a moment

a friend who I went to elementary, junior high, & high school with

was in a plane accident

she along with her husband are in critical condition burn unit

and the flight instructor was killed in the crash

We have not been close the last years but I have checked her blog daily as she is creative, stylish, & all in all very inspiring. She and her husband have 4 children, two boyz and two girlz.

I have always felt very connected to her because when I was pregnant with our first daughter Emma she was pregnant with her first Claire. We lost Emma & she had Claire very close to Emma's due date. I have loved to see her daughter grow older, it has felt like a piece of Emma still exists for me.

I cannot even find words to describe the sadness I felt at hearing of the accident. Even now I sit trying to put words together to express my thoughts, I cannot.

I guess I would just like to request that you all keep her in your prayers.

You can find details here

and in her sister's blog here

Depressed..Depression.......

Jaxson has asked to go on numerous & various bike rides this week

all of which I couldn't get the energy up for

so for the last few days I have been bummin' around the house

with

NO...ZERO...ZIP

energy

yes, I have still ironed all the male family members shirts

yes, I made delectable blueberry crumble bars ( fresh blueberries)

yes, I cleaned the house ( 2 weeks without toilets cleaned, you can imagine)

yes, I finally got the laundry caught up

yes, I nursed a chunkarific baby

( shirt courtesy of my cuz Natalie, THANK YOU ! we love it)

yes, I took this lot to the Seattle Aquarium

( the boss was on my back, thus not pictured)

yes, I have manicured & pedicured all the children who bare my husbands last name

yes, I held a mini disco party in my garage ( with just the carvajal kids)

**plans for a disco ball and a genuine back to school bash to come

yes, I scouted weekend activities

but all was done with with my limbs draggin'

I thought I was depressed , you know I had to do good byes again

It was a lot of EMOTION

then

this AM

Liam threw up in his cereal

you know

upchucked

spewed

lost his lunch

reliquished his cookies

the big V

Yep....I have never been so relieved

I am not DEPRESSED........

I am SICK

hooray, I am sure that a little residual depression is hangin' out inside me

but I think with a little R&R

I should be up and riding again

much to Jaxson's felicity

******note from the author******

I am fulfilling a request to post recipes with my pics

Blueberry Crumb Bars

INGREDIENTS

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch



DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and cinnamon, if desired. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the shortening and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.
In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Chaucer & Grandma

Chaucer became a "mover" while in Utah

he learned to crawl and pull himself up to standing position

He also learned some housekeeping skills from Grandma

they swept the floor

&

cleaned the fridge

and had an all around great time

His smile & the way he raises his eyebrows when you talk to him

won his Grandma's heart

Back with a ..........well you know

So I think we will go in rewind

the car trip back

was

well

LONG

and

maybe

LONGER

oh and

did

I mention

It was

LONG?

here is some of the scenery from the .... drive

just entering WA

Oregon ( I am pretty sure)

this young man ( Andrew, my bro) declared I could trust him with some driving

BECAUSE HE WAS 17

well in spite of the fact he is 17

I really needed a little r & r

it was a luxury the previous drive didn't provide

thankfully he was cautious and he had neither his first accident or ticket while driving my clan

the sunset in SOUTH SOUTH washington

taken out side of a MC Donalds where aside from bribing my kids with sugared dairy products

We also sustained MULTIPLE mosquito bites

OUCH

The Welcome to WA

was as expected

RAINY

THANK YOU

I lOVE MY PEEPs in UT

But I LOVE my

WA

Weather

Hostage

I hereby commandeer this blog for the following message...(It was tougher than I thought to crack the code though). brand




I hope you don't mind. We just need a way to tide ourselves over while you drive...

for 13 hours...

with 4 kids...

under 6.


WOW, that's special Sarah! We'll be expecting some very cool entries upon your return ma'am.

We love you and will miss you, again.

are we there yet ?.........and other toiletries

(m& the ikea potty somewhere between Seattle, WA & Highland, UT)

Every parent who has driven long distances with children cringes at two questions

"are we there yet?"

&

" can I go potty?"

typical to any long drive the

"are we there yet's & gotta go's " started just after the sound of seat belts clicking faded

but this is not where our story today is going to begin

here we are just one week after the 13 hour + drive

We took a little vacation within our vacation

Destination: Emeline & Edward Cox Family reunion

Location: Castle Dale, Utah

Distance: 122 miles

travel snacks purchased, suitcases reloaded & refreshed, seat belts secured, freeway entered

the are we there yet's commenced then.......... less than 10 minutes passed

shrieks, squeals, groans from the far back

Jaxson yelps "Emeline has pooped"

"It's not just poop MOM"

"It is DIARRHEA"

"Yuck"

"Gross"

"MOM, It really is the big D"

next Andrew (16 yrs old) & Liam join in

"oh yep we smell it"

"gross"

I stubborn to continue the drive question the accused from the driver seat

"Emme did you poop?"

"M are your panties dirty?"

her sly reply that did less than ease my fears

"nope"

"no poop in princess pantine"

So off the freeway the NOT so weary travelers went

stopping at the nearby gas n' go

I careful unbuckle the guilty looking child

ALAS

nothing

not even a little number 1

not a streak

not even a hint of the afore mentioned "big D"

just perfectly laundered princess panties

of course I wasn't going to chance a rerun

so

I took her to the potty

where she confessed

" I farted"

now this may sound like any other time you have heard that slightly offensive word

but I assure you

you have not heard the word farted until you have heard it from the most beautiful blue eyed two year old, with a slight accent on the "Fa"

I laughingly re buckled the falsely accused into her car seat

and we were off, for real this time

the next sound which in a different time and place would send chills down my spine was actually welcomed

"Are We there yet"

I greeted this question like and old friend.........at least no one has the BIG D

to open a can of worms.......without any idea

So last night I was having scripture study with the kids before bed

in Tio Jonathons room which we have taken over and has become

temporary Casa de Carvajal

We read

Alma 12:24

" And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death;nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead."

I said

so, in this life we get to prepare to meet God

what can we do to prepare?

Jaxson looking bereft of knowledge

Well, I just don't get it Mom

how do babies come out of you anyway

Liam rolled to his back spread his legs apart then pointed in between them

They come out from here, right Mom

I said

yes, Liam you are right

Jaxson again

so, what Mom they cut your penis off

Liam, Emme, & I chimed

mom doesn't have a penis

Jaxson

so, what it's like a transformer or something

I said holding back laughter, tears, & anxiety

yep, something like that

Okay so this life is to prepare to meet God, what can we do to prepare ourselves?

All I can say is this mother gig is definitely a mixed bag