A Major Dilemma

Okay, so I've been thinking of changing my major, yet again, but am finding it almost impossible to let go of my current one. I've decided on weighing the pros and cons to each, and taking any input. Let's begin, shall we?

English Ed. (Current Major):
Pros: *I am already in this major and have started on some of my major courses.
*I would love to teach, especially between middle and high school.
*I love the history, imagination, and meanings found in literature.
*I love that prose and poetry are left up to the interpretation of the reader.
*I love to study about authors.
*I could take classes in journalism, and would not only be taught to do it, but would be qualified to teach it with just 20 credits.
*I've only ever had one English teacher I didn't like, well two, if you can consider Mrs. Dunbar-Kari a teacher.
*My philosophy is that if a student has a solid understanding of their language, all other subjects come more easily, even subjects such as math, that don't seem to have any link to language, but in reality are impressively affected by it. To teach remedial English would not be the most fun part of the teaching occupation, but I do think it would end up being one of the most satisfying.

Cons: *If I did go into teaching, which is most likely to happen, I would have to stop once I started having kids. (This is not up for debate, it's a personal decision.)
*I feel that it does, in some ways, confine or at least obligate me to be a teacher. (Look, it's a noble thing, but so is being able to feed, clothe, and shelter myself!)
*Although I love to read, I tend to be slow. Keeping up in class-assigned readings have always been difficult for me, and I can see those classes taking a lot out of me.

Communications, Emphasizing in Journalism (Major up for Consideration):
Pros: *I would love to write for magazines like Discover! or National Geographic. That would be freaking awesome!
*Freelance journalism would be easily workable from home, even after having children.
*Where I fall short in reading, writing comes naturally. I can (and have) research, write, edit, and cite a paper on almost any topic in four hours and still pull off nothing short of a B+.
*I absolutely love writing research papers. They're my favorites!
*I think that doing investigative journalism for, oh, I dunno, like The New York Times would be a lot of fun.

Cons: *The few education credits would not transfer over, and I would almost certainly end up having to apply for a credit extension and I would have to stay in school longer.
*I would have to, especially at the beginning of my career, cover the topics that no one wants to cover. (i.e., obituaries, etc.)
*I wouldn't be teaching, and that would kind of suck.
*I might not get to take classes on the literature side of it all.

Now, changing my minor is not an option at this point. I want to keep it Russian. I could look into double minoring, but that'd be hard with an education major. They are pretty adamant about making sure everyone who majors in education also minors in some field of it.

Catching Everyone Up - Picture Wise at Least

Okay, here are some of the pictures I have been meaning to post over the last couple of weeks. They cover from our crepe party, which was the last week of winter semester, to the day I got back from Houston.

Here's Ang, enjoying a crepe filled with, I think, apples, strawberries, and a little whipped cream.

Me making bunny cake! I had to get it decorated before we left to Bro. Wright's place for dinner.

Kyle named it Derryl. It's some inside joke the boys have, but I am totally out of the loop here. I haven't a clue as to what they're talking about.

This is what you get when the ratio of men to women is 3 to 1. Easter dinner hadn't started, so they ate Pizza Bites or whatever they're called. Jym and Kyle were done, Josh had some left - you get the picture.

Jym and me down in Houston. It was a relatively cold day, so I borrowed his brother's jacket, which, come to find out, is actually a girls jacket anyway. It's not that great a picture of me, personally, but Jym looks good, and I know he's the one everyone wants to see anyway, so there you have it.

This is Josh and me in Angela's new apartment over in Nauvoo House. They're right across the street from where I live. This is the night I got back, I think.

Things I Love

Mum and Dad.
Levi.
Alexa.
Sam.
Jacob.
Kaitlyn.
Ezra.
Eden.
My family all over the world.
Music, singing is so much fun. But probably most especially piano music. I love it. I love everything about it.
Sports, especially gymnastics, basketball, baseball, and hockey. But there are so many others!
Hanging out with my roommies.
Hanging out with my friends.
Hide and go seek in the dark.
Maine, especially MDI, particularly during summer, fall, and winter - not so much during mud.
The ocean, rivers, streams, brooks, lakes, ponds, etc.
Snow, especially when I can play in it, or if there are soft and silent woods I can walk around through after they've been covered in snow.
Pounding rain when I'm inside, and can hear it and see it pounding through the window in the living room, as I drink something warm. (Watching my roommates venture out into it one-by-one for meetings and classes, when I don't have any, is just an added perk.)
Animals. Playing with them. Acting as one. What?! Me?!
The sky. It's a pretty amazing creation. The moon. The sun. Clouds.
Thunderstorms.
Books. There are some really amazing ideas out there, and so many of them are written down just for us to read.
Pictures.
Cookies. They're my weakness, and that's okay with me.
Certain T.V. shows: Seinfeld and The Office, and House.
The human body - another baffling creation. I mean, I think about it, and then I have to stop, 'cause my head starts hurting. It's awful. It's crazy.

Insomnia

I hate it when I can't sleep. My sleeping patterns have been so off lately, just 'cause of travel, not having any school, and things like that. I didn't nod off until almost 5! (Then I slept through my alarm clock and thus through Sacrament meeting... I had to go to another one later. It was lame.) Anyway, I did a couple things to bide my time. First, I read out of my book, The Long Walk, The True Story of a Trek to Freedom, by Slavomir Rawicz. It's excellent. I read a really good quote about humor. Here it is:

"The men I most admired were the jokers. They saved us often in our blackest moments. There were maybe four or five of them in our lot. They would joke about anything. Their quips were frequently macabre ... They were irrepressible. Nothing stopped them. I bless their memory for the gusty belly laughs they gave us..."

Later, at about 4, when it was quite clear that I wouldn't be falling asleep at any reasonable time, I pulled out my little green book I keep poems in. I jotted down my frustration:

Can't Sleep

Darkness fills the world outside,
Sharing the space with Silence.
In the walls of my home is where I hide
Writing down a late-night cadence.

Cool air sneaks past my drawn blinds
Calming my too-hot bedroom.
My Spirit finds peace, but not my Mind;
Thoughts do thrive in quiet gloom.

I wish only for a restful sleep,
Without another thought-fit,
Into which I can fall deep
Before the morning light hits.

Boring Books

In response to Lindsey's latest post, asking the question whether or not there are certain books I feel pressure to enjoy because they are considered "classics" or because they are "best-sellers" but simply can't find it in myself to read:

I, too, find it difficult to get into A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. I started it, got a couple of chapters in, and just couldn't keep it going. It's so boring - at least in the beginning it is, and that's the part that needs to capture you. I figured if it started out this boring, it simply didn't deserve all the hype it received, and set it aside, never to pick it up again.

Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse. I started it in the fifth grade. Having read and liked some of Hesse's previous writings, and this particular book being on the recommended reading list for my grade - it was an award-winning book - I totally expected to enjoy it thoroughly. Ya know, I give books a pretty good run before I'll set them down. (I also have a rule that if I'm at least three-quarters of my way through the book, it has to turn pretty far down hill for me to not finish it.) I was probably a good third of my way through, when it just became too dry for me to finish. It was dusty alright, but nothing good was coming from it. I have since thought that perhaps I would pick it back up, but every time I see it in a library, I just find myself not attracted in the least sense of the word.

Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I attribute this mainly to my lack of understanding. I started this book I think my freshman year of high school - it might have been 8th grade - and that's a pretty young age for anyone, even a well-read person like myself, to be delving into the dark and obviously troubled mind of Dostoevsky. If there's one thing I know about Eastern Europeans, it's that they don't do anything without a severe amount of passion; everything from their drinking to their writing is done with every fiber of their being. (The one excuse may be made for a few certain co-workers of mine, who felt that work required no passion, and therefore they got minimal hours.) I felt bad for setting this book down, but it was just too much for me. Maybe I'll give it another try - I'll probably have to for school some time soon anyway. My critiquing will be more accurate then.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Okay, these books are honestly, amazing. The highly detailed imagination that went into creating the world of Middle Earth, the creatures within it, and the languages that were involved is, in a word, baffling. They even include my all-time favorite, most-beloved character in all of literature, aside from Christ, Samwise Gamgee. But, unless you are big into literature, particularly of that time, or are interested in analyzing writing styles of early-1900's authors (call me weird, I like that stuff), than really I don't see any reason for you to read these books. Tolkien, as excellent a writer as he is, does tend to draw things out a little too long. This makes certain chapters long and dry. And although I don't normally suggest movies in place of books, I make this the exception. Peter Jackson followed the books very carefully, and quite frankly, the story is easier to watch than to read. You get the same feeling for the characters as you do from the books (the casting job was phenomenal), and the message, albeit not intended by Tolkien, is still there.

An Eden Moment

The following takes place between the hours of 2 am and 4 am on a January morning in Saipan:

Kaitlyn: "Mal, can I sleep with you? I think Eden wet the bed."
Mal: "Yeah, sure. Did you wake her up?"
Kaitlyn: "Yeah, Alexa's helping her." Climbs into bed with me.

A few minutes later...

Eden: "Mallory, can I sleep with you guys?"
Mal: "Are you cleaned up?"
Eden: "Yes."
Mal: "Of course."

About an hour goes by with all of us girls on a full-size air mattress in the family room, keeping Alexa awake all night due to our incescent noise-making. Finally, possibly the funniest part of the whole night happened after Eden had drooled a little from laughing too hard.

Mal: "Eden, are you licking me again?" ("Again" refers to an earlier time that night when Eden thought it was hillariously funny that she was licking my shoulder. I promtly put her on the other side of Kaitlyn, but somehow she ended up back beside me.)
Eden: "No."
Mal: "Oh, okay. Good."
Eden: Entirely serious. "I am wiping the rest of my spit on you though." As if that is any better. After she said it, it hit all of us at once just how funny it was, and we cracked up into yet another peal of laughter.

What I Forgot Over the Winter

I was walking down the sidewalk today on my way to the guy's apartment, without a coat on. It's not only nice out now, but warm. It's beautiful. Probably somewhere in the 50's range or higher. All of a sudden, it hit me that I really didn't know what to do with my hands. Normally I would have them stuffed as deeply as possible into my coat pockets, but what now? I just let them hang by my sides for a second, but decided that it felt ape-like. So, I slipped my hand into my back pockets, but that felt more like I should be standing still, rather than walking down the street. This might have worked had I been walking and talking with someone. I folded my arms across my chest, but decided that it looked too much like I was angry over something, when really I was having a perfect day - it was nice out, I had just finished my last final, and was on my way to hang out with the guys; not much to be angry over.

Alas, I had already reached Arcadia Apartments before I had figured out what exactly to do with my awkward appendages.

How to Have an Awesome St. Patrick's Day

Sorry these are so late getting up here. I've been busy - you know, end of the semester stuff. But these are great pictures, so I can't really pass them up. Besides - it's a step-by-step guide to some good ol' Irish fun! (With out the hangover the next day!)

STEP 1: Start with a 3-foot balloon.

STEP 2: Completely cover in paper mache.

STEP 3: It is important here, to spraypaint said balloon with a good shade of green. After it is completely dry, pop what has become big nasty balloon, and fill shell with candy - or at least the bottom portion.

STEP 4: Decorate house with gold streamers and green balloons. Green celephane over the light fixtures is always nice. Make green food - we had a broccoli/celery tray with dip.

STEP 5: Find the loudest costumes you possibly can. "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" pins are encouraged for those of us who are. Giant hats and masks are just so much fun!

STEP 6: Invite a bunch of people you know...

...and some you don't so much.

STEP 7: Play games, dance to Flogging Molly Songs, and bust open the GIANT green ball with a broom handle, while it swings from the second story!

STEP 8: Take lots of pictures to record the rediculousness of the evening!

Bye-Bye Bishopric! We'll miss you!

As I said before, Bishop Carter was released on Sunday. What an amazing guy! He is, in all honesty, the best bishop I have ever had. And that's saying something, 'cause I've lived with one of my bishop's family! And President Erickson is just so cool that everyone loves him. But when it comes to just being a great mentor, friend, and overall bishop, it's hard to beat Craig Carter. Our new bishop, Bishop Walker, I trust will be very good. He's funny, and very nice. But he certainly has some big shoes to fill.

Bishop Carter on the GPS scavanger hunt.

His counselors were both students, but they were way cool! Brother Hollist's son and daughter are so cute! And the Hansens are an awesome couple!

I wish I had a picture of Sister Carter, 'cause she was just as amazing as Bishop. Here are some of the statistics I could remember that Bishop figured over the last 4-1/2 years:

*Sister Carter has made and served about 2000 bowls of stew to members of the 28th Ward. She has made and served over 8000 scones!

*There have been 116 weddings, 40 of which have been between two people that atually met while they were both in the 28th Ward.

*Hundreds of missioaries that have either started their paperwork or finished it while attending the 28th Ward.

*The ward has been elk bugling 4 times. (Once every fall.)

*2 barns have been painted red.

And allow me to make a guess and say that Bishop Carter and his wife have been invited over to for dinner by someone in the 28th Ward once - twice if you count this coming Sunday. And have been heartattacked once - maybe more, but I'm only aware of once. They're some pretty awesome people. We're all going to miss them.

Me, Katie, Bishop Carter, and Ang. Bishop personally comes around to each of the apartements a couple of times a semester to deliver things, like Ensigns, or to encourage us to keep the promise we make to participate in the Ward Project we have every semester. In this picture, he was bringing around the ward picture and a Christmas letter, and of course, candy, as he always does.

Balloons, Barmaids, and Bishop

Here's a pic of me and the girls setting up for the Bishop's farewell dinner. We're gonna miss him so much. Next week is his last. I have a pic of him somewhere, but I'll have to put it up later. Sorry it's not the best pic. It had to be taken a little far away 'cause of the balloons. And yes, that big blue one is three feet in diameter. That's what you get when you put Ang in charge of decor! Ha! I love it! The best part though was when Ang, Felicia, Katie and I were running the drinks. We would randomly call out "Oopa!" and in the back of the room, we'd hear the guys table respond the same. (I didn't know it was them and they didn't know it was us, until Jym and I figured it out afterwards.) I, being in charge of the ice and taking orders, would shout it out. And if anyone said, "Oh, I don't care, just anything" I'd shout, "Suicide!" and the girls would proceed to pour every drink on the end of the table into the red plastic cup. Bishop was working next to me serving potato salad. He would crack up every time I'd say something rediculous. His favorite was probably when Jordan asked if we had "a fine merlot." I told him we were entirely out, but (in my hunched-over, British winebibber impression) responded that we did have "an exceptionally excellent zinfandel."

Here's another one. (L-R) Katie, Ang, me. You can kind of see my haircut there. It's about the same length as the last time I cut it. (That was in November, maybe December. It had grown out a lot!)

How to Make a Proper Fluffanutter

Pay close attention. This is a New England classic, and can sometimes be hard to master. I have been doing it for a good 15 years or so, so maybe I can teach you amies something.

Have everything you need handy. Bread, peanut butter, fluff, and a good butterknife.

Use the butterknife to scoop out a good amount of peanut butter. (It is important to do peanut butter first so that the fluff has swirls of peanut butter in it rather than the peanut butter having swirls of fluff - that's just grody.) Spread the peanut butter over the first peace of bread until it reaches the inside edges of the crust.

Repeat the first step - you know, the one with the peanut butter - using fluff. It is encouraged that a larger quantity of fluff be used. Fluff, being entirely made of sugar, has a lighter taste than peanut butter, and you need quite a bit to equalize the tastes. Also, using more fluff will help to keep the bread from tearing, and no one likes torn bread.

Oh no! Fluff is all over my knife! Whatever will I do?! Well folks, there's only one thing to do ...

Of course, why would anyone think differently?!

Ahhh yes, the beauty of it all!

(Take that Lindsey!)

Let Them at Least of Heard of Brave Knights and Heroic Courage

Purpose: Micheal Flaherty’s purpose in this speech is to propose to modern educators that perhaps they need to improve their intellectual criteria starting with what is read.

Central Message: “You are what you read.” Those are Flaherty’s words when referring to what he believes we are taught from C. S. Lewis’ book “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” He continues, “We are shaped and influenced by the books that we read. They prepare us for more than interesting conversations – they actually prepare us to face real crises that we encounter in life. Few people would dispute this simple statement, so let’s ask a simple related question: What are we reading today?”

Validations: Flaherty points out some sad facts: “For the first time in modern history, less than half of the adult population now reads literature.” (It is perhaps important to define this particular use of the word ‘literature.’ Literature is not factual, it is fantastic.) He goes on to say that this decline is not secluded to one particular group – whether ethnic or age, or education related. “In just twenty years, young adults have declined from being those most likely to read literature to those least likely.”

Personal Thoughts: Why is this so? It is sad, and yet, we do very little to fix it. We live in an age where everything is electronic. Electronic distractions come from all directions to take us away from the printed word. It is often said that “well, now I can just read the shortened version online,” or “oh, I just listen to it on tape.” I feel that I am safe in saying that there is nothing really that can actually compare with reading the written word. Allow me to suggest that we turn off the T.V. just once in a while, sit down, first as a family, and eventually individually, read a story. A real, honest-to-goodness story. Let them be good stories, filled with deeper truths, morality, and examples of only the best. As Mr. Flaherty says, “Let them at least heard of brave knights and heroic courage.”

Taken directly from my last response paper for Foundations to Education. And this all written only after reading the first four paragraphs or so; I just skimmed the rest of it. I intend on reading it more thoroughly and allowing myself to be entirely enlightened. I can email it to whoever wants the rest of the speech. It's amazing.

Wicked Weakness

Chapters 7 and 8 of Helaman are especially interesting to me. They so clearly show the difference between righteous leaders and wicked ones; so clearly in fact that I listed them out while I read. Nephi is a righteous leader, and a prophet among his people, the Nephites. The Gadianton robbers, at this point, have already taken over the judgment seats and now run the government as wicked judges. Nephi is so distraught over wickedness of the Nephites that he is crying (quite literally) unto the Lord. This shows his love for the people. (Point A: Righteous leaders love the people they lead.) The wicked judges on the other hand, were only concerned with two things: their own skins and the easiest way to get gain. (Point B: Wicked leaders don’t care about the people they lead, unless they can make their lives easier. This of course has nothing to do with the well-being of any individuals, but more the people as a whole. If one dies, that’s fine as long as another is there to take his place.) Nephi feared God, while the wicked judges feared the people. (Point C: Wicked leaders are weak. They will do anything to keep their coveted positions. Righteous leaders care about what the people want, but they care more about what the people need.) Nephi understood the power and abilities of God; that they were limitless. The wicked judges took pride in the work of men (which didn’t usually include the work of their own hands directly) and didn’t understand the power of God over the power of men. (Point D: Righteous leaders will call upon the Lord to help them and the people because they understand that He is capable of all things righteous.)

These chapters made me think of the weakness of the wicked. Weakness is something I can easily say I have always abhorred. It is important to be careful not to get weakness confused with humility. Humility is a Godly trait, and so is strength. Humility is almost always a sign of strength and confidence, while wicked pride is so often due to a person’s weakness. The wicked show their weakness in the fear they have towards other people. They are so easily swayed from on idea to another, as long as it’s not the one right idea, even if they’re off by only a little, it’s still wrong. They are “blown about by every wind of doctrine.”

Taken from my most recent journal for my Book of Mormon 122 class.

Noble People Keep Their Word

In chapter 1 of Helaman, verse 33, comes one of my favorite examples of the Godly attribute of covenants. It says, "And it came to pass that Moronihah took possession of the city of Zarahemla again, and cuase that the Lamanites who had been taken prisoners should depart out of the land in peace." This is taking place right after the Lamanites had attacked and destroyed many Nephite homes, in multiple cities. I thought to myself, why would anyone take compassion on the Lamanite prisoners? Why not just keep them there, and then they would have that many fewer people to put on their armies. I decided to look at the crossreference to Alma 44:15 and find out. I remembered that the Lamanites and Nephites had entered into a covenent with one another not to attack the other ever again. However, wouldn't the Lamanites breaking that covenent break it on behalf of the Nephites too? (I scratch your back, you scratch mine type of deal.) It was then that I realized the nobility that Moronihah has by keeping his side of the covenent.

I have always felt that keeping a promise - no matter how casually made - is a God-like attribute. God is always keeping His side of the bargain, even when we screw up, over and over and over again. You word should be a serious thing. People should be able to trust you at no more than that.

Taken from my most recent journal entry for my Book of Mormon 122 class.

Congrats Wagner!

Seth Wagner's getting married! Yay! Her name is Emily Jean Shephard.

Back to 7's

Here's a few I was thinking of a while ago.

7 THINGS I WILL ALWAYS...

1) I will always be a little flattered when guys try to hit on, whistle at, or just all-around make fools out of themselves for me. Yeah, it can sometimes be cheesy, tacky, and pathetic, but I'm a girl... and despite myself, I like it.

2) I will always be up for a sports movie or chickflick. Yes, they have become perhaps the most repetative genres in all moviedom, and are often outdone in corny lines by the action genre, but I like them. Nothing will make a girl swoon more than a chickflick, and there's not a genre out there that makes you feel like you can take on the world more than a good sports movie.

3) I will always kick myself for keeping things going with certain people (think petty arguments with roommates and siblings) when I know I should just let them think whatever they want and let the rest of the world continue in its revolutions.

4) I will always be a little bitter towards people that can play any instrument (particularly piano, and including voice) amazingly well but don't really like to; and a little bit sorry for those who have the desire, and perhaps the potential, but not the means.

5) I will always love late afternoon more than any other time of day. Although the wee hours of the morning, before anyone else is up, are pretty great too.

6) I will always love languages, and work to learn all the ones I want to speak.

7) I will always miss the water when I can't be near it.

Macromolecules! YES!

So, Angela and Lavenia are both in my ward... Ang is actually my roommate, so yeah. They are also both in my Biology Lab. And so, naturally, we're all partners! Woohoo! I just thought you all should see some of the very impressive and difficult work we do in the class. It's very cutting-edge. Lavenia, boiling corn syrup with Benedict solution. (Results: Corn syrup tests positive for simple carbohydrates. Bet ya didn't know how to find that did ya!?)

Angela with this year's model of test tubes and holder! An exciting new product from Vintage Science Materials Inc.

I was trying to determine whether Unknown C was apple juice or cranberry. Not that it mattered, but knowing if it was a juice or not would help us decide what test to do on it, so that we wouldn't have to do so many. I'd have to say cranberry.

In the words of Bill Nye,

"Now you know!"

My Stay at LAX - Installment 2: Entertainment

So, I'm sitting there leaning against a column, just beginning to flip through a Vogue. There are a couple of guys sitting on some chairs just on the other side of the little wall I was seated on. I didn't mean to overhear, but we've gone through this before, I really can't help it.

"Wow... that should not be done. No one should ever do that. I mean, come on, trying to dressdown a three-piece suit with a baseball cap?" I lifted my eyes towards the totally-oblivious offender of fashion, and smiled just a little. The man was right. It just didn't work. I mean, I completely understand wanting to dress comfortably while traveling (believe me, no one knows it better) but if you're going to dress up anyway, a baseball cap is not going to do much to add to your comfort.

I lowered my eyes again, only to be inadvertently interrupted a second time.

"And what's with this girl? I mean, leggings? That thing really needs to go back out of style." I sniggered. It was something I strongly agreed with, but more than that was the fact that here were two entirely straight-sounding guys going to town critiquing these peoples outfits. They noticed my little chuckle.

"Oh, don't mind us," said the one that was doing most of the talking.
I looked up at them. "No, no. In fact, it will probably make my wait much more entertaining!" They both smiled and we fell into a conversation. It didn't last very long because a few minutes later another employee (I assume they were all in security or something like that) came over to me.

"I'm just going to warn you," he said, "this may not be a very safe place to sit."
"Why? Because of these two? Oh no, it's an excellent place to sit." I talked with the new-comer for a minute and then he wished me a good flight and moved on. The three of us went back to critiquing outfits. It was like Mr. Blackwell's list. Really they should just quite that job, and start their own fashion column. Everyone would read them. I mean, there are just so many people out there with such horrible, horrible taste, I really don't get what they were thinking.

Finally we got each other's names. Mallory, oh, that's cool. Paul, nice, very nice. And Everett, who, if you ask Paul, spells his name, 3v3r$. They were both way nice, and really helped me pass the time a lot faster. They did have to leave for a while, but at least now I had a good idea of what to do to keep myself busy.

My Stay at LAX - Installment 1: EGO BOOST!

"I hate this airport so much," I mumble to myself at I stand in line for my baggage. Mainly I hate it because it's just so big, and also because when you enter the United States you have to reclaim your luggage and then send it through again, and it just so happens that LAX was the airport I had to do it in. It's just such a hassle. (Hello! The bags have been totally separate from anyone on the plane, what am I going to do with them? In fact, it's probably safer to just send them straight on through to wherever the people are going. Less contact = less of a chance for anyone to plant a bomb on one of them.) But, I think to myself, maybe I'll learn to love it. After all, I have a whole FOUR hours to get to know it.

After going through the whole pointless bag thing, I head outside to catch a tram to Terminal 5. Once inside, I decided to do one of my favorite airport activities - window shop like I really have the money. After checking out Hermes and Chanel, I go into a DFS. Inside are possibly the three most beautiful boys I have ever seen. I'm talking visual royalty! None of them were very old - between 18 and 20 I'd say. All had the dark features of a Spaniard, and were dressed in matching, navy blue suits. (No, they were not pilots.) I'm just walking around doing my thing, when I notice one of them has been watching me for the past ten minutes. I smile at him, and then just keep moving around looking at different things I'm not even considering buying. I come around a desk and notice that now all three of them are watching me, but the other two are not as intent as the first. It seems to be one of those, "Look at her!" moments we're all so fond of. (Maybe I haven't told you this, but I'm obviously a pretty big deal to those Europeans.) I smile again, and turn away to look at a scarf. Finally I leave the store, the one guy watching me as I go. Once I'm out and even down the hall a couple steps, I look back through the window. Sure enough, there he is. He raises a hand and waves. I smile and slightly nod.

That's not all of it either. About 15 minutes later the boys walk by while I'm seated on a wall, leaning against a pillar talking to Paul and Everett (don't worry, there's definitely more about those two later on) and the one nods to me. I nod back. Again, later, he walks by - same sequince. Finally, one of his friends pulls him up to me and they both blurt out, "Can you speak Spanish?" I appoligized and said no. The friend said, "Okay," and walked away holding the other's arm.

SPANISH?! Good grief! Why couldn't they be Ukrainian, or Russian, or something?! A kid that is infatuated with me before he even meets me, and he had to speak SPANISH! Ah well, I guess I was never meant to be.

Child's Play

Mum left today around 11, taking Ezra, Jacob, and Sam with her to get hair cuts at the ChopChop Chinaman's place before our family pictures this afternoon. A bit later, Alexa was napping, Kait was playing on the computer, and Levi and I were sitting out on the deck when Eden straggled out and plopped herself down uselessly in a chair.



Ezra winning a round of RedLight-GreenLight.



"There's nufin' to do," she complained. It has been beautiful all day, and I felt bad that the kids had been sitting on their butts watching movies or playing computer all day - or week I guess would be more acurate - so I suggested that we eat lunch and then I would teach Kait and Ede how to play some games I always played as a kid.

Eden winning a round of Mother, May I...


After tuna sandwiches and molasses cookies, Mum drove up the hill. The boys all popped out and Sam and Jake started primping for the pictures. I told Ez we girls were going to go play some games in the driveway. I moved the car and took a chair from the deck and put it at the head of the driveway. I dragged a hose across so that we'd have a finish line and finally began to explain the rules to RedLight-GreenLight.


Kaitlyn following instructions for Mother, May I...



As a kid, I remember always playing games of "RedLight-GreenLight" and "Mother, May I" at grammies houses. We played multiple rounds of each of these games, along with a few others, and topped it all off with a race between the little kids. I was a little surprised at how many times they asked to repeat the games. We played for about 30 minutes or so, then headed in to get ready for pictures.
Kaitlyn pinning Ezra in a free-for-all. Their idea, not mine.