FALL BREAK

This last week was Fall Break, and Brick and I decided to make the most of it. So we packed up the car and made the trip down to St. George for a FAMILY GET TOGETHER!!!! Yes, it was that exciting. I hadn't seen my sister for a year, and our family is getting too big and spread out for all of us to get together very often. So for even half of us to be staying in one house at a time was HUGE!!!

This recap is for the other half that we missed so much: My parents in the Philippines, my grandparents in Iowa, Kevn and fam in Colorado, Aaron and fam in D.C., Ammon and fam in AZ, Carrol and fam in Germany, Helaman and fam in AZ, and Hans and Cassi's other little boy, Ryker. We missed all of you more than you know!

The week consisted of lots of laying around relaxing, lots of good food, bike riding, swimming, hiking, and late night games. Also, and most exciting, we were able to go with Hansy to the St. George temple for him to get his endowment!

Kenna and Andrew loved throwing rocks into the river.

How cute is Andrew? He didn't hesitate to walk out into the river, pants, shoes, and all.

Hans and Cassi were able to go on their first "movie date" last week. I was lucky enough to hang out with Daxi and his "wamby" and "chooch" (lamb-y and pacifier) while they were out.

Taylor told Brick after a day of climbing rocks at Zions,

"I ALWAYS knew I was a good climber..."

Anyone up for Nielsen's frozen custard?

Relaxing after a long day of play.

Cooper was one big smile the whole week.

When Hailee and Jorgen weren't out riding the trails on the bikes, they were swimming with Uncle Brick.

Taylor loved his bubbles!

I would kiss the mirror, too, if I had a face and hair like that!



Notice the big crocodile tears, bare feet, and unbuttoned pants. Daxi is such a sweetheart! He chewed on a stick the whole shuttle ride back. He is all boy, that's for sure!

Esther's family sure is strong!

Cute couple, that's all I can say.

Kenna loved the hike down the Zions canyon.

Kung Fu Taylor

Taylor asked Esther at the end of the week, "Mom, what are we going to do about Brick?" As in, I don't know if I can live without him.

Then he suggested that he just stay and live with his favorite uncle.

Things I Wish I'd Learned Earlier

1. How to change a tire
Ok, I learned this when I was like 14 and in young women's, by watching, but who wants to change a tire by themselves based on that? I just picture myself trying to change my own tire and then driving down the freeway, and Whoops! there it goes! Well, luckily this week when I got a flat tire at school, the flying-tire-on-the-freeway thing didn't happen, and Brick's friend happened to drive in to the gas station I was parked in (seething because of my bad luck), and became my good samaritan. How do all guys make this look so easy?!

2. How to do a Karate Kick
Our car window was broken this morning so that some jerk could steal my wallet. I just really wanted to beat someone up. Thus the karate.

3. How to Swear like a Sailor
When I told my brother about my car and wallet, he said, "Cuss a little. I know you probably did already." I replied that, oddly enough, I hadn't thought of that, but that it was a good idea. Mark Twain (I think it was him) observed that under trying circumstances swearing provides relief denied even by prayer (a favorite quote for at least three of my brothers). I must say, it really is true.

4. How to Sew Well
Brick needed a suit jacket fixed, and I didn't know how. So Brick decided to do it himself, and in the process cut a chunk out of the sleeve. I felt bad and wished I could have the courage to just fix all his clothes when he needs it...Plus, I watched a Project Runway marathon (to get rid of the depression of getting my wallet stolen) and it really made me wish I could be a sweet clothing designer.

September in a Nutshell

So it's come to this...a check off of what we did this month. As is probably obvious, my postings have drastically decreased since school started. So here is a recap of the month of September:

Brick soaking up the last bit of sun before the colder weather hits full force. I love this picture because he looks so relaxed!

Brick's brother blessed his baby last Thursday. Isn't River Anna a cutie? She is such a calm baby, hardly ever making a peep and smiling anytime you glance her way.

On our drive to the family cabin this last Saturday we drove past a hill that had literally hundreds of sheep. Nearby there was a horse tethered to a bush, and the shepherd stood among his flock. It looked like it ws right out of a story book.

I love Fall! Every time it comes along I am convinced it is my favorite season. All the beautiful changing leaves, and "all you need is a light sweater." I must say that Utah really has Arizona beat as far as the different Fall colors go.

Anyway, after driving for a while, Brick and I walked the last half mile to the cabin, and were amazed at the gorgeous fall colors, which were so bright in some places that they almost seemed to glow. Brick and I stopped at one especially incredible point to mention that it took our breath away and made us think about how much Heavenly Father has blessed us with.

Now this one will require a little more explanation. The Flammers have a crazy tradition of "running th falls" up at their cabin. While it's such a beautiful place, it's hard to enjoy the surroundings while in in the water, what with the stinging nettle, the almost freezing temperature of the water, the allergies, numb limbs, and the mud.

So the tradition is that whenever someone wants to enter the Flammer family, they have to participate in the innitiation of running the falls. I did it when Brick and I were dating. When we went it was the middle of summer, and it was still numbingly cold. I opted out this last Saturday, but I can't imagine how cold it was in the Fall. Burg's husband Trevor didn't get so lucky to miss the run this time, and experienced full initiation.

The Flam Fam

I married a little boy.

I sure love this guy.

P.S. Here is Brick thinking he is super cool (which he IS, just so you know)....

Brick came home the other night and asked if we could buy some clay (how cute is that?). So we bought the clay, sat down to watch 30 Rock reruns, and played with the clay until 1 am. This is what we came up with:

Can you guess which one of us made Yoda?

These magnets were so fun!

I love that Brick likes this stuff almost as much as I do!
It keeps things interesting.

Outdoor Excitement

This is why I love Utah...

The Narrows @ Zions National Park


It was so fun to watch Brick's cousins, Kayden and Kenyon
chase lizards and make Matrix moves off the cliff walls.

Hubba Hubba! Check out those MUSCLES!

This weekend we also got to spend some time with our friends Laura and Harv, who were visiting from California. We roasted some INCREDIBLE smores and laughed at Harv as he used up a whole bottle of lighter fluid to start the fire.

Yeah, it was THAT good!

The Savior's Enabling Power

Well the new semester did not wait for me to be ready...It has just plowed straight ahead without asking my permission. That seems to happen to me a lot. Change is good, but hard, and it never asks for our consent.

Brick continues to enjoy his new job at Verizon, especially since his trainer is Spock himself, you know, from Star Trek (at least I think it's Spock...might be one of those other weirdos...Star Trek Geeks, I apologize for my lack of ST knowledge). Seriously, this guy dresses up and goes to Star Trek conventions and everything, and totally looks authentic. Anyway, Brick pretends he's not a ST Geek himself and gets a kick out of the guy.

As for me, I am taking 16 credit hours, but as I like to tell people, this is my "fun semester." Three English classes, a photography class, a wheel-pottery class, and an institute class. I finish in December, and I figured I'd go out with a bang!

I am so excited about my classes, especially my institute class. It's "The Enabling Power of the Savior," and when I walked into the class yesterday, it felt so right. The past week has been a struggle for me, as I have had some hard news about my Grandma Maxine. I grew up next to her, and last semester finished up her life story. She is so close to my heart. Among other things, she has recently had to have her leg amputated, and has only been allowed by her caregiver to take Tylenol for the pain. It breaks my heart to consider the suffering she has been enduring. I think about how the hydrocodone I took for my wisdom teeth was sometimes not enough, and then I think of my poor grandma. My family has been praying so hard for her to receive the care she needs, but we are so far away and feel helpless.

As I have considered all this, and then walked into my class, I felt so strongly that the Savior is there for her. I realized that His atonement works for all kinds of pain, and that perhaps she is being allowed to suffer for just a little while so that, if nothing else, her granddaughter can learn the power of the Atonement. I still pray for her comfort and even release, but now I realize that all things happen for a reason, and I have to trust that.


P.S. I apologize for writing so much, again.

Stephanie Meyer, Watch Your Back

My first day of fiction writing went like this: I sit down next to a blonde kid with an afro and sports jacket, the kind with elbow patches that professors usually wear, and an expression on his pasty face that says, "I am a self-proclaimed writer, a professional. I don't need this class. I'm just taking it for pure pleasure." I'm surprised he wasn't smoking a pipe or something.

Then the teacher announces that we are to write non-stop for ten minutes, just make sure we use the words, "broken," "angst," windshield," and "bucket," in the writing exercise. Then he says "Go!" and 30 pens hit paper with a mixture of angst and excitement. We all scribble away anxiously and the silence remains unbroken except for the sound of our concentrated breathing and the scratching of words flowing onto the surface of our future novels.

Ok, I can't think of a way to use windshield and bucket, but I can say that, while the exercise was fun, I am not too confident in my creative writing skills. Therefore, when afro kid turns to me and says (in an annoyingly sophisticated voice), "May I?" and makes to reach for my paper, I am taken by surprise. Normally I try to be nice and tend to make excuses for myself in my insecurity, but I was so surprised by his audacity that I just snorted (with disbelief in my voice), "No." His surprise was written all over his face. He couldn't believe that I had turned him down, and dejectedly turned back to his own scribbles.

The teacher goes on to tell us that, while he hates to put restrictions on our creativity, that is just what he is about to do. He further explains that we are to restrain from participating in genre writing: no thrillers, mysteries, romances, etc. In other words, no vampire stories. Darn. I am no Stephanie Meyer, but I considered walking out right then and there (I'm kidding).

Edward's cousin will just have to wait for my next fiction writing class.

Late-Night Wisdom (Teeth) Continued

Well so much for the drowsiness that those pain med bottles like to brag about. They're all talk, no action. I watched midnight creep by, then 2 a.m., then 4. I finally gave up a half hour ago, thinking maybe I could catch the sunrise or conk out on the couch. So here I am, but at least my mouth is no longer oozing drool or pain. The meds followed through on that part of their big talk.

Since I fasted before the procedure, I was starving after the numbness was gone (thank goodness it went away. The doc acted a little nervous about the location of the nerves and warned me about what could go wrong, aka paralysis of the lower jaw). But I digress. The hunger...my brother-in-law, who was very kind and also gave me a ride home from that wonderful place they call the dentist, bought me a Kiva juice. If ya'll haven't had one, you are seriously missing out on one of God's great gifts. Try the Berry Delicious. It is true to it's name.

Berry, BERRY DELICIOUS.

Then when the Hubs got home from work he bought me the most amazing soup from Paradise Cafe, Zesty Tomato. Once again, folks, ya gotta have it. But the best part of my day was the sweet treatment that came my way from another of God's great gifts...my wonderful honey. Thanks, hon, for the special treatment, and not only that half gallon of perfect goodness.

You're my favorite. You get the blue ribbon.

P.S. Once again, forgive the goofiness...

I'm Still Doped...FUN FUN FUN!!!

Pain, Amoxicillin, and Drool

Well, the wisdom teeth are finally out.

I had one chance in high school to have it done, when my dad so lovingly suggested we cross the border to Mexico where they do it cheap. Seriously, Dad? Seriously? I said no thanks

(of course!), but the last three months they started hurting so badly that I even started regretting that decision. Yeah, they hurt THAT bad.

Thankfully it never came to a trip across the border, because, as I mentioned earlier, we finally got insurance. School starts up again next week,

so I went ahead and got all four of them out.

WHAT A WACKY EXPERIENCE!

I go into the operating room, sit down, they stick an IV in my arm, I make a comment about how much I LOVE the James Christensen painting on the wall (Who wouldn't?), and then I'm waking up to a BLURRY James Christensen painting on the wall while trying to spit out the bloody gauze in my mouth. I didn't even know the IV was the anesthesia! Then I vaguely remember walking into another room, but nothing, NOTHING else. I've never been put out before, but,

WEIRD!

Did I mention how fun the blood and drooling is?

Or the numb tongue that feels like a foreign object in my mouth that gets in the way every time I try to swallow?

Or the PAIN? OH, THE PAIN!

Ok, I admit, I am fishing for sympathy, as I pretend I'm the only one who has ever had their wisdom teeth out.

However, I still wouldn't mind a smoothie or icecream, or homemade soup...(Hint, Hint)

By the way, I apologize for any weirdness or bad spelling. I'm doped up.

Now THAT is fun.

Reminiscing

When I stumbled on this picture today I couldn't help but smile. I always do when I see this particular one, and what rednecks we were. Well, we still are, but we have learned how to hide it. We have moved up a notch from mis-matched socks and hand-me-downs, but we still have the country in us. Yep, some moments in my life I can't help but think I would be willing to trade a day of bustle and unimportant business for

one barefoot day in that small town.

Oh to be young and dirty and not care!

More on Kids

I miss my family when I think about these kiddos. Its been more than two years since I've seen most of them, and some are even TEENAGERS (When the freak did that happen?)!!! I'm no longer "Aunt Tandice," but just "Candice," or "Candio," which doesn't make sense at all. They shouldn't be old enough to talk, or even decide that I deserve a nick-name, or any of that. I remember the day when I got fuming mad because my two toddler nieces got into my makeup and perfume and spread it all over their faces and the walls of my bathroom. Now they are almost old enough to wear it for real and know that lipstick does not double as blush and eyeshadow. And get this, my nephew Tanner has a

FACEBOOK ACCOUNT!

It's just too much.

I stole these pictures from my sister-in-law, Cat, who took them about ten years ago at an easter-egg hunt. Those were the days. I hope I have kids that are this chubby.

Little Michelin Babies. * Sigh.*

Aunt Tandice

I have been an aunt since I was 8 years old. I remember how exciting it was the first time one of my nephews said my name: "Aunt Tandice!" Wow, was I a proud little nina. My older siblings always told me that because they had to babysit me when I was little, that they had the right to recruit me as their babysitter as much as need be...And they really took advantage of that! Considering that I have: 8 siblings, who each have from

2 to 4 kiddos = 7 nieces & 17 nephews, they have kept me busy for the last thirteen and a half years. But I really enjoyed it, as it is really rewarding. And now that I am married, it is especially fun to see how much those kids love my husband, and vice versa.

This weekend we were able to baby sit once again, and the guinea pigs were 2-year-old McKenna and baby Cooper. They are so much fun, and I think that in that little girl I have a competitor for Brick's #1 fan. Man does she adore him. But I adore him more.

But maybe not. It's a toss-up.

A NOTE: Brick is starting to tease me about how much I blog. I admit, it is beginning to be an obsession, and the funny thing is, it took me a long time to get my own blog because I didn't think I had an interesting enough life. Well, that still might be the case, but I do enjoy my life nonetheless, so whether or not anyone else does as well, I will continue writing about it.