Lagoon Day

Brad and I had a delightful time last Saturday at Lagoon. Every year Brad's job has an annual Lagoon Day, where all the employees get free day passes and get treated to a free lunch. This year Brad and I went without kids, so we were able to go on some adult rides and take advantage our freedom. It was nice having the alone-time and being able to feel like newlyweds again. It was fun!


I loved the landscaping at Lagoon and had to take lots of photos of the beautiful plants and flowers. I'm such a nature nut!





One of the courtyards in the park had about forty baby goslings nesting on the lawns with their mothers. I love Canada geese and had to take pictures of the cute little babies to show Scott and Emma later. One mama goose did not like me being so close to her family and spent the whole time staring at me and hissing.

Brad and I missed having Scott and Emma with us this year, but it was nice being alone together as well. Hopefully Scott and Emma will get to join us next summer.




Rattlesnake Rapids was one of our favorite rides. It really was too cold to go on, but we went anyway and got soaked. The waterfall at the end of the ride dumped buckets of water on us right before the ride finished, and it took forever for our jeans to dry up.




Brad and I went on the Sky Ride twice. I liked it mainly because it was relaxing and I could take photos on it easily.

I took so many photos like this one. I love taking photos of pretty things so I kept snapping away with my camera. The clouds drifted away right after lunch and the sky looked particularly gorgeous.

Ferris Wheel. This was the last ride we went on before we left the park. It was neat being on the wheel, because the sky was so beautiful at that time and it was such a clear, pretty day. We had a great view of the Salt Lake Valley.

This isn't Brad being scared of the Ferris Wheel-- honest. He was just very, very cold.

High altitude, cold wind, wet clothes = cold Bradley.

I think he was acting that way to get extra kisses from me.

Singing in the Rain

Scott and Emma had their last day of school yesterday. I took some photos of them yesterday morning before they left home, just for the memories. It was an overcast, rainy morning yesterday, so Scott and Emma had their umbrellas out, prepared for the extra humidity. Emma loves her pink umbrella that her grandmother gave her a few years ago. While I had my camera out, Emma began dancing in the rain, singing “I’m singing in the rain! Just singing in the rain!” She surprised me by how well she remembered Gene Kelly’s dancing moves from the movie “Singing in the Rain.” I did not know she knew the movie so well. She got some of the lyrics and tune mixed up, but overall, she did a really good impression of Gene Kelly and I was impressed, particularly because I cannot remember the last time she or I saw the movie.

33 Years of Bradley

My wonderful husband turned 33 today.

He started out so small.

But he kept getting bigger...


and bigger...

And at 6 foot 2 he's still just as cute as ever!

Gosh, I love my husband! He knows how to make me smile, even when I'm feeling low or troubled. He builds me up each day and always goes out of his way to make me feel beautiful and special. He always says nice things about me to his friends and family. I made the best decision of my life when I decided to marry him. He truly is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

May Flowers

I decided to go walking with Emma and Scott to school every morning during the month of May. I decided I needed the exercise, and the Utah weather has been so gorgeous lately that I felt I needed to get out and enjoy it more fully. The kids liked me joining them on their walk, too. It didn't take too long before we came up with our own walking games every morning, to make the thirty-minute walk more enjoyable and entertaining.

First we made up our own I-Spy alphabet game, in which we had to spot things that started with each letter of the alphabet. My favorite part of the walk was when we reached the letter "Q" and 7-year-old Emma started jumping up and down yelling "quack, quack." I spotted a wild quail once, but it was before we reached the letter "Q," so it didn't count.

After the alphabet game, Scott and Emma came up with a new idea. They started making "nature bouquets" for me during our walk. The children know I love nature and flowers, so they started gathering bits and pieces of natural things for me to give as a gift. I thought it was sweet how they would eagerly try to spot things for me. At the end of the walk I would end up holding all sorts of various wild flowers, lilacs, grass blades, leaves, weeds, dandelions, wheat stalks, and even rocks and pine cones. Every day I took photographs of the bouquets to remember them.

The kids eventually learned how to spot things better as the days progressed, so they were able to gather more and more plants on our trip. On our walks the kids would tell me how much they loved me and how grateful they were that I was their step-mother. It meant a lot to me to hear them say things like, "Becky, I am so glad Daddy married you" and "Becky, I love you so much!" It's sweet and rewarding for me to spend time with them each and every day. I love being their step-mom.

Rachel and Craig

My youngest sister, Rachel came to visit me over Memorial Day weekend. She brought with her a handsome young man she has been dating since the middle of January. I was very happy to finally meet Craig and get to know him better. Their relationship has been growing serious as the months have flown by, and I know they are considering matrimony in the near future. I enjoyed having them here and spending time with them.

I loved seeing Rachel again. I’ve missed her tremendously since I moved here to Utah, and it was great listening to her never-ending conversations and being surrounded by her good humor and laughter in my home. Rachel has an extremely extroverted personality, which balances my introvert traits very nicely. She’s a sanguine at heart, and thrives on constant attention, which I have always been willing to give. Craig is perfect for her in the sense that he’s like me personality-wise: an easy-going phlegmatic, always willing to let Rachel have the spotlight. I liked watching him interact with her and always making her feel wanted and appreciated. That’s exactly what Rachel needs.

Craig comes from a fairly large family-- the youngest of six siblings. Craig is very active and loves playing and watching sports, especially soccer. He also likes snowboarding and going on cruises with his family. Rachel loves playing soccer with him every Wednesday night, and even has battle wounds to prove it. I look forward to watching them play soccer together when I go visit them in July, but I definitely won’t be joining in the game. I am not much of a sports girl. Psychologically speaking, I am convinced that balls of all shapes and sizes have agreed not to get along with me. They are my sworn enemies. I try to avoid contact with them as much as possible.

Well, perhaps I'm being a little over-dramatic. I can’t say I don’t get along with all balls, because I do play croquet fairly well, and I like ping pong, pool, miniature golf, and tennis. I enjoyed playing croquet with Rachel and Craig when they came to visit. Craig by far was the best croquet player out of me, Rachel, Brad, Scott, and Emma, but I somehow managed to pull through when Brad “poisoned” Craig’s ball. I think Craig could have killed me earlier, but he did not. So I won my second game of croquet, poisoning Rachel’s ball at the very end.

We also played Jarts (which are large lawn darts) and Apples to Apples while Rachel and Craig visited. We had a battle of the sexes with the Jarts, but the boys clobbered Rachel and me by a huge margin, so we let them win the game. I won Apples to Apples.

Scott and Emma enjoyed meeting Craig and spending time with their Aunt Rachel. I am glad they were able to have some quality time with them even if it was only for a short time. Emma, in particular, has a great admiration toward my sisters, Rachel and Susie. I want Emma to have good role models in her life, and my two sisters are great women to look up to. I’m pleased Emma likes them so much.

I’m excited for Craig and Rachel. I think they make a good couple and balance each other out very well. It will be neat watching their relationship grow over time and see what their futures hold for them.

Summer Movies 2008

It's that time of year again! Brad and I are excited about new movies coming out this summer and we're making plans to see many of them in the theater. Here's a list of all the movies we DEFINITELY plan on seeing in the theaters:

IRON MAN
Release Date: May 2, 2008
Rated: PG-13

Technically we've already seen this movie, but I thought we'd add it to the list anyway. Brad enjoyed it more than I did, but overall I give it 3.5 stars out of 5. I felt it was too much of a "boy's" movie, and it was a little too violent for me at times. I did enjoy it, though. It had a decent plot and storyline, and they did an excellent job developing the characters.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN

Release Date: May 16, 2008

Rated: PG

Brad and I watched this movie on May 17th. I personally enjoyed it very much and give it 4 stars out of 5. The story was well done, but I felt it lacked the character development and "magic" the first movie had. It was not as good as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (which I give a full 5 stars), but it was nevertheless enjoyable and uplifting. I recommend watching it in the movie theaters.

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
Release Date: May 22nd
Rated: PG-13

Scott has been looking forward to this movie more than anyone else in our family. Right now he's a really big Indiana Jones fan. He has been collecting Lego Indiana Jones toys, as well as watching all three movies plus the special features. Brad and I plan on taking him during Memorial Day weekend.

WALL-E

Release Date: June 27th

Rated: G

It's this summer's Pixar movie! Our family is a huge Pixar fan, and we've been waiting to see Wall-e since June of last year. This is a DEFINITE family outing movie, and we'll be seeing it on June 29th.

THE DARK KNIGHT
Release Date: July 18th
Rated: PG-13

This is the movie Brad has been waiting for! The new Batman movie has been on Brad's mind every since he heard about it being filmed. He loved the first movie, Batman Begins (which I give 3.75 out of 5 stars). Brad has a high respect for the director of the film, Christopher Nolan. I'm looking forward to seeing Heath Ledger playing The Joker.

Lessons of Motherhood

Since the time I was a small child I had always wanted to be a mother. Being a mother meant unconditional, nurturing love, and those were virtues I longed to have. My own mother was a fine example of what I thought motherhood should be like. She was a hard worker, unselfish, and always loveable and nurturing to me and my sisters. I remember her taking time out of her busy life to spend time with me and to help me feel loved and appreciated. Her teachings had a powerful impact on my life. I’m grateful for the lessons she taught me.

Now that I’m a stepmother, I find myself mimicking my mother in so many ways. Some things are completely by accident and make me smile whenever I think about them. Other things make me cringe a little and I have to stop myself and say, “Slow down. I don’t want to be my mother in every way.” But overall, I think I’ve passed on to my stepchildren the same love and security my mother passed down to me, and for that I am grateful for.

It has almost been two years since I became Scott and Emma’s stepmother. In that time frame, my love for these children have grown and developed into something far more powerful and lasting than I could have ever imagined. These children have become a major focus in my life, and even though I have yet to experience the joys of childbirth, I feel bonded to Scott and Emma as if they were my own. I value my relationship with them the same way my mother valued mine. I hope to share the same lessons with them as well.

A poem Scott wrote for me:

You help me in my life
I wish I had a wife
Like you
And a friend like Daddy, too.
I love you Daddy and Becky.
You are my family.

"Is it my Imagination...

...or does Cookie look really round and plump?"

That was the question I asked myself this morning when Scott carried our new rat into my room before school. Now, about six hours later, I know the reason why. I mean, when you look at this photo what's the first thought that pops inside your head? Yes, that's pretty much the same conclusion I came to.

P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T

There's absolutely no way you can look at this cute, furry rodent with her round belly and engorged nipples without coming to the conclusion that she will most likely become a mother rat really, really soon.

And you would be right.

At first I was a little in denial, so I started searching the internet for "how to tell if your rat is pregnant" sites. I even emailed some photos to my rat breeder, Hilloah, and asked her what her opinion was. Little did I know that while I was on the computer, Cookie was directly behind me on my bed preparing to give birth! After I got off of the computer, I picked Cookie up gently and put her in her cage. That's when I noticed she was acting a little strange. She started stretching, breathing hard, and she pressed her face against the glass walls of her cage. Then I noticed the blood discharge. YIKES! I immediately looked back at my bed and I noticed that there were blood spots and holes all over my sheets. Apparently, she decided that my bed would make the perfect nest for her babies and started "decorating" the sheets by breaking off bits and pieces. I immediately took action and began shredding paper towels and sticking them in her cage, making sure she would be as comfortable and clean as possible for when she delivered her babies. She then proceeded to give birth a few minutes later.

So, my Easter Rat Surprise story now has another unexpected twist. We have a whole litter of surprises! They're all doing very well at the moment, too. There are six baby rats in all. All of them are beautiful, healthy babies. Cookie knows how to be a good mother and she's taking very good care of them. It makes me very grateful that we found her and rescued her. She really is a sweet little blessing in our lives.

The Easter Rat Surprise

We got another pet rat for Easter this year. She was a surprise for all of us, because we were not expecting to add another addition to our rat family so soon. She came into our lives almost entirely by chance. Let me tell you her story...

It was the Saturday before Easter. Children were busily rushing back and forth in our front yard, gathering eggs from secret hiding spots while the rest of the adults watched and took pictures. I was one of the adults with a camera in hand, enthusiastically taking photos of Scott and Emma and their 10 cousins. During all of the chaotic hustling and bustling, Grandma North spotted a neighbor out in her yard and went to talk to her.

After the excitement from the Easter egg hunt, all of us went inside the house to chat and visit with one another. I was sitting on the couch near my mother-in-law and some of the rest of the family. While we were talking Emma came up to me and asked if she and two of her cousins could play in the backyard on the slide. I thought about it for a moment and then told them it was okay. A few minutes later, Margaret, my mother-in-law, told us what her neighbor Delyse told her. She explained that Delyse was a little worried that her house would be invaded by a domesticated rat roaming the neighborhood. Apparently, the neighbor living behind Delyse no longer wanted their pet rat so they decided to turn it loose "into the wild" to fend for itself. Delyse had been watching the rat run back and forth in her backyard all morning, and was worried that the rat would somehow find a way into her home.

Angry and saddened by the tale of the homeless rat, I knew that the rat was doomed to die from either exposure to the cold, starvation, or violence. I thought about looking for the rat myself, but quickly became pessimistic. Just then, Emma came rushing into the house saying, "Becky! Becky! There's a rat in our backyard!" My mother-in-law quickly asked what color it was and Emma answered in a rushed voice, "White!" I immediately jumped up and went into the backyard. The other two girls were on the grass looking through the fence. The rat had escaped.

After realizing that the rat was so close by, I went back into the house and asked Scott for assistance. Scott went out into the front yard and began searching for the rat while I decided to walk around our next-door neighbor's yard. By the time I came back Scott was holding the rat in his hands. Apparently, the rat was hiding under the giant fir-tree in our backyard.

We brought the rat into the house and immediately announced the news to the family. Scott was very pleased that the rat was a girl rather than a boy, because that would mean we could probably keep her. We already have three female rats in a giant cage in Scott's room, and one more shouldn't hurt anything. Our family loves pet rats.

We decided to keep her. Scott created a rat-name ballot and we all voted for which name we liked best. The winner was "Cookie," to match with our other "C" rat names we currently have: Cinnamon, Cocoa, and Checkers. Cookie is a red-eyed standard-ear Siamese rat. We are going to quarantine her for the next two weeks and then introduce her to the other rats at the end of that time. From what we can tell so far, Cookie is a very pretty, mellow, sociable rat, and we know she will make a delightful addition to our rat family. She was a great Easter surprise.

Cinnamon

Cocoa

Checkers

Cookie

Roses on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day 2008

Brad gave Emma and me roses for Valentine's Day this year, which pleased Emma immensly. She asked her daddy specifically for roses, because roses are her "favorite flower." I was also pleased with the thoughtful gift from Brad, especially the card that came with the roses. I love cards! Brad always knows what I like best.

"To my wife on Valentine's Day,
Feel treasured, feel beautiful because that's what you are and always will be to me..."


I knew that Brad didn't want something Valentine's Dayish for Valentine's Day, so I bought him something that I knew he would like: a new Jump Drive for his computer. Very romantic, eh? He appreciated the gift very much, more so than if I had gotten him a box of chocolates or a plush Valentine's bear.

But of course, the best present of all was having each other. We don't need Valentine's Day to declare our love-- we do that every day. I'm very happy to be married to my Brad.

~Becky N.