Look who grad-umatated folks!

This is the pig that stands on my parents counter. He has stood there for years announcing the arrival and departure, special events, warnings and friendly advice to all who enter their home. Along the way someone put a cross around his neck. We are not sure who converted him to Catholocism but it works so we let him be.
I just had a most delightful week. I got to go away...all by myself. See, this is me all by myself.

A CONGRATULATIONS of the most loud and proud sort.
Mo (aka my mother) graduated from Brigham Young University.
She walked across the stage and accepted a diploma for her degree that she started 41 years ago.
Talk about role reversals...I have never seen so many adults trying to get her to look and smile while we waved frantically and snapped pictures left and right.
When the president of the college asked all of the graduates to stand and accept his bestowal of their degrees, there were tears by more than a few individuals. This is a woman who put her own education on hold to not only start a family, but then nurture them for 40 years...to raise them, and teach them and support each one of them through their own college experiences.
A few years ago she decided that it was time to go back and finish what she had started. I really couldn't be more proud of her. Each of my 6 siblings were there to celebrate (and eat out every meal...a true dream come true...and we're not talkin' Wendy's here folks...it was real good stuff.) My amazing mother-in-law came to take care of the kids, seeing as how Clark was supposed to still be gone. She came to watch my kids even though big things were happening at home (Congrats to my adorable sister-in-law Alexa, who had baby girl, Anna, last week!) Clark and his Mom got to hang out at night and visit and by day she took over in my hair-doin', meal makin', school folder checkin', fight-breaker upin', cuddle-lovin' responsibilities. I actually missed my children (until this morning when all those resposibilities came back to noogy me...I believe "the grass is always greener" cliche came into my head as I desired to be back in my parent's pampering care while listening to my kids argue about a Taylor Swift song while getting ready for school..."No! I am NOT the prince, I'm the princess!"...)
This is my brother, Chip in his fancy schmancy robes. He is a humanities professor at BYU and was there on the far end of the stage to hug my Mom when she crossed.
I'm not sure what his doctorate is actually in, but it is from Berkeley and has something to do with being smart. Don't you think I look smashing in his cap? Perhaps I should have gotten a doctorate. It would have gone perfectly with my glasses.
These are two of my very sassy sisters. I think they look like very chic bugs. (They are the sisters that when I go shopping for myself I always ask, "Would Carrie or Abby even try this on?" Maybe I should have a bracelet made...WCOAETTO?)

And this is a copy of a classic Oscarson pic taken back in the 80's...little did we know at that point that every single member of my family would get at least one of their degrees from one of the BYU colleges. We represent degrees from BYU-Idaho (before it was called that), BYU (the Utah kind) and BYU Hawaii. (I was being intentionally sassy in this picture...we had taken too many.)
Did I mention how much I love hanging out with my family? They are fun. I believe when I took this, the men had unintentionally segregated themselves and congregated in the family room for cigars and brandy (without the cigars...or brandy.)
I got to stay in my parent's apartment with them in downtown Salt Lake. This was haging on the wall at the foot of my bed. There is a poem about sleep at the bottom of the sign. My Mom is a little over the top...and I love every minute of it. (The band aids on my feet are from walking in cute shoes that I don't normally wear.)
And in other news:
We were all busy worrying about when Haley was going to lose her other front tooth (or for that matter, when she is going to grow in the one she lost over 2 years ago!!) when Abby went and did something totally unexpected...she lost her very first tooth. And I missed it while I was off being Emily, instead of Mommy. Clark said he secretly liked being the one home when something big happened and I was off missing it. A role reversal that made him happy.

AND

My baby can wear pigtails.

Here's to the trip that never was...

A scathing post of the most cynical nature follows. But I prefer to not wait until I feel rational again.
Remember the joy felt at my husband's homecoming? It still exists. The good news is that his arrival home was especially happy because they were two weeks early. A really good surprise. The bad news. It has screwed up the rest of their schedule. Royally.
Originally, the crew was supposed to come home to a two week stand down. Half of the crew gets a week off and then they switch. We have been dreading this two month separation for a while so we thought what a better time to plan a really great family vacation...immediately following this underway during his week of stand down.
It's our own fault...we know that anytime we plan anything we are taking a chance on the fact that his boat's activity can and will change ten times in the course of it's preparation.

But we went for it. In January I started the planning. We were going to the Happiest Place on Earth. Disneyworld. We have never been (except as children ourselves.) Our daughters are at the perfect age. It was the perfect time of year. Nice weather. Fewer crowds.
So here's to the trip insurance that we purchased for (already bought and paid for) 5 round trip plane tickets, 5 days visiting the parks, 6 days in a Disney Resort, 3 adorable homemade autograph books and 3 new princess dresses to wear to Lunch with the Princesses at Cinderella's Castle (booked 3 months ago.) Not to mention a plane ticket and inclusion of one adorable sister in law who was meeting us from Houston and one equally adorable sister of mine that was going to be there too.

At least we were smart and haven't told the girls about the trip yet. We were waiting until a day or two before we left to give them each a wrapped present with their autograph book, the new princess dress and a huge ticket to Disneyworld.
So go ahead. Feel sorry for me. I am not happy.

Be prepared. A swear word is coming. I can't help it. I won't restrain myself.

Damn Navy.

I want to shout it from the rooftop.

MY HUSBAND IS HOME!!! He has been gone for two months and we missed him so much it was painful. He went to the North Pole. Really. Here are some of his pictures to prove it.


Talk about world traveling. I'm glad he takes plenty of pictures. The girls and I gave him a "Flat Sally" to take with him. She was very cold in her cute little outfit. A very unique and cool experience (no pun intended.)
I just wanted to scream, many time, that he was gone and I miss him and that is why there is no mention of him and no pictures of him but I'd rather not tell the world when we are alone even though I have enough repressed motherly protective instinct to sufficiently defend myself...and maybe a thing or two of defense hidden around my room. So there. It's good to get that off my chest.
This is us watching them come up the river. Mia kept yelling "Daddy!! Hello Daddy! I can't hear you!" very loudly. He is looking through the periscope at us, right here in this picture. And then again when they pulled up to the pier...he was worried that Mia was too close to the water. Come on Honey, I kept them alive for two whole months without you this time.
It doesn't matter if it's been six months, two months, or two days.
There is nothing happier than standing on that pier. Nothing. The girls were absolutely giddy with anticipation.
Welcome home Clark, for a while anyway.

M.I.A. and I don't mean my third born.

I realize it hasn't been THAT long since my last post but I feel all empty inside...like I am neglecting a child...I mean, I do that too but I am talking about my blogging child. I favor this particular offspring more often than my own mainly because of her obliging nature and lack of whining. Actually, I have been trying to spend quality time (I mean FUN quality time, not the 9 hour drive on the way here kind) with the offspring of my loins. It is Spring Break this week so we decided to jaunt on down to DC to visit Spencer and Sho, or Spo as we like to call them. They have accommodated our unruly bunch with movies, games, sightseeing and their most delightful company. The kids get to sleep in a tent at their apartment, with the door of the tent conveniently facing the television so they can be appropriately distracted during those times of day that we don't want them ransacking their one bedroom apartment or making so much noise they threaten to have Spo evicted from the premises.
But we have gotten out everyday and enjoyed this city that I really do like, so much. So I will post again when we go home with oodles more pictures and details that you don't really want or need to know. But for now, here is a snipit from our trip.I have decided that driving in DC is almost as bad as driving in NYC. So many pedestrians, cool things to look at instead of the road and at any given time of day, lots of one way streets. Yesterday we ventured out without Spencer as our chauffeur and all I heard was "we should have brought Spencer." and "I am so mad at congress" because apparently Haley believes that congress has something to do with the fact that it took us 45 minutes to find parking yesterday.
We have skipped around the National Mall, hung out at the Washington Monument, played on the stage, visited the National Air and Space Museum and had lunch with Sho (who is missing out on our daily fun because she goes to work like a responsible adult....that is NOT a slam on Spencer who has been working rigorously to finish the editing on his Master's thesis which he totally finished yesterday, hence his absence as our chauffeur.)We did an easter egg hunt and the girls wore the same Easter dresses from last year. Look at my frugal self. The dresses are all about 6 inches shorter on them than last year. I knew there was a reason I buy big. Also, the only candy they had was chocolate...how could I forget the Welch's jelly beans? Oh well, chocolate it was.We played on the steps of the National Gallery of Art which my kids promised me we could visit today as refined and cultured individuals...we'll see if they make the cut.
We had gelato in Georgetown (affectionately called Hogwarts by the kids) and watched crew practice on the Potomac.
Then last night we enjoyed the scrumptious delights of cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes and watched Hazel destroy birthday cake number 2.
I demanded a redo. (I could take the time to explain WHY we were attempting this a second time but it really just has to do with me being a bad, neglectful mother who missed her destroying her cake the first time because I was busy visiting in the kitchen...she IS the fourth child, she has to be neglected somehow, it's in the rule book.) I made up for it last night though. All eyes were on her and we even hired a professional photographer to document the whole thing from beginning to end. OK, he wasn't really hired per se, but I did buy him a fancy lemon blossom cupcake.


Then while I was bathing the birthday girl Mia was trying to climb onto the toilet to get closer to the sink to brush her teeth when her leg went into the toilet, up to her shin. (Not a water efficient toilet, it was deep.)
So I guess the moral of the story is,

Sometimes when you are just trying to get a leg up on the world, all you get is a foot in the crapper.

Well, the moral of that story at least.

Where has the year gone?

I'm not sure what to even say about our little Hazel. When I think of her I feel happy. She is so pleasant. Happy. Content. Loved. I remember how giddy and excited I was when I found out it was a girl. Our fourth girl. I had already moved to Utah and Clark was in Connecticut about to leave for 5 months. I called him right after the appointment and he laughed. Before we knew what we were having, he promised that if it was a girl I could finally use the name Hazel. I had tried to use that name with every single one of them. Joke was on him. It was a girl. I finally got my Hazel. My Hazel.
It was a difficult pregnancy, emotionally and physically. We had my parents help and the love and support of my siblings...right up to the birth. They were there to greet her and hold her minutes after she was born. I am glad. I wanted them there with me and Clark.

This is me taking a good look at my purple baby. She was born with the cord around her neck. I worried about her the entire day...with every plummet of her heart rate I worried for her. But she came and she was beautiful and she was healthy. And we were grateful.

Grateful for Dads who adore their daughters.

Grateful for sisters that love each other.


Grateful for our family of six.

She was so skinny. It was a bit of a rough beginning. But we eventually fattened her up.

She is a true joy. Then and now. She tends to be that default element in our home that makes people immediately happy. She's funny. She is silly. She scrunches up her eyes and nose and snorts...or growls. She has 12 teeth. 12! She loves blueberries...and her new baby doll. She is unique. She is special. In ways that only my daughters can be.

Happy Birthday Hazel Christina.

Pimp my pantry...please.

My name is Emily and I am an organizer. I wish this meant that my house was perfectly put together. I have four kids, 'member? But, I once made the decision last minute to drive 24 hours with my sister and our 4 small kids from Texas to Utah to help our other sister organize her house. It brings me great, nay, tremendous pleasure. So imagine my excitement when my friend sent me an e mail that contained this picture.
"I want to go to there."
Do you know what kind of contentment this brings into my life? Well, not a lot seeing as how it is not my pantry...but the possibilities.
First I would have to live in a house that has a pantry. Don't get me wrong...I love my walk-in pantry right now...Someday...and while we're on the subject of closets and organization...
The other day I had an epiphany. If I never have a boy, and my girls all happen to wear the same size as teenagers, and I live in a house with a small spare bedroom...
I am going to turn it into our very own Elle closet....without all the ridiculously priced items...just normally priced stuff. A solid wall (or two) of adorable clothes, racks of shoes and shelves of accessories. There would never be any bickering or fighting over who wears what and what belongs to who and all would be right in the world. A Mom of four girls has to have a dream, right? I mean before they actually grow into pre-teens and teens and reality hits me in the face like a wet fish. The closet though, it's a good idea, no?
(Organized closets give me way too much satisfaction. Case in point: I just spent 30 minutes googling images of closets. I couldn't stop.)