Reese

I'm an aunt again - for the 14th time!  Reese Livingstone was born November 9, 2010 - 7 lbs. 12 oz.  Even though this is Nancy's third baby, it was her first with an epidural.  She said, "It's the best $1,000 I've ever spent!"  Apparently after she had the epidural the baby just basically fell out.  Imagine that.

I can't help but think about how pleased The Paul would have been with his new (and coming soon) baby girls.

A Picture Journal: Our Weekend

Innovative New Colic Treatment

A letter from my brother and sister-in-law:


Dear Erin and Nick:

We thought long and hard about what we could do to help you right now - to help you figure out why Carolyn was crying so much.

We think we figured it out...

YOU'RE FORCING HER TO ROOT FOR THE WRONG TEAMS!

Data to support our claim:

• BYU's current record is 2-4
• Texas has lost to UCLA and Oklahoma
• BYU is full of sinners and their losses are God's wrath
• Texas is HOT.  EFFING HOT...AKA HELL

Meanwhile, a lowly WAC team continues to get it done.

We thought this might help...

Love,

Jesse and Shanna

Included in the package was this:

Happy Birthday

Today my sister would have been thirty-one-years-old. I wish she were still here.  Sometimes I wonder if she told her namesake how to push my buttons.  To get me back for all the cheating at board games I did when we were younger. 

Dear Dad,

We blessed Carolyn at church yesterday.

As I watched Nick carry her to the front of the chapel, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.

Because even though I'm very grateful for the men who were there in the circle, I was sad that not one of them was a family member.

No grandpas.

No uncles.

No father's, brother's, second cousin's former roommate. 

I almost started to cry until it occurred to me that maybe you were there.

I looked for you, but didn't see you. 

I started thinking that maybe if I were more righteous, I might have been able to.

Then I thought of the front row - full of people who love us, who live in Heaven with you.

Carolyn the Elder.

Patsy.

And it made me happy.

When we got home, Nick was calming Carolyn down when he looked at me and said, "Baby, you know, I think there was family there today."

I said, "DID YOU SEE THEM??"

"No, I'm just telling you what I felt."

And we cried just a little bit together (although, I think if you asked him, he'd just say his eyes were watering).

So, while I wish you could have been there in the flesh, I'm glad that I believe you exist after death.  And that you are still able to participate in our lives.  And that your body doesn't slow you down now.

Missing you.

Love,

Carolyn's First White Dress

We've been looking forward to Carolyn's church blessing day for over a month. 

I was planning to dress her in a white onesie.

Because that's what I had.

But I harbored this secret wish.

A silly, girly wish.

That my baby would have a beautiful white dress to be blessed in.

I wanted it to be special.

I didn't dare buy one because I told myself it was frivolous to pay good money for a dress she'd only wear once.

And even though I'd resigned myself to the white onesie, I still lusted.

So, imagine my surprise when Husband walked in the door Thursday night carrying a tiny garment bag.

In it was a bitty, frothy, girly, white blessing dress.

I hadn't mentioned a thing about it to him.

He'd picked it out himself.

It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Thanks, Mom

I'd like to think that there was never a time in my life where I didn't appreciate my mother.

Seriously.

I was one of those rare kids who never went through that teenage stage where your mother is the worst, most ignorant person in the entire world.

Mostly because we lived an hour from all of the nearest high schools and therefore, had to board in town during the week. If you think your mom's bad, try living with someone else's (I only had one bad experience with that. For the last 3.5 years of high school, I lived with the best family ever. But, you should hear some of my sibling's stories about the families they lived with. NOT NICE)!

But, I don't think I've ever really understood my mother until now.

My mom had seven kids in eleven years - half of which were...ummm...surprises.

I like to pretend that I wasn't one of those since there's two and a half years between me and the brother just older than me. Obviously I was planned.

One time mom told me, "Erin, hey, I felt like I had to have a lot of kids because if I didn't, you would have been born in China."

My mom did her very best, but believe me when I say that she's not one of those personality types who just loved having seven kids.

I think for the most part, she was hanging on by a thread.

She was a markedly different person with her first babies than she was when my sister and I finally came along.

She said it took her a long time to realize that all of her children were different and that she couldn't just shove them into the mold she had in her head.

She also said it took her until age forty-five to really understand and use the atonement in her life.

Because you can't be a mother without help.  Or without doing your Jesus stuff.

These Pictures Crack Me Up

Fall in Ruby Valley

More Faves

The Ranch

Just Call Me Superman

Cam as a GQ Model

A Conversation

A conversation between my four-year-old nephew and my (balding) brother following the prayer on the food:

Ian:  Jared, you can put your hat back on now.
Jared:  Where's your hat, Ian?
Ian:  I don't need a hat.  I have hair.

Mice: You've Been Warned

When you live in the country, having mice - A LOT of mice - in your house is part of the country ambiance.

The Judy fights the good fight to keep the burgeoning mouse population down, but let's face it, it's a losing fight.  Kind of like me trying to become a bikini model.

When I arrived two weeks ago, all of The Judy's traps were out of commission, so a trip to Walmart was a must.

Since that time, The Judy has become a mice killing machine.

Her traps have netted at least two, if not four mice per night.

If you're lucky, and you wake up early in the morning, you can see the fresh kill because The Judy likes to pile the mice up by the front door on her daily trap checking rounds before dumping them unceremoniously in an old Schwann's ice cream bucket outside.

She says she's going to strap them to the front of her car and drive down the valley.

You know...to warn the other mice that this is what happens to unwanted critters down to her house.

More Things I Love About Home

1.  Homemade bread with homemade strawberry freezer jam.  I know, I could make both in Texas, but it's just not the same.  Of course, I've never made freezer jam in my life.  There.  I said it.  I might be the only Mormon girl left in America who's never made freezer jam.

2.  The Judy has a "picking station" set up in the brightest window in the house.  It's complete with a magnification mirror and tweezers.  The only bad thing about it?  I've just recently become aware of how bad my beard really is.  Good grief, but living in ignorance might have been the better choice.

3.  While preg testing, the vet marked all of the open (not pregnant) cows with an "O" on their hip with a giant stick of neon orange chalk.  The Judy, upon hearing of the first open heifer said, "Ok, John.  Mark her with the "O" of shame."

4.  You can see the moon.  And all of the stars.

5.  Cool mornings.

6.  I've been reminded that I am not as ugly as I was thinking I am.  I was able to straighten my hair on Tuesday for the first time in ten months, thanks to the drier climate of Nevada.  I really am better looking here.  No, really, I'm not making that up.

7.  Mom while watching an NFL game with Jared, "Oh, hey, Jared, is this fantasy football?"

8.  Getting to use my cell phone when we go into town.  When it's only once a week, it kind of seems like a treat.

9.  My aunt, Lyn, put my massage license to use for the first time since I passed the test back in March.  I haven't given a massage since last October.  I was kind of dreading it because my hands and arms are so out of massage-giving shape.  Then I put her on the massage table and the only thought that came to my mind was, "Man, I love this."

10.  Watching Dancing With the Stars with The Judy.  And being happy that The Hoff was the first to go.  I'm sorry, but he's creepy with a capital "C".

Quotations

A conversation with my four-year-old nephew:

Ian:  What are you going to be for Halloween?
Me:  I think I'll be a mom.
Ian:  But not a person?
Me:  Moms are people.
Ian:  I don't think so!


The Judy attended a potluck dinner for old people last week.  It was dubbed "candidate night" as there were several people who are running for public office that would be addressing the group.  One of the candidates is opposing Harry Reid for his senate seat.  Toward the end of his remarks, a little old lady stood up, and in reference to something he'd said, yelled, "Yeah, whatcha gonna do about it, asshole?"

Check This Out

Every rancher I know has this thing - where they don't throw stuff away. 

Because what if they need it?

Or at least parts of it?

Therefore, all ranches have a "junk pile" that isn't junk at all to the person who put it there.

On top of that, most ranches have several vehicles or pieces of equipment that have been pulled out in the sagebrush where they're "stored" until they're needed.

My dad was no exception.

Ever since I can remember, the very back of our shed was occupied by not one, but two old station wagons from the late 1970's/early 1980's (the newer of which was replaced as the family car by a sweet suburban - the one where dad artfully attached sticky letters to the bug shield to read "Neffites".  Just so you know, we also had a sign above the cattle guard that read, "Neffada - Home of the Loch Neff Monsters").

And, for years and years, my brother Jared talked about taking at least one, if not both of the station wagons and turning them into demolition derby cars.

Dad always acted personally injured that Jared would even suggest such a thing.

I guess that's come to an end, because check this out:

What used to look something like this:

Now looks like this (thanks to Neff's Diesel Repair...open for your business in Elko, Nevada):

And it's entered in the 2010 Elko County Demolition Derby.

To see The Paul Neff Grocery Getter in action, go here. 

*Photo and video compliments of Aunt Chris.

Grandma Judy Gets in on the Action