Merry Christmas!

and best wishes in the New Year!

(hope you like your gift Jared!)

catch up

Here's some things that we've been up to this last month:

Kids taking swimming lessons:

Making a duct tape dress form:

here's a real tutorial.

You may notice I've also been doing alot of this:

That's because I drew a certain someone's name for Christmas - you know who you are, you lucky duck!

eight years - collect your bets

Happy Anniversary Honey! (-even though you've never read my blog before.) It's kind of shocking to me that we've been at this for 8 years already. (-feels like an eternity! haha) We've both changed so much, but we've grown together, not apart. (-we've also grown around, but that's a different thing.) This year I've really come to see us as a team. (You make the money, I spend the money... right?!?) And we're able to look back and laugh at all that stuff that seemed so hard. (months and months of trying to start a family but Josh took his time, restarting your career and making less than your wife, the workplace accident that put you on worker's comp for 3 months, coming straight to the hospital from school and heading straight back when Taylor was born so that you didn't get expelled, that crappy apartment managing job, living apart for 3 months while you went to school then found a job in Brooks, loosing your job, another workplace accident, getting sideswiped and having our car written off 2 months before finally paying it off, Lakeside... you ARE laughing, right?) I can't imagine living any life but this one, with you, (at least until Richard Dean Anderson comes knocking - kidding!) and I'm excited to spend the rest of it with you. (cue panic-y laughter. Yours or mine?)

bossy books

As Josh starts wandering (slowly and painfully) through the world of reading, we've developed some funny quirks around our house. Sometimes I can be found reading books backwards to my kids (to prove the point that it DOES matter which direction you track your finger!) As my kids find this HILARIOUS, it is, admittedly, one of my less inspired prove-a-point mothering moments.

My favorite (and sometimes not) is when Taylor gets in on it. He likes to pretend to read direction off of boxes or out of books. These directions ALWAYS seem to prove me wrong. Example:

Me: "No Taylor, no more fruit snacks. Only one a day."

Taylor, picking up box and tracking his little finger over the letters: "Mama, box say, Give Taylor two snacks ever."

Me, taking the box from his hands and also tracking over the letters: "No Artificial Flavours, Colours, or Preservatives"

Taylor, knowing he's busted: "Ohhhh, silly me."

Today, I came up with an entertaining alternative:

Taylor, tracking over the words 24 Chocolate Days 'til Christmas Advent Calender: "Mama, this say, Let Taylor eat many, and share with Brandt, not just one".

Me: "Really? When I read it, it says, "Taylor is a little stinker, he only gets one candy each day and we will share next time."

Taylor: "Ohhhh, silly you."

in which I am chastened

I am loving this quote from Marvin J. Ashton:

"When one considers the bad feeling and the unpleasantness caused by contention, it is well to ask, “Why do I participate?” If we are really honest with ourselves, our answers may be something like: “When I argue and am disagreeable, I do not have to change myself. It gives me a chance to get even.” “I am unhappy and I want others to be miserable too.” “I can feel self-righteous. In this way I get my ego built up.” “I don’t want others to forget how much I know!”

"Whatever the real reason, it is important to recognize that we choose our behavior. At the root of this issue is the age-old problem of pride. “Only by pride cometh contention.” (Prov. 13:10.)

"If Satan can succeed in creating in us habits of arguing, quarreling, and contention, it is easier then for him to bind us with the heavier sins which can destroy our eternal lives. A contentious spirit can affect almost any phase of our lives. An angry letter written in haste can haunt us—sometimes for years. A few ill-advised words spoken in hate can destroy a marriage or a personal friendship, or impede community progress."

role model

From now on, I'm getting my parenting tips from this guy....

...and sometimes we whine

"Greatness is best measured by how well an individual responds to the happenings in life that appear to be totally unfair, unreasonable, and undeserved. Sometimes we are inclined to put up with a situation rather than endure. To endure is to bear up under, to stand firm against, to suffer without yielding, to continue to be, or to exhibit the state or power of lasting." - Marvin J Ashton

nothing says "I love you" like a pickle

I think we can all agree that Costco is awesome. My friend, Jill, was showing off her most recent mass-quantity finds the other day, when it was revealed that she doesn't like pickles. I find this unfathomable. (It's unf...with...without fathom.) In spite of this, she purchased a 4 Litre jar of gorgeous gems of flavor, also know as pickles, for her family. What a beautiful expression of love!

Disclosure: I like to eat pickles with peanut butter. Spoonfuls of peanut butter in one hand and a pickle in the other, sliced pickles sandwiched between peanut butter and bread, or the ultimate "to-go" variation: hot-dog style - I'm sure you can picture it. I'm resigned to the fact that most people will never be able to bring themselves to sample this delicacy, and I'm truly sorry for their loss.

Really though, I'm just curious what other people love to eat that I would find unfathoma... unfatho... without fathom. (Thank you Megamind, you complete me.)

today

Today we did this....














For this kid.... (he's flashing a "peace" sign)














Who wanted one like this.... (it's a sun)














While taking an appropriate amount of tries to extinguish these...


















































And we spoiled him with a bunch of this...






































Sure do love my Tay-bay! (Tay-tay, my bay-bay!)

...of the rest of our lives

That's right, Josh had his FIRST DAY of school this week. He was so excited to get there and get down to business that he didn't want to stop for a picture. But we compromised and I got these babies when I picked him up at the end of the day.

status

You know all those silly status games people play on Facebook? I actually thought this one was funny, but awkward because I don't actually talk to many of my "friends", so I thought I'd post it here.

YOU ARE IN A HORROR MOVIE that takes place at your house. Here are the rules: Go to your profile and look at your top six friends on the left side.
1st to die: Janay Stanford
The person who runs upstairs instead of out the door: Mark Mendenhall
The Killer: Krymsen Suelzle
The accomplice: Marjorie Carmona-Legare
The person who hides in the closet: Carly Mendenhall
The one who saves the day: Mona Harris

Good job Mona - my hero. Krymsen, I would have never suspected. Marjorie (who my mom taught in young womens when I was a baby) I know I was a homely infant, but really - 29 years is a long time to hold that against me! Janay, we barely see each other and then you die so abruptly, tragic. Mark (who I'm sure doesn't even know I have a blog let alone that he is today featured here), really? upstairs? I really expect brighter decisions from family members. Carly, if I'm dead and you survived by taking the only hiding spot in my house that accommodates an adult I am going to haunt you!

Brenda said it best

Dear Universe,

I've been all over the map lately - and I know it's been visible to everyone around me. I've been selfish mostly, only worrying about how things are effecting me. I've been callous in my conversations, basically being a jerk. I've been cold, and critical, and unkind.

And then, today, the you gave back. Like you always do, because you are directed by a Heavenly Father who loves me.

Please accept my apology.

Lisa

now listen here...

Inspired by a friend's blog list, here is what I would tell my younger self:

1. He's out there, and you'll find each other when the time is right, so stop looking around and "what if"-ing and enjoy your life.

2. Keep being driven and stubborn. Being strong is your gift.

3. Don't let being driven and stubborn make your life all business all the time - you'll have the rest of your life to be a grown-up.

4. Yes, high school is easy - but with just a little effort you will ROCK it!

5. Repeat after me - "Everyone else is as insecure as me." Repeat often and BE A BETTER FRIEND!

abc's

Copy this from my cousin's cute wife's blog:

A. age :: twenty-nine (my birthday was only 3 months ago but it still took me at least 30 seconds to figure out my age!)

B. bed size :: queen (Trevor wants a king, but I think we should both just loose some weight)

C. chore you hate :: dishes (it's the only thing I really have to force myself to do)

D. dogs :: allergic (but if we had a heated garage and a bigger yard I'd probably indulge my husband's wish for an outdoor one)

E. essential start to your day :: my scripture/journaling/personal prayer routine (if this gets missed or skipped over for any reason, I can guarantee you don't want to get in my way - I just get kinda mean and impatient)

F. favorite color :: charcoal gray

G. gold or silver :: silver

H. height :: 5'6 3/4" (I still measure myself frequently to see if I've gained that extra quarter inch)

I. instruments you play :: piano

J. job title :: mom extraordinaire

K. kids :: Josh and Taylor

L. live :: Brooks, Alberta

M. maiden name :: Mendenhall

N. nicknames :: depends on who you ask (Mendenhall relations call me Lisa D, or Lisa Diane. Carly sometimes calls me Lu-lu, Julie often calls me some variation of Lisee. Privileged and dear friends from back-in-the-day refer to me as Lisa-piece-a-poo, not flattering, but true. Trevor calls me his "little field patty" or "meadow muffin", not really flattering either. I think I missed a couple)

O. overnight hospital stays :: I've only ever been admitted to the hospital for baby-delivering purposes.

P. pet peeve :: when people mis-use or mistake or mispronounce works (I am currently irked by "fustrate", instead of fRustrate)

Q. quote :: "I know you KNOW, I want you to DO." Thanks Dad.

R. righty or lefty :: right (but sometimes I pick up a pen with my left and go to start writing and am momentarily confused as to why it's not working properly)

S. siblings :: Julie, Joel, Dallin, and Carly (and super SIL Christa)

T. time you wake up :: whenever my kids decide to get up (anytime between 6:30 and 7:30 usually, but I can't rule out an occasional 5:30)

U. university attended :: UofLethbridge, but not completed (that's right you've discovered my not-so-secret shame: I'm a drop-out)

V. vegetables you dislike: I can't come up with one

W. what makes you run late :: When I come home from an early Sunday morning meeting to find my children still in their pjs and my husband just getting into the shower - 10 minutes before church is supposed to start!

X. x-rays you’ve had :: dental xrays

Y. yummy food :: steak (thank you Frank for converting me to the ways of medium-rare meat and horseradish, your contribution to my life lives on in every expensive date-night dinner my husband buys me!)

Z. zoo animal favorite :: anything behind glass (you'll find me face-smushed to those exhibits for hours!)

um, ya, like that

Random conversation with missionaries:

Me: Oh, I read that on so and so's* blog
*names changed to protect peoples identity (and the fact that I stalk alot of blogs)

Elder: They have a blog?

Me: Yup.

Elder: Do you have a blog?

Me: Ya, but I'm really bad at keeping it up.

Elder: How bad? like only once a week?

Me: Um, ya, like that.

i'm raising my children to be a boy band

First and foremost, this is for my kids even though it's the worst video ever...




And the rest is for me...
Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester from Glee) opened. A-Mazing.

Then a bounty of NKOTB and BSB showered upon us like manna from heaven.
And then we hung out by the back door and saw Howie, Brian, Jordan, Joe and Donnie. Joe and Donnie both came up to our fence and chatted but mostly just walked down the line up reaching out to as many hands as they could. I got an autograph from Donnie for my pal Jill. And touched them both, kinda heady stuff.

oh. my. heck.

Check this out.

best day. EVER.

Randa and I took the kids out to the White House today - the Sean and Kimara White house. We had the best time. Jumping on a trampoline. Exploring barns. Riding quads. Roasting hotdogs and marshmallows. Climbing through bushes. Scaling piles of firewood. Dodging bees. And best of all - Cuddling cute little baby chicks. So much fun! Thanks again Kimara - best. day. ever.

just like when I was a kid

Ever come across something from your childhood and get so excited to introduce it to your own kids? Or find an old favorite movie and have a no-holds-barred movie-viewing-event? And do you ever then wonder why it was so beloved, or realize that it's totally NOT a children's movie at all? Ya, it happens to me all the time (especially because we are movie collectors).

But not today! Yesterday at Walmart I found the old Disney movie, "Flight of the Navigator". I was a little nervous, because while I remember loving it, I couldn't actually remember the plot. Best. Movie. Ever. Josh loved it. It was every bit as enjoyable as I (barely) remembered it. Thank you Disney for this gem.

So, go share something old with a kid today - or just reminisce with someone who remembers too. Even if it's just the memory of an old rotary phone. Find a picture online. Tell them about how long some of the phone cords used to be before cordless. Something like that - they'll love it. You'll love it.

conference quotes - update complete

I had to go look this up in it's entirety after it was quoted by a second speaker (Paul V. Johnson) on Sunday morning.

"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God... and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven."
Orson F. Whitney, April 1929 Conference Report

"Pain is a gauge of the healing process, it often teaches us patience."
Elder Kent F. Richards' talk, Saturday morning session

"Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions.The desires we act on determine our changing our achieving and our becoming."
Elder Dallin H. Oaks's talk, Saturday afternoon session

"Sometimes a single phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affect someone's life for eternity."
President Dieter F. Uctdorf, Sunday morning session

"We testify to every nation kindred, tongue, and people that God not only lives, but that he speaks. That for our time and in our day the counsel you have heard is under the direction of the Holy Spirit - the will of the Lord, the word of the Lord, the voice of the Lord and the power of God unto salvation."
Elder Jeffery R. Holland, Sunday afternoon session

my favorite cookie is a cracker

Be warned, I have no interesting topic for today. I'm just feeling guilty about not blogging lately, so... you get what you get.

It feels like their should be some hidden meaning to that blog title, but it just is what it is. There is a cornbread-type cracker in the President's Choice 840g Cracker Collection Club Pack that I love. Isn't that a sweet deal, buy a box of mix crackers and get a sleeve of cookies too!

On another totally random note, I love the McDonald's boy's happy meal toys right now. I may have gone through the drive-through once this week ordering 2 of just that. They're selling 4 inch tall Justice League figurines that have a one button perk (like a light or chopping action) - my kids are in love and play with them all day everyday. It's been awesome to watch them getting along and playing TOGETHER.

ode

You'll think I'm crazy because I don't use a computer or professional to help me out. I must like to do things the hard way - by hand. When I realized the day had come, I was chomping at the bit, I could hardly get through making lunch I was so excited to start. Something about that newspaper-y smell of fresh paperwork. I'm so grateful that my Dad insisted I know how to do it. I've only not done it myself 3 years since starting in high-school. And 5 years I've done double duty with Trevor's too.

I love you! I love all your mathematical goodness - multiplying percentages makes my heart skip a beat. I love checking and rechecking each line, form and step. And when I finally seal up that envelope (I told you - I LIKE doing things the hard way!) the sense of satisfaction is overwhelming. If only it could last a little longer - one afternoon was not enough

Oh, Tax Season. Loving you is it's own reward.

a pic worthy post

Ever avoid journal writing and blog posting because too much has happened? And the idea of trying to sum it up is so tiring in itself that you never actually do it? What?!? That never happens!

January 31st I was in a little fender-bender. Actually, a more appropriate description would be "a fender-ripper-offer".

insert picture I am too lazy to take here

I'm totally fine, it happened in practically slow motion and it was totally the other persons fault (they were oncoming and did a 180 on the ice, hitting my rear bumper with their rear bumper as I tried to pull to the side of the road out of their way). All in all - fun times.

I can feel myself starting to lose steam in the telling of this, so....

Long story, short - our car still runs, but has been written off by insurance because the body damage out-values our poor little car. RIP Alero, you will be missed.

insert picture of Crosby family in mourning

The most exhausting part of this whole story is trying to make myself care WHAT I replace my vehicle with. Because our insurance is actually NICE, they are delaying the removal of my write-off until we arrange for a new vehicle. Which we did this Tuesday.

I think I'll talk about it more in another post, I'm fading fast...

The new vehicle won't actually be in our possession for another couple days, but when we get it we will call our insurance to cut us our cheque and haul off our beloved. We will then take that cheque to the bank and get $40, because they valued our car at *just* enough to end up covering it's lien.

despite my poor story-telling abilities, this is actually quite good news...

So that's that. We've leaned pretty heavily on the kindness of the Cook family this last month. Thank you, you are the best!

Oh, and I cut my hair. Myself. And it looks awesome.

nope, no picture of this either. Say it with me.... "Lazy"!

did you know?

did you know if that if you turn on your comment moderation - you actually have to moderate your comments?!? What the what? Ya, oops! It's fixed now.

PS, You were the reason I had to moderate the comments, yes, you. Don't look behind you, you know who you are.

Jokes.

Mom, check this out....

Click here to see the cutest pictures of Josh on Randa's blog. It's a good thing I have friends who like their cameras or I would have no proof of even having any children - other than a messy house and a thick coat of insanity all over me.

housekeeping and "the change"

Okay, I'm gonna 'fess up off the bat that I'm not talking about real housekeeping or the actual "change". I'm talking computers and blog reading. I took a blog-reading hiatus of sorts over the month of December. It felt good. It felt really good. I only kept up with the blogs that are on my sidebar. You know, people I actually know. (On the down side, I've had trouble getting myself to bike without the motivation of some "computer time".) It's been interesting to get some perspective on what a quality blog-read is. And that is "the change". Apparently, I've lost interest in frugal/homeschooling/large family/cooking blogs. Now I only like crafting blogs. Have I mentioned that I'm not a crafter? Not a crafty bone in this body. Anything I produce that is even remotely crafty is actually studied replica of someone else's genius, without deviation. I'm at a loss to explain my new obsession.
That brings me to housekeeping. My new obsession was creating havoc in my bookmarks. I have just completed a 1.5 hour deep-clean of my book mark file. If only this "housekeeping" evidenced itself in clean floors or done dishes!

So I just have one question... why did I shave my legs today if I was just going to wear nylons anyways?

snow day

Our car got snowed into the parking lot at Trevor's work. After struggling to try and dig it out, he had to call a lovely friend at 6am to come pick him up. I didn't want him to have to then dig in to get home so I did it. With a dustpan, because our shovel is snowed into the garage. Fortunately our position on our cul-de-sac creates a wind tunnel of sorts that usually keeps our drifts down, so it wasn't that bad.

Ps. Happy Birthday yesterday to the cutest, funniest, sass-talkin'est 5-year-old I know.