One Word Tag

One Question for each year I've been alive! I have to say, it's very hard for me to keep my answers to one word, so I cheated on some. I think I have a talking problem. What do you think?
1. Where is your cell phone? Charging
2. Your significant other? Hottie
3. Your hair? Blondish
4. Your mother? Fun
5. Your father? Crazy
6. Your favorite thing? Chocolate
7. Your dream last night? Forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? Water
9. Your dream/goal? Retirement
10. What room you are in? Living Room

11. Your hobby? Webkinz
12. Your fear? Disaster
13. Favorite place to eat? Out
14. Where were you last night? Movies
15. Muffins? Poppy Seed

16. Wish list item? Astro Turf
17. Where you grew up? Valdez
18. Last thing you did? Email
19. Next thing you plan to do? Bubble Bath

20. What are you wearing? Earrings
21. Your TV? Big
22. Your pets? Dead
23. Friends? Loyal
24. Your life? Busy

25. Your mood? Cheerful
26. Missing someone? Briana
27. Car? Zippy
28. Something you're not wearing? Shoes
29. Your favorite store? Scrapbook

30. Your favorite music? U2
31. One place that you go to over and over? Kitchen
32. One person who emails you regularly? Grandma
33. Where you want to be in 5 years? Here
34. Where you want to be in 10 years? Sane
35. Where you want to be in 15 years? Mission

Dang, 35 is OLD! Now I tag my cousins Suzy, Andrea and Jeff. If any of you are still reading my blog!

How well do I know my Man?

We'll see how well I know Damian. My answers are first, his are in red.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? The Office, Law and Order, Criminal Minds, SPORTS!! "Law and Order & CSI"

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Brianne's Poppyseed Dressing, "Usually Ceasar because I don't trust any of the other ones" (OK, what does that mean?)

3. What's one food he doesn't like? Any recipe that originates in Utah (creamy soup casseroles, jello salads, etc) "What are those spear things we ate the other day, Asparagus, I really don't like asparagus."

4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order? Sprite. "Chocolate Shake"

5. Where did he go to high school? Capuchino HS "Capuchino"

6. What size shoe does he wear? 12?? "11"

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Stocks, Apartment Buildings "Some kind of money, I don't know, can you collect money? You probably can't collect money."

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Pastrami "Peanut Butter and Jelly or Tuna" I started laughing at this because I haven't gotten one answer right, so I tell Damian what I'm doing and tell him I answered "Pastrami" He says, "It used to be Pastrami, I'm old now." What in the heck does that mean? I don't know ANY old people that like PB and J.

9. What would this person eat every day if he could? Cold Cereal (and he does!) "Chocolate"

10. What is his favorite cereal? Cocoa Pebbles, Apple Jacks, Cocoa Puffs "Cheerios" OK, what is he talking about? I think he said that because he's trying to loose weight. He has eaten 1-2 bowls of one of cereals I mentioned every day since I've known him! I'm sure I'm still not wrong on EVERY account because I just don't know my own husband. Right?


11. What would he never wear? Non-Pleated Pants, skinny jeans "Women's Clothing or a G-String"

12. What is his favorite sports team? San Fran 49ers, Giants and Warriors, ALL THINGS BYU "Giants"

13. Who did he vote for? This is a major bone of contention in our marriage. He wouldn't vote for McCain, and wrote in the Prophet of our Church instead. He finally changed his vote to Mitt Romney after I yelled at him for wasting his vote and making a mockery of the democratic process. He thought McCain was too liberal. I'm still mad at him for not helping McCain but he says Oregon is a liberal state and Obama was going to win here anyway. I wonder if he remembers all this? "Mitt Romney"

14. Who is his best friend? After me? His brothers. Then Jim Watkins and Rich Savage from BYU. "You" Oh, how sweet. I think he knew he'd be sleeping on the couch if he didn't answer that right!

15. What is something you do that HE wishes YOU wouldn't do? burp, fart, raise my voice, leave the door open when I go to the bathroom, talk about him on my blog. "Stop me from groping you."

16. What is his heritage? 100% Basque (mostly French Basque, with a little Spanish Basque thrown in on his mom's side) "Basque American"

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? Chocolate with Chocolate frosting "Chocolate"

18. Did he play sports in high school? Basketball and Tennis "Basketball & Tennis"

19. What could he spend hours doing? Reading the Scriptures, church books, etc. I can't write the answer he said, since my children read this, but let's just say it involved kissing, for Emma's sake. So I asked him for a G rated answer and he said reading and traveling.


20. What is one unique talent he has? He can do voices when he reads stories to the kids. Especially hilareous is his voice for "Jose," Junie B. Jones's Boyfriend. "I can whistle" (not sure how this is unique, but I'll give it to him.)

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

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Ask your kid(s) these questions. If you have more than one ask them separately!
* Emma, Joshua, Rachel, Katrina, Benjamin

1. What is something mom always says to you?
E (12) NO! Have you done your homework, Is your room clean?
J (10) Did you practice piano?
R (8) Fold Laundry!
K (6) Clean your room!
B (5) SERVICE!!

2. What makes mom happy?
E (12) Chocolate, Daddy, Driving like a maniac
J (10) Her cooking, e-mail and everything that involves in Dad.
R (8) Chocolate, when I do her work, when I do all the chores
K (6) Daddy makes mom happy.
B (5) I fink it means she's SMILING.

3. What makes mom sad?
E (12) When her laptop went down
J (10) When you don't clean your room
R (8) If Dad dies
K (6) I’ve never seen her sad before!
Oh wait, she’s sad when she doesn’t have any candy to eat
B (5) If Daddy doesn't kiss her!

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
E (12) When she tries to act like me (a teenager) and she doesn’t succeed
J (10) NOTHING!
R (8) When she takes pictures, she says weird things
K (6) She never makes me laugh
B (5) Toots. And Emma. Like when Emma plays a game with her, she laughs.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
E (12) She was pale, nerdy and had big froggy glasses
J (10) DORKY and SKINNY
R (8) She had big glasses and she lived in Alaska
K (6) Weird! She looked weird
B (5) She liked Babydolls and BRATZ

6. How old is your mom?
E (12) 34, Old Enough!
J (10) Older than me
R (8) 34, I think
K (6) 34
B (5) 84 . . . 86??

7. How tall is your mom?
E (12) She is almost shorter than me . . . 5’2” or 5’3”
J (10) 5' 2"
R (8) 5’ 10” Is she taller than Mrs. Bjorge, because she's 5'1"
K (6) 5 feet
B (5) 86, 84 inches . . . How much inches is she?

8. What is your mom's favorite thing to do?
E (12) Blog and spend time with her children
J (10) Eat chocolate when we are asleep
R (8) Go on the Computer
K (6) Go on the Laptop
B (5) Clean her room and have a dog

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
E (12) She listens to the stereo really loud, cleans and goes to SMART
J (10) I don't know, I'm not around!
R (8) Go to SMART or stay at home with Benny
K (6) Watch TV and go on the laptop
B (5) She sews

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
E (12) The Worlds Most Maniac Driver
J (10) Her famous cooking
R (8) Blogs
K (6) Lifeguarding
B (5) Singing

11. What is your mom really good at?
E (12) Entertaining people
J (10) Being a girl
R (8) Blogging
K (6) Swimming
B (5) Good at going potty and running

12. What is your mom not very good at?
E (12) Volleyball
J (10) Being a boy
R (8) Playing Dolls, because she never does that
K (6) Rollerskating and basketball
B (5) Building houses and lifting couches

13. What does your mom do for a job?
E (12) Be a Mom, after she quit teaching
J (10) Nothing
R (8) SMART/Benny
K (6) Clean the house
B (5) She helps everybody clean their room

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
E (12) Chocolate . . . also, spinach and stuff
J (10) Vegetables
R (8) Ice Cream
K (6) Everything except Brussel Sprouts!
B (5) Ice Cream

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
E (12) She’s a good cleaner and she’s good at TiVoing our shows
J (10) When she buys me stuff
R (8) She's good at working
K (6) When she's the singing teacher in Primary, I want her to do that again!
B (5) When she plays Xbox

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
E (12) Porqupine Mom from “Over the Hedge,” she’s bossy/overprotective
J (10) Clarabel Cow, the gossipy lady or Shrek's wife, b/c of her gas issues
R (8) Minnie Mouse because she has cute legs and wears high heels
K (6) Minnie Mouse because she is so cute
B (5) I fink she would be Super Woman or Superman's Girlfriend. Remember that Daddy loves Super Woman (He’s thinking of Linda Carter as Wonder Woman)

17. What do you and your mom do together?
E (12) She drives me to school. She talks and I listen to her talking
J (10) Clean my room
R (8) Brush my teeth and new braces
K (6) Clean
B (5) Play games and Hug!

18. How are you and your mom the same?
E (12) We don’t have any similarities except we’re both girls
J (10) We have the same genetics
R (8) We both are cute
K (6) We both like to swim!
B (5) We bof love Daddy, but Mommy loves Daddy WAY more than me.

19. How are you and your mom different?
E (12) We’re REALLY different in every way
J (10) She is a woman and I am a man (then uncontrollable giggling)
R (8) Different color hair and eyes
K (6) She has blue eyes and I don't!
B (5) I have blond hair, Mommy has brown. And Mommy has a blue dress and earrings.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
E (12) She makes me food
J (10) She gave birth to me
R (8) She says she loves me, that gives me proof
K (6) When I had lice, she took care of it for me
B (5) Cuz I clean her room for her and I'm cute

21. How do you know that your mom loves your dad?
E (12) She kisses him all the time in front of us
J (10) She tells us she does
R (8) She married him!
K (6) Cuz she got married to him!
B (5) Cuz Daddy Loves Her!

22. What does your mom like most about your dad?
E (12) His lips, obviously
J (10) His hair
R (8) He's a nice personality and he's handsome. And he's nice. And he's the best dad and husband in the world.
K (6) Everything!
B (5) He kisses Mommy on the lips! And the hugging

23. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
E (12) Anywhere with Daddy, without the kids . . . to try new restraunts, too
J (10) She likes to be ALONE in her bathroom
R (8) To the school
K (6) The School and Disneyland
B (5) Eat grass at the farn, I mean barn.

BBC Book Quiz

The BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up? I've had my bookish nerdiness confirmed to me, with this quiz.

I've read 26, plus 21 more because they were part of the series (I added a '+' after titles that are series!!)

I noticed I've STARTED 12 on this list and put them down. . . I need to do more classic reading. . .the books take longer to read and they stretch my brain. Plus, if they're over 50 years old, chances are. . .they're clean/PG at worst. I hate reading smut. I need a vacation on a beach where I can catch up on my classics. Wouldn't that be nice?

Instructions:
1) Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read.
2) Put a % after those you've read a portion of.
3) Add a '+' to the ones you LOVE.
4) Star (*) those you plan on reading.
5) Tally your total read and put it in the title.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (%*)
2 The Lord of the Rings+ - JRR Tolkien (%)
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (%*)
4 Harry Potter+ - JK Rowling (x+)
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (x)
6The Bible+ (x+)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (*)
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell (x)
9 His Dark Materials+ - Philip Pullman (x) I hated these, but read them all. They're evil.
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens (*)
11 Little Women+ - Louisa M Alcott (x+)
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy (%)
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller (x+)
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (%)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier (*)
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien (%)
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk ( )
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger (x)
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger ( )
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot ( )
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell (*)
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald (%)
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens ( )
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy ( )
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (x)
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh ( )
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky ()
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck (x)
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll ( )
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame ( )
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy ( )
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens ( )
33 Chronicles of Narnia+ - CS Lewis (x)
34 Emma - Jane Austen (*)
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen (*)
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (x+)
37 Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini (x) I hated this book, just in case you're wondering.
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres ( )
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden ( )
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne (x)
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell (x)
42 The Da Vinci Code+ - Dan Brown (x+)
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez ( )
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving ( )
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins (*)
46 Anne of Green Gables+ - LM Montgomery (x+)
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy ( )
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood ( )
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding (x)
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan ( )
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel (x+)
52 Dune - Frank Herbert ( )
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons ( )
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen (*)
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth ( )
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon ( )
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (%)
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley ( )
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon ( )
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez ( )
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck (x)
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov ( )
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt ( )
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold ( )
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (%I'm reading this right now, it's great!)
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac ( )
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy ( )
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding ( )
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie ( )
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville ( )
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens ( )
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker (x)
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett (+)
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson ( )
75 Ulysses - James Joyce ( )
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath ( )
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome ( )
78 Germinal - Emile Zola ( )
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray ( )
80 Possession - AS Byatt ( )
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (%)
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell ( )
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker (x)
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro ( )
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert ( )
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry ( )
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White (x+)
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom (x+)
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ( )
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton ( )
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad ( )
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery (x+)
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks ( )
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams ( )
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Toole ( )
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas (*)
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare (%)
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory+ - Roald Dahl (x+)
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (%)

My Hubba Hubba Hubby Tag

1. What are your middle names? Damian Michael and Sarah Chanel

2. How long have you been together? Married almost 13 years.

3. How long did you know each other before you started dating? We met second semester at BYU in '93. I had a crush on Damian and 2 of his best friends, on and off that year. Whoever paid me the most attention was my pick of the week. I wrote all of them on their church missions all over the world and when Damian got home in '95 we started dating. We were engaged about 6 months later and married 5 months after that!

4. Who asked who out? If you haven't heard of the "Date the States" Map, click HERE. I think I asked Damian out since he already had his Alaska sticker, but if I remember right, it was because I loved him as a brother and knew we'd have fun, but I was also hoping to make Damian's best friend jealous?? What an idiot I was. Of course, his best friend could have cared less. But Damian did write me a love letter after, click HERE if you haven't read that baby.

5. How old are each of you? We are both 34, our birthdays are 4 days apart, I'm older.

6. Whose siblings do/did you see the most? His. We live less than a mile from all of his family and I love it. It's wonderful to have so many best friends so close and I wouldn't want it any other way.

7. Do you have any children together? Five

8. What about pets? We have a Chesapeake Retriever, Buddy. Click HERE to see our mangy dog, who we love.

9. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? See #7 . . . I am jealous sometimes of Damian's family. I make our marriage difficult for HIM sometimes. He never makes it hard for me. He is the easiest person to live with, talk to, etc. He never gets angry or frustrated.

10. Did you go to the same school? Not until college, we met at BYU

11. Are you from the same home town? No, he's from San Bruno, CA and I grew up in Valdez, AK

12. Who is the smartest? He is . . . in every way. Except I can make him do what I want with my feminine wiles . . . so who's really smarter, hu?

13. Who is the most sensitive? I cry in movies/books, but he is more sensitive to the promptings of The Holy Ghost. He is more aware of our kids needs/personalities and is a better parent because of that. He is also more patient and kind, which I think are truly sensitive attributes. So I'd say Damian is more sensitive. I'm just a crybaby.

14. Where do you eat out most as a couple? We love really fancy, expensive restaurants, since we both ADORE food. But our old standby is AppleBees, when we go cheap.

15. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? France/Spain and Mexico. Damian hasn't been to Italy to see my sister or Alaska/Hawaii, so those are places we want to go next.

16. Who has the worst temper? I think I mentioned that Damian doesn't have a temper, so that would be me. I can be a screamer to my kids. Yes, it's true. About 1-3 times a month I really let the witch out.

17. Who does the cooking? Me, but Damian is better at it. He enjoys it too. Also, my 10-year-old son, Josh cooks for us about once a week. He is now moving past boxed/frozen to actual recipes (spaghetti for one) so I'm pretty thrilled.

18. Who is more social? Me, although when he's with his family, Damian can be the life of the party.

19. Who is the neat Freak? Let's just say that any questions about who is better will be answered "Damian" and any about who has bad habits will be answered "Sarah" I am a slob and he's neat. He wipes the toilet seat after every encounter. He doesn't leave anything on the floor except his dirty socks by the bed. But that was only for the first 10 years of marriage. I complained enough about his one fault and he quit doing it. He's a saint.

20. Who is the most stubborn? I think we're equal on this one. But maybe he's a tiny bit more stubborn.

21. Who hogs the bed? I think you can guess this one. Me. Damian sleeps on his back, with his arms folded like a mummy, right on the edge of his side. When we used to have lots of babies in our bed, he slept with one leg off, since there just wasn't room for kids and my sprawl AND HIM.

22. Who wakes up earlier? Damian. In case you weren't interested in reading my talk/sermon about marriage, you missed this tidbit. . . Damian only has hobbies outside of me that he can do before I get up. He gets up to work out, play basketball with his buddies and read scriptures. He's up by 5 everyday, usually. He gets about 1.5 hours of alone time or buddy time each day this way. He also works with all his brothers/brother-in-law and dad . . . so he sees his best friends for 8 working hours a day.

23. Where was your first date? I think it was that girls choice dance at BYU. This is a photo from that night. (see #4)

24. Who has the bigger family? I do. I'm the oldest of 7 kids, he's the oldest of 4. He has 6 1st cousins. I have 51 1st cousins. Damian has 4 aunts/3 uncles. I have 17 aunts/16 uncles.

25. Do you get flowers often? No, but when I do, I appreciate them. I buy them for myself as often as I get them as gifts. Why not? It's all the same checking account and it saves him time. Plus, the point is to pretty up the house and make Momma happy, so why not do it yourself?

26. How do you spend the holidays? However I want. If I want to visit my family, we do. If I want to host a party, we do. If I want to attend other parties, we do. I am the social boss in our family. Sometimes Damian doesn't want to go along with my plan and if he presents a good enough excuse I can acquiesce. If not, back to the feminine wiles. Those sure come in handy!

27. How long did it take to get serious? Once I decided that Damian meant more to me than a brother, it took about a month. A month to get engaged I mean. I loved him as a best friend for a long time, but it took me awhile to realize it was a good thing to marry your best friend. He asked me to marry him about a week after he got home from his mission and every week for about 6 months. I wouldn't say he wore me down, I'd just say I got smart.

28. Who does the laundry? I'm working on getting the kids to sort their dirty clothes in the labeled baskets in my laundry room, but as of now, they dump their baskets from their room on the laundry room floor and I sort. I do all the washing, about 5-10 loads a week. Then I save it all up and they help me fold while we watch American Idol on our TiVo. Everyone puts all their laundry away themselves. During the commercials.

29. Who’s better with the computer? He's better, but I am good at the social computer aspect. . blogging, Facebook, keeping in touch with friends. Now that he has an iphone, I think that might change. Ok, probably not, but we can hope.

30. Who drives when you are together? He does. My driving scares him. He doesn't even like the way I pull into the garage. He always thinks I'm going to hit the wall or something. He thinks I drive too fast. And listen to the stereo too loud. I have to say . . . that's not really fair. I do drive much faster than anyone should and listen to the stereo too loud, but Damian's been in more accidents. He's totalled 2 of our cars and recently backed out of the garage, with the door down. I've never hit anything but various trash cans, rock walls and curbs. So I think he's a worse driver. Or maybe we both need to take drivers training along with Emma. I'll think about that one.

I tag any of you that want to write about this stuff. I like hearing about your hubbies. Especially you Jennie, since our husbands are long lost twins, separated by birth mothers, states, ethnicity and genetics. And you Christine. Even though our hubbies are brothers, so the only thing that separates them are some SLIGHT genetics.

ABC's of Me

Thanks Krystal for this fun tag . . .

A- Attached or Single?
Attached ~ I can't even remember being single?!
B- Best Friend? Damian
(& My computer, b/c my OTHER friends live in it!)
C- Cake or Pie? CHEESEcake
D- Day of Choice?
Friday, I love my date night!
E- Essential Items?
3 B's: bathtub, books, bubbles!
F- Favorite Color?
Green (Purple, too!)
G- Gummy Bears or Worms?
I prefer Dark Chocolate, I have a refined palate (ha, ha!)
H- Hometown? Valdez, Alaska
I- Favorite Indulgence?
Eating pricey French Food!
J- January or July?
Both are too extreme!
I like Spring & Fall months!
K- Kids?
FIVE wonderful, lovable, smart
little creatures, that I grew in my own body!
L- Life isn't complete without?
My sweet family & loud car stereo
M- Marriage date? June 28, 1997
N- Number of brothers and sisters?
5 brothers and 1 sister
O- Oranges or Apples?
Any kind of Apple besides Red Delicious.
They are not delicious.
FYI: Peeling oranges is my biggest
pet peeve in the universe!
P- Phobias and Fears?
I don't like rodents and
I'm afraid of my kids being hurt.
Q - Quiet time, what do you like to do?
Read, blog, snooze
R- Reason to smile?
My hubby is so good to me!!
S- Season of choice?
Discussed in "J"
T- Ticklish? No
U- Unknown fact about me?
Is there anything I haven't shared?
V- Vegetable? I ADORE SALAD!
Also Asparagus, sweet potatoes, green beans!
W- Worst Habit?
I've shared my 20 worst habits!
X-ray or Ultrasound?
Let's hope I don't need more of either!
Y- Your favorite food? Hamburgers . . .
Damian always orders them when we go out
and then gives me half. He loves me that much.
And I eat my whole steak/pasta dish/salmon
and then half his dinner.
That's why I look that way I do. It's all his fault.
Z- Zodiac Sign? Mine is 'Cancer the Crab',
never been fond of all the implications.

Alright my friends, GO FORTH and MUTIPLY

and share the ABC's about YOU!

The 4th of 4th

My cousin Jennie is so great. Go to her blog and read her post from Sun, Oct. 26th. Very sweet. She's a great mommy and bore a sweet testimony of prayer.

OK, so the next day, Jennie had a cute tag that I'm copying. What you do is choose the 4th photo file on your computer and then the 4th picture in that file and tell about it. Kinda fun! Here's mine:This is of my baby brother Michael and his future wife, Becca. They are getting married in 3 weeks and 2 days, in the St. George, Utah Temple!! I can't wait, I'm so proud of them.

Here are some of their engagement photos. Bethi, A good friend of Michael's took them. She will be taking my family photos the day before Michael's wedding. I've bought all the clothes and can't wait to have a GREAT BIG FAMILY PHOTO to hang over my mantle!

These are my two favorites. I love the color Bethi has washed them with. I think I want her to do this magical technique to my family photos. I think it must shave off 30 lbs. because Becca is thin, but she doesn't look like a pencil in real life. I'm counting on you Bethi, to make me look like Becca.

Bethi? I can hear you laughing your tail off, STOP THAT!!

I love these two shots, also. The bright "sunset in the hair" look.

And I think Becca has a really cute hiney. Lucky you, Michael!

I love this pretty photo, too. What a cute couple these two are!

Been Tagged!

My cousin Stacey Tagged me:

What was I doing 10 years ago?
Probably nursing my two day old baby, JOSHUA
I'd decided to get an epidural with any future babies,
twice "naturally" wasn't for me!
Damian was about to finish law school,
we were planning to move from No. to So. CA
and I'd been married 2.5 years!

What's on my to do list
Catch up on my laundry
Return Library Books
Catch up on The Office episodes I missed, while in Italy!
Hug my kids more
Smooch my honey more

What are my favorite snacks?
Chocolate
Salt and Vinegar Chips
Ice Cream
Fruit

What would I do if I was a millionaire
(It seems like this question is in every tag . . . )
I think I'd invest my million(s)
(although the stock market isn't looking good!)
With the interest,
I'd let Damian go to a 3 day work week
I'd pay down my house and pay for
braces, college, weddings & missions for 5 kids
I'd see the world & serve missions with Damian

Places I have lived
Salt Lake City, UT
Fairbanks, AK
Valdez, AK
Washington, D.C.
Provo, UT
San Bruno, CA
Ventura, CA
And where I live now:
Beautiful Southern Oregon!

Jobs I have had
Babysitter for .10 per kid/per hour
Summer Day Camp Counselor
Lifeguard, WSI (swim lesson teacher)
Intern for AK-R Senator Murkowski in DC
3rd Grade Teacher
Receptionist for an Oral Surgeon
Reading Tutor
Mom, the best job of all

People I tag -
Sue Q (I know you love tags!)
Kristi H
Kari H
Suzy C
Paul G
(unless you don't want to be tagged, then I was just kidding!)

EIGHT is Great!

Today I am traveling HOME and I wanted to post one last photo of Italy . . . with my mom and sister. We went on a countryside tour and had a great time. It is so beautiful there on Sardinia! I still have more photos (I took over 1000!!) and I may post about other things later, when I am missing my Italian adventure. For now, I think we ALL could use a break, hu?

My cousin Krystal tagged me awhile ago, and this is a nice, short, fun one (although I altered it a little bit!)

8 Places I Go to Over and Over,

When I am in the USA!
My Laptop
Old Military Road (to walk each morning)

My Pantry

Church (workout class, kids activities & Sunday services)
My Fridge
My Car (to drive my kids around!)

The Library
And Best of all:

Bed with my Honey

8 People who Email me Regularly:
Blogspot (to alert me of YOUR comments)
Damian
My Mom
My Sister-In-Laws
The other members of the Stake YW Presidency

Kristi C (my walk/run partner!)

Shutterfly, my favorite photo service
My Brother-In-Laws

8 Things I am Passionate About:
Damian, from the front
Damian, from the back
My kids and their education
My kids and their religious training
My Faith
My workout schedule

Good Books

Food

8 Words or Phrases I use Often:
Hustle up, Buttercup!

TAKE IT EASY (in a Nacho accent)

Wassup?

Oh, _____ , Too Loud, Too Loud!!

(insert kids names here)

You're a noisy little sucker, aren't you?

No Piano Practicing after 4pm!!

Who wants to play the QUIET GAME?

Guess What? I love you . . .

8 Things I Want to do Before I Die:
Follow Damian to the ENDS of the EARTH, literally

See all my kids marry in the temple to spouses

that adore them and bring out their best!
See all my kids happy in life and faithful in the gospel

Paint/Draw, again
Learn to speak French, Spanish, Italian

Catch up all my kids scrapbooks

(I only scrapbook their 1st 4 years,

collectively, that's 20 years to finish!)

Serve MUTIPLE Missions for my church,

with Damian

Sell my house and move to San Diego

8 People I Would Like to Have Dinner With:

Damian, every night

(no more traveling alone for me!)

Our French Family

(We only see them every 3 years or so!)

My Italian Family

(Who knows when we'll see them again!)

President Thomas S. Monson

(the Prophet of my church)

Jesus Christ

(Do resurrected people eat?)

My friend Emily in Alaska

My friend Jenny in Florida

My friend Kari in Utah

8 Places I Would Love to Go or See:
Hawaii & Alaska with Damian
(he's never been to either!)
Church & American History Sites (w/kids)
Ireland
Greece
Panama with my bro, Daniel
Peru with my bro, Paul
Josh and Ben's FUTURE mission locations
France & Italy, again

8 Things I Currently Want or Need:
(I don't need anything but I do WANT things!!)
Damian here with me, I have really missed him!
A substantial inheritance to pay down

my mortgage and put towards retirement!

(Not that I want you to die, mom and dad?!)
Landscaping
Plus, a swimming pool!
Lower gas prices/higher stock market

to help the whole world!

Oil Drilling in ANWAR
An end to terror, pain & suffering for all . . .

To be HOME!!

List of 200

Damian's cousin put this on her blog and I thought it was so fun. The idea is to highlight the things you have done out of the 200 items on the list. The things I have done are in purple!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of
The Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit
at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your
ancestors (My children's ancestors!)
35. Felt very happy about your life,
even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland (I flew over it, drooling out
the plane windows, does that count?)
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
(Is Mother Goose a Superhero?)
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie (I was filmed to be in
the documentary about my brother!!??)
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to
defend someone - verbal not physical
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played
with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant
that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to
another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
(No, but if I ever get a car that can go that fast, I will!)
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted
more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about
something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
(it wasn't JUST because of me, but I did help!)
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after
inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone w/out
sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that
you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to
someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place
to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood
or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people
asked for the recipe.
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you
into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you
on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something
other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter (HU??)

I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to do this, it's fun!! Especially you, SUE Q!!

The Name Game

I was tagged by my friend Suzy Q. and here are the wacky results.

1. ROCKSTAR NAME: (first pet, current car)

Goldie Honda

2. GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite shoe)

Choc. Brownie Thunder Flip Flop

3. “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME:

(first initial of 1st name, first 3 letters of last name)

Sidi

4. DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)

Green Koala

5. SOAP OPERA NAME:

(middle name, city where you were born)

Chanel Salt Lake

6. STAR WARS NAME:

(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)

Idisa

7. SUPERHERO NAME:

("The" + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)

The Purple Water

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)

Jay Norris

9. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:

(mother’s & father’s middle names )

Elaine Levie

10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME:

(Your 6th grade teacher’s last name, a city that starts w/ same letter)

Miller Manti

11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)

Spring Fireweed

12. CARTOON NAME:

(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now+“ie”)

Kiwi pantsie

13. HIPPY NAME:

(What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)

Oatmeal Almond Milk Redwood

14. ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME:

("The" + fave hobby, fave weather element + “Tour”)

The Blog Sunshine Tour

15. CELEBRITY COUPLE NAME:

(half of your name, half your spouse's name, mixed together in

whichever order sounds best.)

Samian Darah

OK, now anyone else who wants to try, you are tagged!

My First Tag, Part Two

Yesterday I published an incomplete piece . . . so today I finished it.

I completed #12, adding a finale to the kissing story and the scanned "love letter" from Damian. Scroll down, enjoy and try not to laugh too hard!

OH, and Damian did NOT read the post, so I followed him around as he got ready for bed, with my laptop in hand, reading him your comments and the 3 parts I divulged about our "Kissing" habits. I always go for shock and embarrassment value with him.

I didn't read the HINTS of me wanting a bath drawn. But, guess what?? He did it, complete with candles.

Although he didn't rinse it out, after the kids used it, so it had odd things floating on top. But I didn't care. My beloved SURPRISED me. I can soak in kid scum. The world is fine.

My First Tag!

My cousin Lana tagged me, last week . . . I've always wanted to be TAGGED!!

Oh, except for the tag where you share pictures of your laundry room, fridge and face in the morning, pre-shower. I assume you've all seen my laundry room and face in the AM and wanted to spare me the embarrassment! I have been working on tidying it up though, JUST IN CASE!

Actually, I've hired a cleaning lady and she's helping me tidy it up.

All About Damian

1. Where did you meet? We were introduced at BYU, second semester freshman year, by Jim Watkins. The short version is that I was from Alaska and Damian was trying to date one girl from every state. For the long version/photo, click here.

2. How long did you date before you were married? Short Answer: 6 months

Long Answer is: I knew Damian 3 1/2 years before we married, I dated him 2 months, we got engaged and married 4 months later.

3. How long have you been married for? 12 years, 2 months, 4 days, 20 hours (or so) This is my wedding photo, in case you missed it!

4. What does he do that surprises you? Damian is wonderfully predictable, he rarely surprises me. I'd be really surprised if he brings me home flowers from work today or writes me a love note. He doesn't really ever do that. Or if he draws me a bath and lights some candles in our bedroom. That will surprise me. HINT HINT!!

He always does the dishes and tidys the house, while I sit around blogging, so that WOULDN'T surprise me. He also almost ALWAYS falls asleep while reading or watching TV, while I'm still blogging. Poor man. No surprises there!

And everyday I KNOW for a fact that he loves me. That level of commitment doesn't ever surprise me. It probably should, but I'm too spoiled.

5. What's your favorite feature about him? I love his smile and his curly hair.

6. What's your favorite quality about him? Damian loves our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, more than anything, even me. I don't mind sharing with THEM, though!

7. Does he have a nickname for you? What is it? "Most Gorgeous Woman in the World", what else? No, I'm kidding. He calls me Honey, it's just a lot shorter and more practical.

8. What's his favorite color? Hold on, let me ask him .. . . Green. Oh, yeah, I knew that. It's the same as mine.

9. What's his favorite food? Small Birds: pigeon, quail, pheasant . . . except when I cook them.

And he loves French Food, especially his grandma's pigeon with the head still on (because they EAT THAT!). Let me tell you, the first time I saw this lovely meal, I had just started dating Damian, so I knew how weird his family MIGHT BE from the start. EWWW!

He also likes anything on the menu over $35, a plate. The kind of fancy food in the first picture usually tastes good to him. If he doesn't recognize some of the ingredients, he loves it even more.

But . . . he almost always orders a hamburger when we go out. I, on the other hand, always "try something new" and then I wish I had a burger. So he shares half with me. He's that nice to me. And I'm that predictable. . . just not to myself.

10. What is his favorite sport? Basketball and . . . he LOVES "kissing". . . Hi kids . . . wow, I'm glad I kept that "clean." I hope I didn't embarrass you too much by admitting that Daddy loves kissing me.

11. Who said I love you first? He told me he loved me the first week he knew me. Don't be too surprised, he told everyone he loved them, followed by the word, DUDE (I love you, Dude!) So don't think I was special to him, or anything!

I think he MEANT the words about 2 months BEFORE we started dating. It took me that long to realize I could DATE AND POSSIBLY MARRY my Best Friend.

12. When and where was your fist kiss? I asked Damian to a Girl's Choice formal, when we were both 18, as freshmen at BYU. He tried to kiss me that night and I wouldn't. I've mentioned that I'd post the note he wrote me after that dance. Please, try to hold your laughter . . . this was the first "love letter" I received from my future husband. And remember, Damian was the guy my roommate called "Barry Manilow" because he was so cheesy (and he had poofy hair) . . .

Fast forward 3 years: I had no where to go for Christmas and was a 1st year teacher on half salary (I was an Intern Teacher, fininshing my Senior Year at BYU, while I taught my own classroom full time). Damian was home from his mission, going to school and trying to convince me, his best friend, that we should be MORE THAN FRIENDS. My family drove to Mexico for Christmas. If I wanted to join them, I had to fly myself there, but I was too broke. I complained of this to Damian. He told his mom, and she bought me a ticket to spend the holidays in San Francisco with the Idiarts. (Little did I know, Damian told her that I was the girl he wanted to marry!) The night before Damian and I flew from Utah to California, we kissed. Then, we decided we wanted to try dating each other. Once I met his family, I knew I'd like to be an Idiart and spend the rest of my life with Damian. So that was that. We were engaged a month later.

13. What's your favorite thing to do as a couple? Again, this is a PG site. So I'll say "Kissing."

Oh, and eating out. As long as Damian gets the hamburger.

14. Do you have kids? Yes, we are parents to 5 beautiful, talented and smart children.

15. What's a hidden talent that he has? He has a nice bass singing voice. And he's a great writer. His first published piece was so great, he's decided to get his PHD, so he can write all the time!

16. How old is he? 34, just like me . . . only I'm 4 days older!

17. What's his favorite type of music? I'd say Children's Primary (Church) Music. At least, he plays it all the time, at home. Maybe he just thinks he can change the "mood" in our home by giving us large doses of it.

He DOES NOT appreciate getting in my car, turning it on and being blasted by my stereo. I like LOUD music and he doesn't. His favorite band is Chicago.

18. What do you admire most about him? The way he looks in a Speedo. And then I wake up.

No, really, I admire his biceps. I just have a thing for large biceps.

And I admire that Damian is so full of Integrity. He always tries to do the right thing and be kind and Christ-like. He is a really good example and he thinks of others first. At least we have our biceps in common!

19. What's his favorite past time? After "Kissing?" I'd say, hanging out with his brothers . . . so that must mean he loves going to the office, since that's where he and his brothers hang out all day work.

20. Do you think he is going to read this? No, there are limits to his love for me.

But . . . just in case: I love you, Damian. I'm so glad I married you. You're the most handsome man in the world (Sawyer is second to you!), and I'd follow you ANYWHERE! You're my best friend and I'm grateful I get to spend Eternity with you. I'm the luckiest woman in the world!

And now I tag: Christine I, Andrea S, Christina L, and Krystal W!!