting a long time to move up. Here is another cute shot of Eric, Emma and Daniel (my other baby brother!)

Last week, Emma was able to go to the Temple for the first time and I got to accompany her. She was so excited and enjoyed her service there so much. She came home very anxious to do genealogical research with her Grandpa and Uncle Justin (our family historians). She can't wait to do temple ordinances for her ancestors, the next time she visits the temple.

It was fun to be at the Temple with Emma. She was overwhelmed with joy and peace. She REALLY wanted me to sit near her, at all times and she'd snuggle on my shoulder or hold my hand. I loved it! She usually isn't very demonstrative and it was nice to feel so loved and needed! I am so proud of Emma. I'm proud that she's worthy to go to the House of the Lord, the sacred Holy Temple.

Emma's School Play Ad

Emma is in the Scenic Middle School's play, "A Midsummer's Night Dream." She prepared a 7 minute dialogue and an A Capella solo for the tryouts. I thought she should have gotten a lead, of course, but she was cast as a lesser fairy. She will be dancing, singing and has a small speaking part. The performance is next week and I'll be happy when it's over! It takes up a lot of Emma's time, but she has enjoyed it. She's using the experience toward her Personal Progress in Young Women's, at Church.

Her dad bought an ad in the program. . . but her Aunt Tiffany is the genius behind the verbiage and design. I love that woman. Anytime I need a Photoshop project handled, she is the master I call! Thanks Tiff! It really is cute (and funny).

Surprise!!

Damian bought us a 13th Anniversary trip to Cancun, Mexico and we're leaving in 2 weeks! We'll be meeting Jared and Christine there (Damian's brother) and I can't wait! I spent a day researching and planning and this is what I've come up with! Disclaimer: I should have made this two posts, I got a little carried away! If you get bored, just read half and then come back and finish another day!

We'll be gone 8 days, and 2 of those will be spent traveling, so we'll have 6 days in the sun! This is what the beaches look like in Cancun. Just take a moment and picture me, reading a book, soaking it in. I think I'll spend 3 days here. . . in this cute double chair . . .with my cute husband, that I adore. I especially adore him after this surprise!

On the 4th day, when I've had enough of that cute chair, I've planned an excursion for us. We'll drive 2 hours south to visit the Tulum Ruins. They're right on the beach and really beautiful!

We'll stay for an hour or so and when it gets hot we'll drive another 15 minutes to a Water Preserve/Park called: Xel-Ha (Mayan for "The Place Where Water Begins.")

We'll have all sorts of adventures there, including swimming with 75 varieties of fish as well as dolphins, stingrays and turtles in a river inlet that forms a natural lagoon, draining into the sea. Don't worry, there is a big gate across the ocean to keep the sharks out.

After snorkeling, we'll float a REAL lazy river out to the sea. Along the way we'll stop for rope swings, cliff jumping, underwater cave exploration and other exciting junk.

For a hundred bucks, Damian MIGHT swim with dolphins. They jump over you, swim around you and "play games with you," they let you pet them, do tricks you command them (the trainers teach you the signs), they kiss & hug you as well as jump over a bar you hold for them.

For an extra $30 you can do this "Foot Push" trick, where the dolphins swim up under your feet and lift you out of the water. How long you can stay on is up to you. I hope Damian decides to do it. I want to see him do this fancy number.

Xel-Ha is only $67 dollars for all the food, drinks, and equipment you need for the day, including kayaks and bikes. Plus it's just so gorgeous. There are trails through the jungle to walk or bike that you can observe tons of butterflies, macaws, toucans, iguanas and beautiful orchids and other flora. The park closes at 5, so then we'll head back to Cancun. I think we'll be exhausted!

Another day we're planning to hit another Water Preserve called Xcaret. It has an amazing dinner theater with a night show called "Mexico Espectacular." The show chronicles the history of the Mayans people, through the conquistadors and to modern times. It's 90 minutes of gorgeous entertainment and costumery. These photos are all taken from Xcaret's site.

The part of the show I most want to see is the 3000 year old Mayan version of Basketball. This feathered ball player is sitting on top of the "basket." The ball court has long narrow alleys with side-walls against which the ball can bounce. The rules of the ballgame are not known, but judging from its modern version "Ulama," they were probably similar to racquetball or volleyball where the aim is to keep the ball in play.

In the most widespread version of the game, the players struck the ball with their hips, although some versions allowed the use of forearms, rackets or bats. The ball is about the size of a basketball, made of rubber and weighs about 9 lbs. (a basketball weighs about 1.5 lbs!) And Damian thinks he has hip problems!

"He Shoots, He Scores!" I guess during the dinner show, the two sides of the theater pick teams and we cheer for our team. I think the guys will really like to see this game played.

This is the modern ball court at our Xcaret. It's hard to notice the "basket" or goal, but it's sticking out of the wall, with the ball coming at it right in the middle of the photo.

This is the famous ball court at Chichen Itza. It is the largest ball court in Mesoamerica. If you notice, the "baskets" are WAY up high. Probably to make the game near impossible.

These Mayans were weirdos, let's face it. And VERY violent. Violent, as in, they'd have scared the pants off the Vikings and Nazi's. They sacrificed humans all the time. Because of the artwork depicted around the ball courts, it is a fact that players were sacrificed at the end of the game. What isn't known is whether the victims were the losers or winners. Most archaeologists believe the winners were sacrificed. It was supposedly an honor to be sacrificed (maybe like the Muslim Jihad) and if you were the winning team captain, you had to die. Apparently, Chichen Itza is the bloodiest and most horrific time period in earth's history, to be uncovered so far. I mean, these people were very EVIL. I'm getting the creeps about this place as I research. Click HERE to see what I'm talking about. This historian shows beautiful pictures of the ruins and the carvings that illustrate the people's deeds at Chichen Itza. The question is, should I visit this horrible place? It was recently voted one of the NEW 7 Wonders of the World. Gross. I guess it's like visiting Auschwitz or Dachau.

Here is some Mayan artwork depicting the game. I think the Mayan artwork looks cool but I'm not planning to hang any up in my house. I don't want to make a blanket statement, but it's my blog. Those people were wicked and creepy. Their culture thrived from about 500BC -1200 AD. There may have been a time that the Mayan's were nice. But evidence shows that they were sacrificing, as well as those Tolmecs that conquered them (and were even nastier). So, unless I can find something that I know is depicting the glorious, righteous years that the people in Central America were Christian, as The Book of Mormon teaches, I'm not buying.

This last shot is of the largest ruin at Chichen Itza, "The Temple of Kukulkan." Kukulkan is another name for Quetzacoatl, a mythical prince that founded Chichen Itza and became a feathered serpent god the Mayans revered. The things the Mayans did in his name were horrid. But, let's move past the blood and horror.

The Mayans were very knowlegable about astronomy. On the days of the Spring and Autumn Solstice, the sun shines through the top of the temple and casts a shadow that resembles a snake, slithering down the side of the temple (remember, their "God" was part man, part serpent and part bird.) There are exactly 364 steps to get to the top, with the top platform counting as the 365th step, symbolizing all the days in the year. Both Tulum and Chichen Itza were built Post- Book of Mormon times, so I may try and hit another group of ruins that are known to be in exhistance during the times I love reading about in my scriptures, but we'll see.

These are a few of my Favorite Things

Cereal: Rice Chex
Fabric Softener: Bounce Sheets/Downy Clean Breeze liquid
Bath & Body Works Scent: Warm Vanilla Sugar
Color: Green
(There are more varieties of the color Green in nature,

than any other color!)
Vehicle: Who cares, as long as the stereo is good!
Dinner: Prepared by anyone but me!
Dessert: Olive Garden Pumpkin Cheesecake
Movie: P.S. I Love You


Season: Spring
Holiday: Valentines Day

(I love those tear-away cards and adore love letters!)
Flavor: Lime
(just squeeze that little miracle on everything!)
Appetizer: Warm Artichoke Dip
Flower: Daffodils
Stone: Malachite & Lapis Lazuli
Jewelry: Earrings w/ above mentioned stones
Shoes: Flip Flops

Card Game: Anything w/my parents & brothers
Board Game: Disney's Guess Who?
Fast Food: Arbys
Music: U2
(I could listen to them 24/7)
Ice Cream: Umpqua Chocolate Thunder Brownie
(I'd like to eat this daily)
Fruit: Blueberries
Animal: Dogs
Art: Made by my kids

Sport: Swimming/Snorkeling
State: Alaska
TV Show: The Office & LOST
(also The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency!)
Sports Team: All things BYU
Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Drink: Ice Water
Jeans: I'm currently searching for a brand that
makes me look 5" taller & 20 lbs. lighter
Candy Bar: Dove Eggs

Rocky Oregon Coast

Over General Conference Weekend the extended Idiart family took a get-away to the Oregon Coast. We rented a beach house together and had a great time! The kids REALLY enjoyed playing in the beach. In their coats. It was warm, but not TOO warm. As you can see, the sand is gritty and grey, but the kids had fun digging and dumping.

When the tide went out in front of our house, we took our clammin'/crabbin' tools and tried to find something to eat.

We found some teeny-tiny crabs and some starfish. We had fun looking, but found no dinner.

Some of us had fun climbing the slippery seaweed strewn rocks while our mothers looked on in horror. No one was injured during the taking of these pictures. Except Sarah's feet and Christine's pride. Actually, her pride wasn't hurt until I published this photo. It was just her feet, initially. Let me explain:

When the tide was out it uncovered some caves that normally were submerged. We had to hike a little ways to get to them. The sand in front of our house didn't hurt our feet, so we were barefoot. When we hiked to the caves, the sand turned into rocks. Jagged, painful rocks that hurt to walk on. The hike back was quite excruciating and Sarah whined more than anyone thought humanly possible. Christine finally crawled home.

This adorable boy is my nephew, Noah. Judging from the size of his coat, you'd think he was playing on the beach in Valdez, Alaska! This beach did actually remind me of home, I have to say. All kinds of mussel shells all over and fine gravel instead of sand. You can't build a decent sand castle with the stuff!

And this darling girl is my neice, Elise. She always has a thin trail of drool hanging from her chin. Can you see that fine string dangling? I love the way she scrunches up her nose. She also keeps her binkey handle snuggly pushing into her nostrils. I don't know why. If I flip it down, she looks at me like I'm a baby hater and flips it back up. I love teasing the poor kid.

How I love this boy. He is so funny and cute.

And quite the poser. Check out his ballet leg impression.

Just one more shot of Benny and his Bum.

Damian took all the little cousins on a hike up a rock. Emma went too, in case her muscles were needed. Marcus, in the blue coat, is the big brother of Elise, the nasal binky girl. Mary is the big sister of Noah, the oversized coat boy.

Cute Katrina, posing for Mom.

We Idiarts really had so much fun sharing a house together. We loved making bonfires on the beach at night, we loved playing games, watching movies, and eating great food together. It was a really fun trip and we can't wait to go again!

Poultry Pedicures

We've finally done it. We've become FARMERS. We are the proud owners of a beautiful $500 coop and 6 baby chicks!

All of the chicks look like clones and so we painted each of their nails a different color so the kids can be sure to hold them all equally. Apparently, if you hold chicks, they'll be more tame as adults. This is really important for your rooster. Since we have no idea if we have roosters/hens or some combination of the two, we're just loving them all.

Emma named her chick "Princess Poachy." In the event that Poachy is actually a rooster, we'll switch her name to "Prince Poachy." And then we'll eat him. Emma might become vegetarian at that moment. She's pretty attached. She likes to let Poachy climb all over her. And poop all over her. She's not squeamish!

Josh has named his "Dr. Peep," hoping he's a rooster. Josh's is so calm, I assume it's a hen. If it's a rooster, I think this will be our main mating man. He won't intimidate the ladies.

"Dr. Peep" really has a nice temperment. Kind of reminds me of Damian; quiet, calm, likes to snuggle and falls asleep as soon as you start talking to her/him. You can see it's little closed eye on the top right.

This is my all time favorite chicken picture. Rachel ADORES the birds. Hers actually is colored a little different, with quite a bit of yellow. This chick might be a HALF sibling of the others, because all the others have only black and white coloring.

Let me introduce you to "Sonny Side-Up." That isn't it's real name, though. Rachel only wants to call it "Sonny" but I prefer the middle name, also. This one is the youngest chick (one day old, as opposed to two days.) It doesn't have it's wing feathers growing in yet and still has a little bit of egg whites stuck on it's fluff. It has a lot of cute cowlicks on it's head, too. I think by tomorrow it'll be much more mature.

Katrina isn't a big fan of HOLDING the chicks, but hers is named "Shell-y." I want this chick to have the middle name "Huevo" but Katrina said, "NO!"

Benjamin is SURE his is a Rooster. I'm pretty sure, too. It is definately a FIGHTER. Ben wanted to name it "Benjamin Jared Idiart." Then he decided on "Rooster Eagle." What he doesn't know is that I've made an executive decision and we'll be naming his "Eagle Ben-edict." I'm SURE we'll be eating his bird if it's not a hen. It is the spazziest, weirdest bird. I think it might need some poultry prozac or something. It's either a Rooster or has mental health issues.

Happy Easter from the Idiarts: Katrina, Rachel, Emma, Marcus (my nephew stood in for Ben, since Ben didn't like his chick basket and had a fit) and Josh.

Ben is 5!!

My youngest, Benjamin, turned 5 on April 6th. I threw him his first birthday party with friends and he had a great time. First, he and I made a fun cake. Then, we spent an hour decorating the house with streamers and balloons. My dang house is so big, one hour of decorations isn't enough and looks a little lame. Even though we hung up 6 rolls of streamers, it looked sparse. Next year I'll take photos and show you what I'm talking about.

When his friends arrived, they piled up his presents. This was my favorite, from Ben's cousin Ashton. What a creative little guy. That's Yoda saying, "For You, this is!" in case you can't read it.

We gave out Star Wars invitations, but the party was Sports Themed. Sports themed parties are easier to plan games for and make cakes for, that's for sure. I've learned that whatever invites you give, those generally are the kind of presents your kids get. They're like a little "clue" for mommies.

It worked well. Ben adored ALL his presents and was so thrilled to get some from his friends. We'd been practicing what he should do after opening gifts all week. He performed very well, adding his own quirky touch. As soon as he opened a gift, he'd say, "Here I come Aiden, with your thank you hug!" or "Watch out Nathan, I'm gonna hug you!" He had a funny little one-liner for each buddy. I enjoyed watching him tackle and hug each friend, knowing next year he'll be too old to hug his pals.

I told all the boys to be serious for the first picture. Colton (the moving little blur) just couldn't restrain himself. Ben thought "Serious" meant "Grumpy," apparently. Four of these little boys will be in his Kindergarten class next year. Two are one year older than Ben, but they are his HEROS! His little cousin Marcus (in the orange pants) came and did well at a big boy party.

The two big boys in the front are Ben's brother Josh and Josh's best friend, Drake. When I asked Ben who he wanted at his party he listed off all of Josh's friends, and his 2 boy cousins. I had to remind him that he has friends his own age. But he was ADAMANT that we invite Drake. Since Drake is his BEST FRIEND. Drake was a good sport about it. He came a little early for the party and I put him and Josh to work cleaning the house and getting things ready for the games. I appreciate him.

Happy Birthday to my sweet little boy, Ben. He lights up our lives and brings a lot of laughter and joy to our home. He is spunky, funny, intelligent and sweet. He is considerate and kind. I am proud to be his mom and I love him very much.