Disney - Guest Blogger Edition: Aurora

Now for some of Rori's favorite memories.  I put my comments in italics...

One of my favorite parts was swimming in the pool.  Which pool?  The ones at the hotel or the ones at the water parks with all the slides and stuff?  I like both.

I liked the movie theater one (Philharmagic), and Star Wars (Star Tours), and the shooting game one (Toy Story Midway Mania), and the one that we fly on (Soarin').

Dumbo was fun cause you went round and round and up and down, up and down.

I liked meeting Rapunzel.  She was so pretty and I liked to meet her.  I liked to meet Cinderella, Princess Aurora, and Jasmine, too.  They were so nice and they liked my red hair.  I liked wearing my princess dresses because I am a princess.  (Oh, gee... lol)

And Jessie and Woody!  You got to tell them that I love Jessie... FOREVER!  I met Jessie and she wrote on my paper and you said that I love her.  Jessie hugged me and she liked my red hair!

It was fun there with my sister, and my mommy, and my daddy, and we never be apart when we were there.

DisneyWorld was fun and I want to go there again sometime.


***As I was putting Rori to bed last night, she was tucking in her stuffed animals and told me, "When we were at DisneyWorld, Bolt was mad at Minnie Mouse because he doesn't like mice.  But he likes princesses and I told him that Minnie Mouse is a princess too, then he was nice to her." lol

Disney - Guest Blogger Edition: Acadia

I invited my family to share their favorite memories from our trip and our first guest blogger is Acadia...

Hello!  Some of my favorite moments in DisneyWorld were when I got to meet my favorite Disney characters: Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, Stitch, Tinker Bell and being able to see Dug, even though we didn't get to meet him.  I liked being able to interact with them.  Stitch, Chip & Dale, and all of Cinderella's step-family were really funny!  Then when we were with Woody and Jessie, we were playing around with them and it was fun, I kept poking Woody!  Vidia was funny, too!  She kept calling Tinker Bell, Stinker Bell, and she also kept complimenting herself!  And since I was wearing sunglasses on the top of my head, Vidia said I had racing goggles on, and then Tinker Bell said, "You have eyes on top of your head?!?"  They were a lot of fun!

I also liked riding the roller coasters.  My favorites were Rockin' Rollercoaster, Space Mountain, and Expedition Everest.  They were fun!  They had sudden drops, went upside down, were super fast, and one even went backwards!  Another one of my favorites was Toy Story Mania, you got to play games while you were on the ride!

I really liked the fireworks shows.  Fantasmic was my favorite.  I liked how they did the projection on the water and I really liked the music.  Philharmagic was another really cool show.  It had all sorts of special effects, like when their was water splashing on the screen, we got sprayed with water for real!  Soarin' was another great ride with neat effects.  When we were flying over the orange orchard, it smelled like oranges!  And when we flew through the forest, it smelled like pine!  That was cool.  The music was beautiful, too.

The DisneyWorld trip was an amazing time where I got to hang out with my family doing things I love and I hope I get to go there again sometime soon!

Short Sands

Waking up Tuesday morning and seeing this:

... was awesome enough.  But Tuesday got even more awesome when we took a little trip up the coast to seek out and find a long lost beach.

Warning: Flashback commencing in 3, 2, 1...

20 years ago, almost exactly, our family (on my mom's side) held it's first Family Reunion.  It took place a little north, at LongBeach, Washington.  My grandma lived there at the time, so we used her location for most of the week and most of the reunion.  However, one of those days included a journey south, into Oregon, to this quaint beach off the highway.  It was a nice summer day when we went, but the beach was totally empty when we were there.  I remember having to park off the highway and then walk in a good 1/4 mile or so.  Then we had to climb down to the beach; my uncle fashioned a ladder out of wood laying around and rope someone had with them.  It was a beautiful beach and I thought it contained on it the best of every world.  On one end of the beach, there was an enormous pile of driftwood, some of my cousins went to climb and explore there, but I headed to the other side of the beach.  The whole beach was a sheltered alcove, the direction I headed had a rocky wall sloping down to the water, topped with tall evergreen trees.  Along the wall there were small caves, rock formations, and best of all, a waterfall!  I explored the tidepools, climbed on the rocks, found starfish, watched the waves, and just marveled at how incredibly beautiful this beach was.  I kicked myself for not having my camera with me.  I headed to where the main group was so I could get it, but when I got there I found out that it was time to leave.  I was really disappointed not to have a picture of this place. 

For years I have thought of this beach.  Have you seen Contact?  The part where, as a girl, Jodi Foster draws her idea of Pensecola Beach and later, the aliens use that place to help her feel comfortable when she goes into space to meet them... that's what this beach has been to me for my entire adult life.  When we moved here and I stayed with one of my aunts for a couple of months while we house-hunted, I asked her if she knew where it was, she didn't.  Then I asked another aunt, she didn't know either.  It seemed the only one that knew was my uncle that most of us didn't have much contact with anymore.  Every time we went to the coast, I would watch along the highway, hoping to see something that I would remember or recognize.  But all I remembered was that there wasn't a marker where we pulled off, and that all it looked like from the highway was another pull out lined with trees.  So, for 8 years we've lived here, within easy distance of this perfect beach, and I could not find it!  I even searched for it on-line, but apparently, the name Short Sands was actually more of a nick name or local name or something, there was no actual Short Sands to be found.

This summr, however, my aunt went on a quilting beach retreat and while she was there, she mentioned this beach to her friends.  (My aunt and I had talked about this beach and she was trying to remember where it was, too.  It was her ex-husband that had known where the location was and she remembers going there with him, but couldn't remember exactly where it was either.)  One of her friends knew it!  And on their way home, she showed my aunt!  So FINALLY, after all this time, we knew where it was and on our very first full day of our beach trip, we all went!

It is no longer (if it ever was) called Short Sands, it is now known as Oswald West State Park.  Beauty wise, it was JUST as I remembered it, maybe even better because we went on such a gorgeous day!  But one thing that was different, was the crowd!  It was so much busier than I expected.  But I'm not too surprised, who wouldn't want to go visit a beach like this?!?

(I intentionally took pictures that left out other people, so I know it doesn't look crowded from these shots. lol  It wasn't "packed", so that was nice, but there were lots of people there.)

We headed over to the side that I hadn't explored the last time, first.  There wasn't nearly as much driftwood this time, but there were still lots of washed up logs.  We were interested in the caves, so we headed directly for the tree covered wall and found tidepools, a dried up waterfall, and yes, a cave!

The girls got to the cave first but were too chicken to go explore it. lol  It was narrow, had water up to our knees, and was very DARK.  Several people said, "I'll go!" but got only a step or two in, then turned back and said, "Someone else go first!" lol  Then Ryan caught up with us and called everyone "pansies" and marched himself and Rori into the cave.  Everyone followed at that point and we all walked back as far as we could go, til we were back out of the water standing on a small rocky section.  It was pretty cool!

After exploring the cave and tidepools on this side of the beach, I headed to the other side, the side I had been waiting to see for so long, and soon, everyone else followed...

It was spectacular!  It was just so beautiful and everything I remembered about it was still there!  I had been worried that all these years of thinking about this place had changed it; that I may have added to it or built it up in my memory into some fantasy beach that doesn't exist, but it was all there!  Every element I remembered was still there, just waiting for me and my camera!  The waterfall, the rocks, the caves, the tidepools... and we loved it all!

While we were enjoying it all, we started watching the waves and the birds.  The pelicans would fly up, circle, and then dive into the water!  It was awesome!  There were tons of starfish, the more we looked, the more we saw!

One of the things I was happiest about was that EVERYONE loved this beach!  Everyone else was just as pleased with going there as I was.  I had started out feeling a little guilty and selfish because I knew everyone was going just because I wanted to go so badly, but thankfully, every single one of us was so glad we went!  It was kind of hard to leave when it was time to head back, but this time I had taken my camera, had been able to share it with the most important people in my life (I had told Ryan about this place several times, wishing I knew where it was so I could take him to it and share it with him.), and now I knew how to get back.  I can go anytime I want!  I love this beach!  And it's less than 2 hours from my house.  You can bet that I'll be back. :)

This post is longer than I planned, so I'll just quickly share a few more photos.  On the way back to the beach house, we stopped at this vista point.  Isn't it beautiful?!?

More fun back at our beach house...  We came upon a starfish washed up on the sand, so Joyel threw it back in the water, something that would be particularly meaningful later that night, but that's for another post. ;)  The girls also downed an entire jar of Nutella during this week! lol  Most of all, we just all had fun, wherever we were, whatever we were doing. :)

And that night we had our first bonfire on the beach.  We all love the bonfires!  It's so fun to just sit around the campfire talking, singing, laughing, playing games.  One of the favorites this trip was Mafia.  Man, what a fun game, especially when we've got Spencer with us!  We had fun staying up late, milking every last moment out of such a beautiful day. :)

We're at DisneyWorld!

Ryan just took the girls down to the pool and so I have a few minutes to check in and share an update on how our trip has been so far.  I don't have enough time to upload a bunch of pics, so I'm only doing a couple... okay, maybe three. ;)

Monday was a LONG day!!!  We got up at 3:20am, left the house just after 4am, and boarded our flight to come here.  All was going well, until the second leg was delayed just  few minutes, then kept having to rerouting due to weather.  When all was said and done, we finally landed about 2 hours later than we were supposed to, which meant that any plans of doing anything that night were out.  Which is okay, but  alittle bit of a bummer. :S

We used "Disney's Magical Express" to get to our resort, which was great because we didn't even have to get our luggage, they did that for us, so all we had to do was board a bus and it took us to our resort.  We had already checked in on-line, so that part was quick, which was nice.  We ate dinner at the food court and by then, we were beat!  That was all we were up for that first day. lol

On Tuesday, we woke up early (especially considering it felt like 3 hours earlier for us!) and headed into Magic Kingdom before it even opened!  Resort guests get to use "Magic Hours" to enjoy the parks before and/or after it opens/closes, to avoid crowds, and to get some extra playing in. ;) 

It was an awesome day!!!  We did a ton of stuff, had so much fun, and just loved it!!!  We had lunch at the Crystal Palace, where Pooh and his friends came to greet us, give hugs, sign books, and take pictures.  We had a truly magical day!  I LOVE Magic Kingdom!!!  It is my favorite park and I love starting our trip there!  We stayed for the Main St. Electrical Parade, then watched a super cool video that was made using photos and videos taken in the park that day - hundreds of pictures that the Photo Pass photographers took, and we might have been in it since there was a portion that used thousands of little pictures to make a couple big ones.  Hey, you never know, for all we know we WERE in it! lol  Anyhow, after that we watched Wishes, which is always awesome.  It was a very, very late night, which made Tuesday another very long day!

This morning we were up early again to take advantage of more Magic Hours, this time in Animal Kingdom.  We had another great day, except that I got queasy on the very first ride and it kept me feeling off and not totally well for most of the day.  It was the Yeti that did me in.  If he hadn't busted up the train tracks, we wouldn't have had to fly down that mountain backwards, and I'm sure it was whipping around those corners backwards that did it to me.  :(  But I still enjoyed the day!  Even when the rain cancelled the afternoon parade.  This is exactly why I booked this vacation for 2 weeks.  We'll go back to catch the parade another day. :)

Since we had just had two very long, late days, with early mornings, we decided to call it an early night today.  We came back to our hotel, ate dinner, and now the girls and Ryan and playing at the pool.  Tomorrow we hit Disney's Hollywood Studios, which means my very favorite Disney night show... Fantasmic!!!  Let's hope THAT one isn't cancelled! ;)

Grandma Lila

We have some great family here - aunts, uncles, and cousins.  We love getting together with them.  We frequently get together with the Hills.  From the first time I met Uncle Matthew, he treated me like I was HIS family, not his wife's ex-husband's family.  Matthew IS my uncle and I couldn't love him any more than I already do.  His mom was the same way.  She was so friendly to us.  She was fun to be around, kind, and gentle.  She's been sick for the last couple of years and last night she peacefully passed on, surrounded by family who loved her.

We'll miss Grandma Lila.  Family dinners won't be the same.  She had a great sense of humor.  We laughed so much when we took turns trying on her wig after her last chemo. lol  I don't think I ever heard her say anything unkind or unpleasant.  She was just what a grandma should be.  I'm so glad that my cousins had such a great grandma, and I'm also glad that they were willing to share her with us.

Everything my uncle is, Grandma Lila was, too.  So welcoming, loving, and generous.  She lives on in him and all of the other people who's lives she's touched.  She will be missed greatly!  But we are so happy that she is free from her ailing body now, has rest from her earthly trials, and we look forward to the day when we will all be together again.

We love you, Grandma Lila!

The Ugly Shirt

Sometimes there are just things that somehow cement themselves into the very fiber of your life.  Ryan's ugly shirt is one of those things.

It started when we were first married.  He had this ugly shirt.  I mean, it's a really, really ugly shirt.  And it's old, and holey, and falling apart... and did I mention that it's ugly?  Early in our marriage, I tried to get rid of the old thing.  Always, my attempts were foiled.  Finally, I gave up and promised to never throw it away.  Although, I did kidnap it once and left a ransom note explaining that he could have it back after he took me out on a date (my friend and I were trying to be creative in our date planning attempts, lol).  Over the years, Ryan has shared this ugly shirt with the kids.  When Cadi needed "some old clothes" to paint in, out came the ugly shirt.

So, imagine my surprise when Ryan casually mentioned to me this past weekend that HE THREW THE UGLY SHIRT AWAY!!! 

WHAT?!?!?!?  You can't throw away the ugly shirt!  If I couldn't throw it away, even after multiple attempts, no one can throw it away!  And most especially not without me knowing - and being there to witness and document the occasion.  I felt totally gyped!  I didn't get to say goodbye!

I mean, this is THE ugly shirt!  After all these years, getting rid of it now is like blasphemy.  I didn't even believe him for awhile, it just didn't seem possible.  He loves that dumb, old, ugly shirt!  But he did - he threw it away!

But then he said to me, don't worry, I took pictures of Rori with it before I tossed it.  Well, at least he did that.

(Please don't look at Rori's mess of a mane, I hadn't been home all day, and no one else even attempts to do her hair. :S)



Farewell Ugly Shirt, thanks for the memories!

Remember

President Spencer W. Kimball said that perhaps the most important word is "remember".

I don't think any of us can forget.  And I hope we never do.  I hope we always remember how united we became, how we stood together and were strong.  We have forgotten some of that, to some degree, so I'm glad we take time to remember on this day.

(Turn up your volume, the sound quality isn't that great.)


I remember how it felt to see the plane hit the second tower and to realize that this was no accident.  I remember how I sank to my knees in shock.  I remember praying with my family for all of the people on the planes and in the towers. 

Then the Pentagon was attacked.  And I remember wondering where else they might hit?  Planes were grounded.  One was missing.  And then we learned about United Airlines Flight 93's heroic acts which prevented even more devastation.  Those brave men and women fought to save others' lives, knowing that they would not survive themselves.

I remember all of the flags - everywhere!  So many people wanting to give blood.  I remember our landlord (a firefighter) going down to NYC (we lived in Massachusetts at the time) to help.  I remember the brotherhood he felt for his fellow firefighters in NYC.

I remember understanding that things would change in our world because of this attack.  Realizing that travel would change, security would change, and realizing that someday that would feel normal.
I remember the support we received from around the world.  The tributes, the signs, the candles.  I remember one sign that said, "Today we are all Americans."

I remember loving my country and being proud of what she stands for.  Even knowing that this made us a target, I felt grateful that we stood for something so good and right and true that no attack, no terrorist, could change that.  I remember the intense determination that we all felt to prove that we would overcome and emerge an even stronger nation.

I don't like looking at the images, reliving those moments, thinking about the suffering of those who were there and experiencing it all.  I don't like hearing the stories of people who have lost their loved ones and are left behind, their lives changed forever.  I don't like thinking about how a group of people could commit such horrible acts in the name of religion. 

But I pray I never forget.

I have no middle name.

My mom didn't give me a middle name.  I'm not entirely sure why... Mom, feel free to explain in a comment if you'd like.  ;)  Something about girls having so many names, what with their given names, maiden name, married name, etc.  When I was younger, friends of mine decided to help me find a middle name for me.  We were torn between Eve and Rebecca, so for a time, I said both were my middle names, Sariah Eve Rebecca.  But eventually, I deferred back to my given "no name".  When I say I have no middle name, my sister says, "Yes you do, it's 'N/A'!"  Funny.

So, you know these silly quizzes you can take on-line... Today's was "What should your middle name be?"  And here is what it says for me:

Your New Name Should Be Sariah Renee

Renee means reborn - a new name, a new you!

 

I actually kind of like it!  Not that I'm interested in changing my name at all, but this is a middle name I don't think I've ever considered, yet it sounds pretty good to me.  But, I really don't mind not having a middle name anymore, I like my name the way it is. :)

"croak" *squish*

When Ryan and I were first dating, I used to work at an aquarium store selling tropical fish. We also sold little aquarium frogs. They were cute! But sometimes they escaped. And sometimes, we didn't catch them in time. And there were a couple of times when we had a little "croak" *squish* action going on.

It wasn't funny. I liked the frogs. I always tried to watch where I walked, but they blended in with the dark floor... :( Ryan didn't think it was funny either, but he thought it was funny to give me a bad time about it. So every now and then, he'll say, "croak, squish"... I guess to remind me that I'm a frog killer. Hey, they were suicidal frogs, thank you.

When we moved to our home here, we quickly learned that we had frogs! Well, at least one. And it would croak happily near our bedroom window. We liked it. He was our little friend. We never saw him, just heard him.

Until a few weeks ago. We woke up looking forward to a fun day on Mt. Hood playing in the snow. As we were waking up, we heard our friend croaking outside our window. It was going to be a good day. :)

As we loaded things in the car and got ready to head out, someone saw him. I guess he had been trying to come inside; he hopped up onto the door jam, and with all of our going in and out, we didn't see him in time. The door closed, and... *squish*.

We were so sad!!!! What is it with these suicidal frogs???

After that, Ryan and I were painfully aware of the silence outside our window. But then, about a week ago, I heard it again... "Croak".

We have a new friend. :)

The Best of SariahSays #15: "A believing heart"

It has been a lot of fun revisiting some of my old posts. (At least it was fun for me! lol) I wanted my final "best of" post to contain my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ because its, in the end, the absolute most important part of who I am. It defines me, it guides me, it brings me the greatest joy.

Thanks for taking this walk down memory lane with me... here's to another 1,500 posts! :)

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I have often wondered what I would have done in the days of Christ or even in the days of Joseph Smith. I have often wondered if I would have believed and followed them. I have wondered if I would have had the faith to cross the plains as a pioneer, willing to leave my home and possibly all the people I knew and loved to follow a new religion.

Sometimes I encounter people who constantly question. They need to KNOW. They need proof. They need to hear it from "the horse's mouth". They believe, or at least claim to believe, yet they bring up things and sometimes even search for things that create doubt in their own minds and sometimes in others. I often feel uncomfortable when I am associating with people like that.

In Sunday School, I, along with the other YW leaders are taking Teacher Development classes. We just began last week and I believe they will last all summer. As I have been reading the assignment, I came across a section about testimony. Something in it, but I can't quite pinpoint an exact quote, filled me with an understanding. Something I've always wondered but never knew.

I am a believer. My heart just believes. I do not walk blindly, following others just because they say so or it sounds good. I can and do think for myself. But something in me recognizes the truth when I hear it. In my patriarchal blessing, I am told this. That I recognize the truth when I read or hear it. But I never fully understood just how important that is. It's a gift, you could say. And I don't say that to boast or brag. In the Doctrine and Covenants, we are told that we all have gifts, and they aren't all the same.

I am well aware that I lack many talents. I often think to myself that I have not "mastered" any talent really. I remember a teacher referring to himself as, "A jack of all trades, master of none". I relate to that. I like many things, am okay at most, maybe even good at a few, but I am not proficient in any way, in any of those things. But I am reminded of another man I knew who was a quadriplegic. His body was broken and it was a great trial to him and his family. However, one day he told his father, "I am grateful that my trial is physical and not spiritual. When I am resurrected, I will be made whole again. If it were my testimony that was broken instead of my body, I think that would be a much more difficult trial to endure."

If I could have only one gift, I would want it to be a spiritual gift like this. To believe. To recognize truth. To know without needing to KNOW. The testimony that I have is a great one. It has carried me through trials that I don't think I could have endured without it. And because of my testimony, I know I can continue to endure. It really doesn't matter what happens to or around me, so long as I have that faith. Faith that there is a Heavenly Father who loves me and knows what is best for me. If He says this is where I should be, then I know it is so. If He says this is the path I should take, then I know it is so. I know that He leads and guides The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And when I hear the prophet speak, I know he is speaking for the Lord. I know that whatever he says, it will be what the Lord wants me to hear. I can still pray for a confirmation, but the truth is that everytime I have read or heard the prophet's words, the spirit HAS confirmed it to me IMMEDIATELY. I have not needed to research it myself or to take time to really consider what has been said. I can do those things to develop more of an understanding of the matter, but I do not need to do them in order to receive a testimony that it is true. Because I have already received that testimony.
I truly believe that if I had lived in the days of Christ, I would have been one of His followers. I truly believe that if I had lived in the 1800's when Joseph Smith restored the Gospel, I would have accepted it and followed him and the other saints. I truly believe that if I had lived in those days that I would have joined the saints and left my home in order to find a place where I could worship without persecution and play an active role in the building of the kingdom. I also believe that none of those things would have been easy. But I truly believe, as I also believe now, that any sacrifice I would have had to make would be worth it.

Today, more than anything else, I am grateful for my believing heart. And I thank the Lord for such a great gift.

The Best of SariahSays #14: "10 years old!" and "Baby Blue"

My girls... I just love them so much!!!  Being their mom is the best thing I've done.  I guess you could say that they are "the best of" me. :)

These were the blogs I posted on their birthdays this year... 

 

Today is Acadia's 10th birthday!  I can hardly believe it!  I remember being ten, I remember turning ten and my mom feeling the same way I feel now.  I couldn't understand.  What was the big deal?  But now I get it. 

Acadia is my Mini Me.  She is so helpful and loving!  She is smart, talented, and beautiful.  She's such a good girl, through and through.  I really feel spoiled that she is our daughter.

We love you, Cadi!  Happy Birthday!!!

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Today my baby turns three!  I can hardly believe it!


Aurora keeps me so busy; she keeps all of us on our toes.  But she is one of the best things to happen to our family.  Aurora is nothing more than a miracle and no one will ever know just what that means to me and to us as a family.  We adore her.  She has brought out the best in all of us.  Acadia has become a wonderful, loving, patient big sister.  Ryan's heart melts everytime Rori laughs and says "Daddy".  And me... well, she brought me healing that nothing else could.  I often say that her cuteness is her saving grace, but the truth is, to a certain degree, she is my saving grace.



Acadia is my "Mini Me" and Aurora is more of a miniature Ryan in little girl form; she's my "Baby Blue". 
Happy Birthday Aurora!  We love you!!!

The Best of SariahSays #13: "Made up Memories"

This is one of my very favorite posts. It was SO FUN! But just posting the post wouldn't be the fun part, so I am going to post the comments I got from it, too. I may have to do this experiment again sometime, it was that good. lol

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Okay, I'm stealing this quick little meme from April Mommy:

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, please post a comment with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL memory of you and me. It can be anything you want BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE. And keep it "clean" please, lol.

I know I get readers... so I better get some comments with some fun, made up memories!


And here are the comments:



#1 'No Cool Story' posted this on Fri 28 Apr 2006, 7:45 pm visit their home page

Remember that time we wanted to do something crazy (you + me = crazy) so I said "hey, come play volleyball with us at church" , so you and Heather G came by, all geared up to play some serious v-game, and there wre like 50 people (and they ALL brought treats for the game), so you and I were on the same team and WE beat the other team like 20-0?? That was awesome!..oh yeah, and I was so awesome, I even had time to tie a quilt :-) Do I get a prize?

#2 'Mandy' posted this on Sat 29 Apr 2006, 2:54 am visit their home page

Hiya Sariah ! I was just reminiscing about the old days when we used to go down to the lake fishing. Remember that? You caught a fish and was too afraid to touch it. I picked it up and chased you with it and when I caught up with you I put it down your sweater LOL. that was too funny. I still giglle about that now.

Your old friend Mandy :)



#3 'Skittles' posted this on Sat 29 Apr 2006, 7:15 am visit their home page

Now why do I need to post such a lie? We have been friends for years. Tea and brownies the other day was so much fun. And yes I did finally enjoy Tea with not so much honey or sugar. BUT you will never get me to touch that lemon. I am a true sour puss @ heart. Now you go sit and put those feet up or I will have to come back over and drink more tea with ya. ;)

#4 'Sariah' posted this on Sat 29 Apr 2006, 8:42 am

No Cool Story: You had me at "you + me = crazy"!

Mandy: I never could get the fish smell out of that sweater! You owe me a shopping trip! ;)



Skittles: You would think that after all these years you would have gotten over the whole "lemon" thing. lol



To all: Thanks for the memories!!! ;)



#5 'feather123' posted this on Sat 29 Apr 2006, 2:43 pm

Hey! Remember that one time we were shopping in Beverly Hills, on Rodeo Drive, for my 5th Louis Vuitton bag? And, we had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory? Didn't you LOVE the cheesecake you had?

:)



#6 'Barbara' posted this on Sat 29 Apr 2006, 4:07 pm

I remember when we first saw you in that little crowded Chinese orphanage. Atlhough all the children tugged at my heart, I knew the minute I laid eyes on you that you would be my own little girl. It was a long trip back home on the sailing sloop, but you made friends with all the swabbies. We even caught you climbing the rigging!





#7 'Sariah' posted this on Sat 29 Apr 2006, 4:26 pm

Feather: Don't forget the hot guys that kept hitting on us!!! lol

Mom: (This one was the best!!!) While I admit I was too young to remember any of our first meeting or the journey to my new home, I will venture to say that this is the reason why I have always liked sailors. ;)



#8 'Eddie' posted this on Tue 2 May 2006, 4:22 am visit their home page

Well, Sariah, my memory has to be the time I introduced you to Ryan, your future husband. I remember when he and I walked into the (sushi) bar. I said, "Dude, there she is. You've got to marry that girl!" He was a bit nervous to talk to you, so if you'll recall I made up this story about how he was hard of hearing, and would you mind talking right into my friend's ear so he could hear you? The rest is, as they say, history.

#9 'Sariah' posted this on Tue 2 May 2006, 9:22 pm

Eddie: And I am eternally indebted to you! ;)

The Best of SariahSays #12: "FHE - Election Edition"

Today is Election Day, so I thought it would be fun to revisit the "election" we held at our house exactly one year ago.  And yes, I'm cheating a little; I'm going to put more than one post up here today.  But they go together; it's the original post, then the two follow up posts I made the next day.

---

Originally posted: November 3, 2008

I am so excited for our FHE tonight and I want to share it with you so you can copy it if you want.  (In all fairness, it isn't my original idea.  I have stolen it from... somewhere - I can't remember where I saw it!)  It may be too late for you to do it tonight, but it would be fun to do tomorrow, too. :)

We are going to have an election!  Our first ever Roser Family Dinner Election.  I have prepared a "Voters' Pamphlet" for each person in our family, listing the candidates for main dish, side dish, and vegetable dish.  Each "candidate" has a description and a statement to help the voter better understand what a vote for that item would mean.  After reviewing our pamphlets, we will hold our primary election tonight.  Complete with voter ballots.  The top two candidates in each category will then be placed on a new ballot for our dinner election tomorrow.  In the morning, before leaving for work or school, we will all vote on the candidates.  During the day, I will tally the votes and my family will learn what dishes have won our election when we have our elected dinner tomorrow night.

I am seriously, so excited about this!  lol

We have been learning the Articles of Faith this year and tonight we will also discuss the Twelfth Article of Faith, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."  We'll talk briefly about what this means and start learning to memorize it.  In fact, we'll probably start the FHE with the 12th Article of Faith and do the election part afterwards.

With the elections tomorrow, I think it will be fun to have an election of our own that Cadi can participate in.  Maybe it will become a new tradition for our family; we'll see how well the family likes it. ;)

---

"I voted today - twice!"

Originally posted: November 4, 2008

This morning, after dropping Acadia off at school and before hitting the gym, Rori and stopped by one of the ballot drop boxes to turn in our vote. (I had Ryan's ballot to drop off, too.)  I even got my "I voted" sticker.  :)

But before that even, Ryan, Acadia, and I each voted in our family election today. 

I had a couple of requests to share the candidates and their statements, so I decided to scan in and post the pamphlet that I made for our dinner election.  The front looked like this:



The inside had these candidates (copy and pasting really messed with the spacing and settings a bit, but you at least get the idea):

Main Dish Candidates
Mom’s MeatballsDescription: Gound beef, bread crumbs, egg, worcestershire sauce, and onion soup seasonings blended together and formed into balls, baked.
Candidate Statement:
Side Dish Candidates
Scalloped PotatoesDesciption: Real Idaho Russet Potatoes, sliced and baked in a creamy roasted garlic sauce, made by Betty Crocker.
Candidate Statement:                       
                        Betty Crocker has the experience and reputation to provide a delicious addition to our dinner.  They’ve done most of the work, so Mom doesn’t have to.  Preparation time is minimal.

  

CouscousDescription: Roasted garlic and olive oil flavored couscous, made by Near East.                       

Candidate Statement:

                        Couscous is a healthy grain that our family enjoys very much.  We’ve had couscous on many occasions and it is a side dish we know we can rely on to be nutritious and delicious!  It will compliment any main dish and cooks in only 5 minutes! 

RiceDescription: Parboiled white rice, seasoned as desired.

Candidate Statement:                       
                         Parboiled rice is a wonderful, healthier alternative to regular white rice.  The look, taste, and cooking are so close to regular white rice that you cannot tell the difference, but the process in which the rice had been prepared before we purchased it, enabled it to keep many of the nutrients that are often lost when regular white rice is prepared for purchase.  Our family is very familiar with parboiled rice and we know that it tastes great no matter what else it is served with.


Vegetable Dish

Peas

Description:  Frozen peas, steamed and lightly buttered.
Candidate Statement:Peas are a colorful, delicious, and healthy vegetable, which is an excellent source of iron, vitamins A & C, and fiber.  They are fun to eat because you can use a French accent, like the peas have on VeggieTales.

 

Corn on the Cob

Description:  Corn on the cob, husked, and boiled.
Candidate Statement:Corn on the Cob is fun to eat; you get to eat it with your hands and it sticks in your teeth!  How many vegetables can say that?  Corn isn’t the most nutritious vegetable that you can choose, but it is the tastiest!

 

Green Beans and Onions

Description: Frozen French cut green beans, steamed with chopped onions and a dab of butter, seasoned lightly with garlic salt and black pepper.

 Candidate Statement:                This vegetable dish often experiences opposition by those with simpler tastes but it is still worth considering.  Why?  Because Mom really, really likes them!  A vote for this vegetable dish is a vote to make Mom happy!  J 

 Thank you for taking the time to careful consider the candidates participating in our family dinner election.  Don’t forget to vote before school or work on Tuesday, November 4, 2008!  Results will be revealed at the dinner table that night.

So, after the Primaries last night, our candidates were narrowed down to these:
Main Dish Candidates: Mom's Meatballs and Zesty Grilled Chops
Side Dish Candidates: Scalloped Potatoes and Rice
Vegetable Candidates: Corn on the Cob and Green Beans & Onions
The votes are in and tonight we will find out the results! :)

---

"The Results are In!"

Originally posted: November 4, 2008

No, not those results yet.  I'm talking about the winners of today's Dinner Election.  And those winners are...


We had Zesty Grilled Chops, rice, and corn on the cob.  It was very delicious and we all loved the chops!  In fact, we rated it 4.5 out of 5 possible stars and plan on adding it to our favorites. :)

                        A family favorite, passed down from generation to generation.  This delicious meatball is versatile and a definite crowd pleaser.  Our home has some pre-made and ready to pop into the oven, so preparation time and costs are minimal.

Herb & Garlic Chicken BreastsDescription: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, marinade in Lowry’s Herb & Garlic marinade sauce, baked.
Candidate Statement:

                        White chicken breast is a very healthy source of protein for our bodies.  The Herb & Garlic marinade is delicious and compliments any side dish.  Marinade time is only 30 minutes, and because we have the ingredients in our pantry, there would be no additional cost to our family.

Zesty Grilled ChopsDescription:  Pork chops marinade in soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, chili sauce, and garlic powder, grilled on the BBQ.
Candidate Statement:
                       This excited dish brings change to our family; we have never tried it before!  If you are tired of the same dinners night after night, week after week, this is our opportunity to try something new!  It might taste wonderful, we might not like it at all, or perhaps we’ll find ourselves somewhere in the middle.  We’ll only know if we give it a try.  We have all of the ingredients on hand, though the marinade would need to be prepared from scratch; which will require Mom to work a little longer on this meal. 

The Best of SariahSays #11: "What makes a great dad?"

There is a reason why we have girls: so Ryan would have little fingers to wrap himself around. He adores them and they adore him. This post is just one example of how patient, loving, and positive Ryan is...

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Originally posted: March 9, 2006

(What makes a great dad?)

When he comes home at night after a long day of work and finds some pictures that have been colored scattered in the entrance to the family room along with the colored pencils used to color these pictures... he looks down and says, "Are those Cadi's? Wow - she did AWESOME!" No comment about how she left them out right in the walkway, just how great of a job she did with the detailed coloring in the picture.

THAT, my friends, is what makes a great dad!

The Best of SariahSays#10: "The Giving of Thanks"

This seemed to be the appropriate post to start off the month of November.  :)

---

Originally posted: November 22, 2006

Tomorrow is Turkey Day and I'm ready!  Bring on the food!
But before we do...

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that tends to be mis-celebrated.  When you think of Thanksgiving, your first thought is FOOD!  Followed by gathering with family, football, and parades.  It's only when we really stop to think about it that we remember, "Oh yeah, I'm thankful...".  I suppose it really isn't so bad.  I mean, we are thankful for food, family, friends, and yes football and parades.  So, as we celebrate by stuffing ourselves silly and spending time with the people we love, let's also remember that it is a day to give thanks - for all of our many blessings. :)

Tomorrow our Thanksgiving will be small and quiet.  Ryan could not get the time off of work so he will go in like normal.  I didn't call any of my relatives to see if we could crash their dinners.  Instead, I bought a small turkey and all the fixings to make our own Thanksgiving feast here.  Ryan will hopefully be able to come home after checking in at work.  *Keeping fingers crossed that it will be an uneventful day at work so he can do this.*  He's planning on playing football with some of the guys from church and then we're planning an early dinner.  Then he heads back to work so his co-worker can go home for the rest of the day to be with his family.

I can't help but think back to last Thanksgiving. 


We were in Sacramento and I felt so tired and yucky.  I thought I knew why but I was wrong. lol  We ran the 10K for Run to Feed the Hungry and I just couldn't understand why I stuggled so much that last mile. lol  Later we had dinner with my family and I was disappointed that I didn't feel well enough to really eat a lot. lol  ... I had no clue.

About a week later, I found out that I was pregnant!  No wonder I was felt so tired and crummy!  No wonder I struggled at the end of that 10K!  No wonder I couldn't eat all the pie I thought I had earned by running! 

We were hesitant to be excited... we had been through the heartache of miscarriage before and I was getting all sorts of bad signals from my body.  But somehow when we went in for an ultrasound, there was a heartbeat!  It's hard to imagine that one year ago, I had no clue that Aurora was about to come into our lives.  But here she is!  So healthy, so beautiful, so happy!


And then of course there is our first precious little girl.  Acadia has grown so much in the last year.  She is so helpful, so considerate, so loving.  She is an excellent big sister.  She has taken that role gladly and hasn't complained or acted out in any way.  I get glimpses of a young woman as she lovingly holds her little sister or reads her a story.  I just wish she wouldn't grow up quite so fast.


I've been so blessed.  I have an amazing husband who loves me and treats me far better than I deserve.  He is my best friend and I am so grateful that our relationship is so strong.  I know that with him by my side, I can get through anything.

I'm so very grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to be with my family forever.  I'm grateful for the comfort and joy that it brings to my life!  I am grateful for the scriptures and that I can read them daily.  When I read, my days go so much better.  They truly are a blessing in my life. 
There are so many little things and so many not-so-little things.  I simply can't list them all and I'm not even going to try.  But I am grateful none the less. :)

I hope that you all have a wonderful (and delicious) Thanksgiving! 

The Best of SariahSays #9: "Just Because I..."

A "best of" could not be complete without a post dedicated entirely to The Lord of the Rings, could it?  No way, not if it's MY "best of"!  There were several to pick from, this is one of my favorites...

---

Originally posted on April 18, 2005
Just because I...

• have told Ryan I want to play a clip of LOTR at his funeral,
• have made my car CD player the permanent home for the Return of the King Soundtrack,
• will now willingly play Risk and Monopoly - as long as it's the LOTR version,
• recognized when the official answer to a question in the LOTR Trivia Game was wrong - and proved I was right,
• named our computer after something in LOTR (actually that was done mutually with Ryan),
• recently named a post on my blog after the last line in the LOTR movies - and I did it on purpose,
• am considering changing the ringtone on my cell phone to one of the LOTR songs,
• hope that Howard Shore and the LOTR Orchestra someday makes their way near here so I can spend LOTS of money to go hear them play that beautiful music,
• want to own Anduril (well a replica of course),
• have dreamed about LOTR,
• ordered Arwen and Aragorn costumes last year for Halloween - and even glued Elf ear tips to my ears,
• have Aragorn as the background on our desktop and images of LOTR as screensavers,
• read LOTR nightly outloud to Ryan before we go to bed,
• have quoted LOTR to make a spiritual point - even have it written as a reference in the margin of my scriptures,

...doesn't mean I'm "obsessed"! ...Does it? For those of you who think it does, I have two things to say to you:
1) "Don't be hasty." And...
2) "Go now, and die in what way seems best to you."

---

And since then,

• I do have two LOTR ringtones on my cell phone,
• Ryan and I have gone to hear the LOTR symphony (it was A-MA-ZING!),
• We do own Anduril and have it displayed in our front room,
• Oh - and since today is Halloween, here is the pumpkin that I carved four years ago:

"One gourd to rule them all."  Yes, that's the accurate spelling and it wraps all around the pumpkin.  And yes, I did it myself, no pattern, totally freehand.  Pretty much, that was THE BEST CARVED PUMPKIN EVER. lol

Saying goodbye to Simon.

Before taking Simon in, the girls and I spent some time just loving him.  He got special treats, lots of hugs, and lots of petting.  We told him that we love him, that he has been a wonderful dog, and that we are going to miss him.

I believe animals, and especially dogs, can sense things.  I wonder what he thought?  Did he understand?  Was he sad too, or grateful, or both?  Probably both.  I hope he wasn't frightened. 

We were with him as he went to sleep, petting, hugging, and talking to him.  I don't know if he could hear us, he was deaf, but I hoped that he was granted just a little hearing back to hear us comforting him and telling him that we love him.  At least I know he felt our hands and hugs. :)



Last night, Ryan posted some thoughts on his MySpace blog, but since I don't think anyone can read it, I'll repost it here:

Today was a sad day.

There was a successful attempt to assassinate our dog.  This champion of home protection and child happiness was silenced in the twilight of his years (15 or 16 total).  In the end, he was his own enemy.  Literally.  If we hadn't put him down, he probably would have chewed his own end off...I'll let you figure it out.

I would like to share a few memories of our good and faithful dog:

We acquired Simon in 1998 from a family in Idaho who wanted to give him away because they lived on a range and Simon was constantly running down to the road where cars would often go speeding by.  They were afraid that he was going to get run over and chaining him up all the time was not the best solution.  When we first got him, we didn't think he could bark since he never did.  It was months before he first barked around us.  After a while, he became comfortable around us and barked like a normal dog and became our faithful guard dog. 

We had a cat back then, named Tigger.  Simon would copy what the cat would do and go pouncing around the back yard chasing butterflies and crickets.  Simon also took a liking to cat food.  Tigger did not think much of that.  After a couple swipes with his claw, Simon started to learn some manners.  A couple more items the dog learned from the cat was jumping in laps and sleeping at our feet on the bed.  Let's just say the dog was a little too big for both.  lol

Not too long after this, our cat disappeared, but one day, a new arrival came.  Acadia was born and her first welcomer at her new home on Earth was a bright eyed, tail wagging Simon.  Simon proved himself a good nursemaid.  :)

Then we moved to Massachusetts and Simon moved to Sacramento with the Robarts.  They kept good care of him, though he was a bit of a trouble maker.  When we moved to Vancouver, we were reunited and Simon got to welcome the next addition to our family, Aurora.

In Vancouver, Simon accompanied me on many hikes.  In the beginning, when he was younger, he would outpace me up the mountains.  I didn't mind.  He was the bear-bait, leading the way.  When he got older, he was slower, but still bear-bait.  :)

Simon slowed down in his old age, but found new purpose as a foot warmer to any foot near enough to sit on.  He became our greeter at the door, welcoming friends and family to our home.  He was nursemaid to our children, protector in the night, and friendly face every morning. 

He was our friend as well as part of our family.  May he rest in peace until we meet again. 

Goodbye, old friend...

The Best of SariahSays #8: "L-O-V-E"

Earlier this month, Ryan and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary.  It's amazing how quickly 13 years can go by!  I love him now more than ever and I'm so glad that we've been sealed to each other for eternity.  The following is the blog I posted last year for our 12th anniversary...

---

Originally posted on October 3, 2008


Today is our 12th wedding anniversary! 

So here are just twelve things that I love about Ryan.  In truth, I love so many more things than that (One year for our anniversary, I made a list of 365 things I love about him... Poor guy, the list is getting shorter! lol  No, of course not.  It really has gotten longer but I don't have that kind of time.), but today you get twelve. :)

• He makes me laugh - a lot!
• He is a wonderful father.
• He works hard and provides for our family so I can choose to stay home with our girls.
• He almost always lets me have my way. lol
• He loves the Gospel and leads our family in prayer, scripture study, etc.
• He doesn't mind helping around the house and will often do it without me even asking.
• He introduced me to Lord of the Rings!  ... And for that matter, Twilight, too!
• He gives the most wonderful hugs.
• I always know I'm safe when I'm with him.
• He encourages me and supports me in everything that I do.
• He bakes REALLY well!
• He is my very best friend; He knows me better than anyone else and he loves me better than anyone else.

Here is a slide show I made from some of our wedding pics...

Happy Anniversary, Roe!  I love you!

The Best of SariahSays #7: "According to Cadi..."

Earlier this year, a meme went around the blogs that the blogger's CHILDREN were supposed to answer. So, I let Cadi do it and here were her answers:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted on March 14, 2009


1. What is something Mom always says to you?

"Clean your room."



2. What makes Mom happy?

"When Dad gives you foot rubs. Or, when you go to nailux and get pampered by them."



3. What makes Mom sad?

"When you and Dad get in fights." (I told her she wasn't supposed to tell people that, she said, "So." lol)



4. How does your Mom make you laugh?

"I don't know, she just does it!" (laughing)



5. What was your Mom like as a child?

"She was a smart young lady and very pretty from her high school picture from the prom... yeah, I saw that!" (laughing)



6. How old is your Mom?

"(Giggle) Well, in July you'll be 34."



7. How tall is your Mom?

"Oooh... can I measure you? Um, then I'm going to guess... 5 feet."



8. What is her favorite thing to do?

"Read to Dad. Especially that new Twilight book... Midnight Sun. And Eldest."



9. What does your Mom do when you're not around?

"Go to the gym. And go to the store and not buy me anything."



10. If your Mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

"Her piano work. Definitely. Or singing. But I'm going more with piano work."



11. What is your Mom really good at?

"Playing the piano. And eating... (LAUGHING) No! I mean, (more laughing)... you're going to kill me... What I mean is, you're really good at cooking!!!"



12. What is your Mom not very good at?

"Um... I don't know, let me think... Don't write down everything I say! Stop!... You're not very good at... I don't know...um, when you plant flowers, you're not good at keeping them alive."



13. What does your Mom do for her job?

"Stay home and try not to kill Rori."



14. What is your Mom's favorite food?

"Samoas!"



15. What makes you proud of your Mom?

"A lot of stuff, but I can't narrow it down. Maybe playing the piano and your excellent singing, and your cooking - I love your cooking. Yep, definitely all that stuff."



16. If your Mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

"I don't know. That one's really getting me stuck. Do I have to answer it?"



17. What do you and your Mom do together?

"We go to Barnes and Nobles together, and the mall and all that other fun shopping stuff! Woot, woot, woot!"



18. How are you and your Mom the same?

"We love to play the piano."



19. How are you and your Mom different?

"I always want to get away with as little as possible and you want to make me to do more than I'm supposed to do."



20. How do you know your Mom loves you?

"Because she cares for me and gives me a lot of stuff like clothing and toys... and she's the best mom in the world. And she cooks steak for me!"



21. Where is your Mom's favorite place to go?

"Mongolian Grill"



22. What was your mom's response to most of these questions?

"Laughing, of course."
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In the comments on that original post, I felt the need to clarify a few things, and oddly enough, as I repost this, I still feel the need to include those clarifications. lol Here is what I added in the comments that day...

I should have put a disclaimer at the bottom. lol

#2 This week was a long week and I had a few days that had my feet just killing me at the end of the day, so I've been asking for lots of footrubs lately.

#3 This doesn't happen very often. But she is right, that does make me sad. lol

#9 She's not bitter is she? lol I do buy her stuff all the time and I'd buy her more stuff if she wasn't so picky! lol

I think it's funny that she thinks I sing so well... I'm just "okay" at singing.

And she's got #12 right, for sure! lol

#13 ROFL!!!

#17 We haven't been shopping very much lately, I wonder if she's trying to give me a hint? lol

Most of her answers made me laugh. Silly girl. lol

The Best of SariahSays #6: "Happy Sariah Stamper Day!"

Back when I first started blogging, I used to track the weird holidays that happen daily. For instance, did you know that yesterday was "Cranky Co-worker Day" and "Navy Day". And today is "Day of International Concern About Young People and Gun Violence", "St. Jude's Day", and "National Chocolates Day"... I definitely think I'll be celebrating that last one. ;)

"Well, on March 26, 2004, it was... well, why don't you just read the blog I posted that day:

TITLE: Happy Sariah Stamper Day!

DATE: 03/26/2004 09:16:06 AM

-----


BODY:

Today is "Make up your own holiday" Day! :grin:

In honor of Sariah Stamper Day, we must all stamp a card (preferrably for Sariah Stamper)! :thumb:

In addition, we must also participate in at least 2 of the following activities: (Sariah Stamper's Favorite things to do besides stamping...)

*Go to the beach

*Play the Piano

*Sing "Dear Jane" :lol:

*Eat either: Spaghetti Diablo, Mom's Meatballs, or Pork and Vegetables :lick:

*Read Helaman 5:12

*Scrapbook

*Eat Ice Cream (preferrably Strawberry Cheesecake or anything close to that)

*Watch Dr. Phil

*Kiss Ryan :kiss: - uh, :blush: let's just leave that one to Sariah Stamper herself!

*Cuddle Cadi

Have a very happy Sariah Stamper Day!:lol:
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You know, now that I think about it... that really was a great holiday. lol Luckily, March 26th is still "Make Up Your Own Holiday Day", so who knows, maybe I'll start a SariahSays Day next year! ;)