The Evolution of the "HUG Monster"....

dun-dun-dun....(music for dramatic effect)...

Ok, there really is a perfectly good explanation for the title of today's blog. Eight years ago, on the day we adopted Jackie, the "Hug Monster" was born. We had just picked her up when we realized that none of us had eaten dinner. Luckily, about that time we saw a McDonald's that had an indoor play-area. We got dinner and let the girls play after they ate. They were having fun, but Jackie was still a little shy around Kevin and me. Amanda wanted Daddy to play with them, so Kev got the idea to chase them. He didn't want to do anything to make Jackie scared of him, so the "HUG-Monster" was born. Kevin chased them, and if he caught them, they got big hugs from Daddy. That was all it took to break the ice. I had a few good laughs watching Kevin trying to squeeze all of his six foot height in and around the tunnels and slides of the playground. Since I was sitting at the table, I became "home-base". Not long after the game started, Amanda ran to me saying, "Mommy, Mommy, save me from the Hug-monster!" The next thing I knew, here came Jackie saying, "Mommy, Mommy, save me!" Then she threw herself into my arms and I had the first of many Jackie-hugs. (She's very good at it, to this day) That was also the first time she called me "Mommy". Needless to say, I was a puddle of tears.

What does this have to do with today's blog, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. The "HUG-Monster" is alive and well, and living here in Lehi, Utah. I have pictures to prove it... No, not fuzzy Big-Foot-type pictures, but perfectly clear pictures to document this phenomenon of nature...


Here we see the creature in his 'natural' environment...



From the top of the "Jungle-gym-tree", the Hug-Monster can get a clear view of any approaching prey or threats...



What is this unsuspecting creature who swings so recklessly on the jungle-gym tree??? Is it a cuckoo-bird??? No, it's an "Amanda-bird"!



...Gaily she frolics, little realizing the danger that lurks above...



Suddenly alert to the deadly "Hug-monster", she drops to the ground and makes her escape...but barely...



Rats! He missed his Hug, that time... Which unsuspecting creature shall he seek-out, next? Perhaps a clever and wiley "Jackie-monkey"??? Ah, here's one in its natural habitat...



Ever alert, the agile "Jackie-monkey" quickly evades the dreaded predator...



By the light of the full moon, we get a clear view of this elusive predator...



As if he senses our presence, he pauses - almost as if he is posing for the camera...


Such a handsome creature...we'll leave him to his natural environment, and wish him a more successful hunt, next time... Good Night, Hug Monster!

Am I Blue???

...or am I just seeing blue????



My dad (the kids call him Bonpa which is French for Grandpa) collected Smurfs. He had quite a collection as well as parts of a village.

My girls were exploring some of our unpacked boxes and found the collection. Jackie immediately fell in love with them. Thus, a new Smurf-village was born.

Complete with orchestra...



Smurf-fisherman and boat...



...not the least is the Smurf mushroom palace with the king and queen Smurf...



As the sun sets on our little town of Smurfs, they give thanks to Jackie their village's creator.



Bonpa would be blue with pride...

New Beginnings...

To borrow a phrase from my dear friend, Kerri Burch's blog, "It's the MOST wonderful time of the year"... Today was the first day of school. Since my girls got out of school two weeks early, we've had a very LLLOOOONNNGGGG Summmer break. I don't know who was happier for them to start, my girls...or me and Kevin. haha We started them in a Charter school, and they have a uniform dress-code. Sure made choosing their "first-day-of-school-outfits" easier.

Seriously though, we made it through the first day, and everyone had a very positive beginning.

Amanda started 7th grade, and really enjoyed her first day.



Jackie started 5th grade, and LOVES her teacher.



Here's praying that this great first day of school is the first of many good school-days this year!

Sunday Driving...

This afternoon, after Church, Kevin had a wonderful idea. "Let's go for a Sunday-drive up American Fork Canyon!!!" When I was a kid, this meant the potential of HOURS in a car, being bored to death...at least from my childish perspective. Thankfully, our girls haven't gotten to that point, yet. With happy hearts and great enthusiasm, we climbed into our little car (whose air conditioning is still awaiting parts so it can be repaired...did I mention that it's been in the HIGH 90's??? ICK!!) and off we went!

We sang our favorite Primary songs. "I Love to See the Temple" as we passed the Mt. Timpanogas Temple. "Popcorn Popping" and "Follow the Prophet" as we drove through the neighborhoods. We ended with "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ" as we past the many LDS Chapels along the way. In our family, getting in the car to go for a drive usually means that some one will start singing...not well, but fun anyways.

Then we got up into the canyon. I've never been in American Fork Canyon before today. It was amazingly beautiful.





Amanda and Jackie had fun whenever we stopped. They like to look for interesting rocks.

This was the "really COOL" rock that Jackie found...



Maybe she'll be a geologist?



Amanda found a "cool rock", too. She just used it as a place to perch.



I was TRYING to be artistic...



Seeing all the beauty and wonder of the miraculous world led to a discussion of Heavenly Father creating this earth for us. We had a wonderful conversation about the precious gift the earth is and how we should always cherish it. Good Sunday topic, don't you think?



We drove home through Provo Canyon. As we passed Bridal Veil Falls, I realized that the last time I'd been there was 25 years ago!!! YIKES, am I getting old, or what?

This stream runs alongside the road out of Provo Canyon. I thought it was lovely.


Making memories like this with my family is one of the things I love most about being a Mommy. I hope it means as much to our girls as it did to Kevin and me.

MORE Jackie-isms

Yesterday, Jackie was on quite a roll...

Amanda was talking about what she had to do to get a driver's license (she's ONLY 13, for pete's sake...sheesh!) I mentioned that she needed to complete a driver's ed course. Between the two of us, we probably said the phrase "Driver's ed class" a dozen times. Then Jackie asked if you had to get his permission to get your license. I couldn't figure out who she meant. She said, "You know the guy who does the license". It took some questioning to figure out that she thought we were talking about a guy named "Driver Zed".

Fast forward a couple of hours...same deal... Amanda is asking me questions about why I can't have babies. I jokingly referred to my having had a hysterectomy as getting spayed. (sick, but true) Up pops Jackie who asked: "Mom, if YOU got spayed, did Daddy get neutered?" I almost ran off the road I was laughing so hard.

Only from the mind of my Jackie!

The days of summer...

...seem to go on and on and on and on....

Here in Lehi, lately they look kind of like this...



or this...



...With occasional outbreaks of sunbeams along the way...



We spend our days observing the local wildlife...



...or going to Thanksgiving Point to visit the animals in the petting zoo...



...or just horsin'-around...



Some of these animals are so dangerous, they have to be kept behind bars...YIKES!



Two more LLLOOONNNNNGGGGG weeks 'til school starts...*sigh*

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

After weeks of keeping this secret, it was a relief to FINALLY get this surprise out in the open. We've been conspiring with our sister-in-law (Debbie) and Kevin's Aunt Linda, to arrange a surprise visit for Jackie's birthday. It helped that Amanda went to Girls' Camp for the last three days of this waiting-period, or I'm sure she'd have figured out what was up. Since she can't keep news like this to herself, her being away at camp was a blessing.

Amanda came home from camp and had just enough time to get cleaned up and unpacked when the doorbell rang...



We had the girls answer the door and lo-and-behold...it was Kevin's Aunt Linda and Uncle Mick!!! Jackie and Mandy were thrilled to see them.

We had time for a tour of the house, some refreshments, and a little visiting when the doorbell rang again...



SURPRISE!!!!! This time it was Grandma, Uncle Steve, and Auntie-Deb!!! There were long-long hugs and tears of joy when the girls opened the door again. What a happy birthday present! It was even better when the girls found out that they were staying for the whole weekend, and that we got to keep Grandma for a week-long visit!

Jackie's birthday was complete when we gave her one last surprise... Jackie LOVES to draw but hasn't had a desk in her room where she can keep her drawing supplies or sit and draw. A desk of her own was at the top of her birthday wish-list. We found a really sturdy one at Deseret Industries and brought it home for her.

Amanda led her(blindfolded)into the living room where we had it hidden, and this was her reaction...



From blowing out the candles on her birthday pie (banana cream, YUM!!!)...



...to opening presents like these "Harry Potter checkers"...



...and setting up her new desk in her room...



...Jackie's 11th Birthday goes on the books as a roaring success...

The best part was the gift of time with the family we left in Prescott Valley, whom we miss so much. We're SO thrilled they spent this time with us and that Grandma gets to stay an extra week!!!



It's this love we share as families that makes every Birthday and life-experience sweeter...