Weekly Whisper Update: DISNEY!

 This last week we surprised the kids and took a trip down South to Disney World!  They had no clue :)  We made it to the Orlando Temple Sunday afternoon and walked around the grounds then sat them down and gave them both gift bags.  In the bags were Disney shirts, Mickey water bottles, Disney Pez and washcloths and little Mickey and Minnie figurines (thank you Dollar Tree!).  They pulled everything out and we asked, "So do you know where we are going?  Looking at those things, where do you think we are going?"  Jane guessed: "Swimming?"  "Nope.  We are going to Disney World!!!"  It took her a second to register that.  Once it hit her she was ECSTATIC!  Grant took a few more seconds to process and then he caught on, too!  They were so excited :)  Jane was almost crying.
My friend Nick works at Disney and was able to get us a great discount on the hotel and he was able to get 3 out of the 4 of us in for free all 4 days we were there.  It was so fun getting to watch Nick perform...he was one of the few from High School who actually has made a living off entertaining.  I'm so proud of him and it made my heart happy to watch him "live the dream".
The first day we spent the entire day at the Magic Kingdom.  We tried to be all-stars and plow through all day but by 5:00 we were all toast!  We did get to see Mr. Nick as Clarabelle cow...he was awesome!  That cow has some mooooves!

The second day we were wiser and got there before it opened and were one of the first people in line to see Elsa and Anna (from Frozen.  The line is normally 300+ mins long...we managed to get through in 40!) Then we hit it hard with rides and I got to catch Nick's Trolley show and then we headed home for lunch, cooled off, took naps, and then went over to Hollywood Studios and played around there ending the night with my favorite show, Fantasmic!

The third day was similar.  We caught Nick's Welcome show at Magic Kingdom then were right in the gates when the park opened and got through several rides before the crowds started.  We went back to the hotel for lunch and a cool off and then hit Hollywood Studios again.  After we got in all the rides we wanted to do there, we went back to Magic Kingdom for dinner, the Electrical Parade, and Fireworks.  Once the fireworks ended, the lines were so short so we crammed in several rides before the park closed.  We finally got back to the hotel around 12:30.  What a day!

Thursday, our final day, I woke up with a sore throat (guess I over did it) and Nick couldn't get us into the parks until later so we took the morning easy.  That afternoon, we headed over to the Animal Kingdom.  I have to say, I wish we had left more time to do that park...it was wonderful!  We got soaked on the raft ride, Trent and I took turns on the wild Everest ride, the kids played in a dinosaur playground, we saw a 3D bug show, and went on a cool Safari ride where we got to see all sorts of animals.

Friday we took a dip in the pool in the morning, ate lunch with Nick, and then headed back to North Carolina.
We are back and still recovering but we had such a blast!  And we are so proud of the kids for going on rides that were scary.  They went on Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain. A HUGE thank you to Nick who was a lovely host to our crazy family for almost a week.  We loved being able to spend time with him and partake of the magic the Mouse had to offer.

Weekly Whisper Update: Birthday and Charlene

*We had the pleasure of having my Aunt Charlene visit for the week.  We were able to work in the yard, work out at the gym, go to Fayetteville to see the Market House and the Special Ops Museum, show her the area, and just hang about.
*It was really interesting to go to the Special Ops museum because all of our neighbors, save the fire chief down the road, are Special Ops.  It was cool to see what exactly they do.  I have always been grateful for the men and women who serve in the armed forces, but the more I learn, the more respect I have for them and the families that are constantly sacrificing so that we can be free.

Bubba at the Special Ops Museum

Charlene and Grant at the Market House

*This last Saturday was my 31st birthday.  Trent surprised me on Friday with a trip to Myrtle Beach, just the two of us.  Charlene was nice enough to watch the kids while we went.  On the drive there, we ran into a Strawberry Festival and a car accident.  While we weren't able to help at the accident, it refreshed in me the desire to do EMT work.  I need to start working on getting my North Carolina licence....

Myrtle Beach

*Trent got us a hotel right on the beach and to top it off, it also had 2 indoor water parks!  Saturday morning we slept in (best. gift. ever.) and then walked down and had birthday bagels on the beach :)  After a stroll down the shore a ways, we went back and tried out the water park.  It wasn't huge but it had some water slides and several hot tubs so we were happy.  We checked out and walked along the boardwalk looking in all the little shops and stopping for some delicious burgers.

Surprise! Let's eat cake :)

*A Whitney birthday wouldn't be complete without a trip to a plant store and I got to go to 2!  On the way home I got some flowers at Home Depot and some more at Lowe's.
*Charlene had a wonderful dinner waiting for us when we got home and after she had a little surprise party planned with our neighbors.  We had cake and ice cream and just sat around and talked.  I had a killer migraine, however, so the party was cut short.
*Thank you to everyone for the calls and cards and birthday wishes.  I was truly spoiled!

Weekly Whisper Update

• I got a call this week and the PTA at Jane's school wants me to be the Treasurer for next year!  I'm excited to get involved and get to know more moms.
• On Friday, Grant had his Kindergarten assessment/registration.  He is so excited to go to school and isn't shy at all.  It will be nice to have both kids in school full time.  I won't know what to do with all that free time!  
• This weekend was a busy one around here.  There were 4 different plant sales going on, dozens of yard/garage sales, and a Spring Festival in Southern Pines.   I helped with the Whispering Pines plant sale (put on by the Garden club) and then bounced over to another plant sale with a friend and stocked up!  After that, we went as a family to the Spring Fest and walked around the booths.  Jane got a glitter tattoo, Grant went on a Carnival "ride", I found a kitty and a puppy to adopt (Trent said no), we got treats, the kids got to hold a lizard, and we all enjoyed the wonderful weather.  My Aunt Charlene flew in that afternoon so I drove up to Raleigh to get her and we are so excited to have her here for the next 9 days.
• With all the plant sales going on, I took Jane to get her very own flowers to set up her very own garden!  It was a girls night out.  We also got some scrap lumber from across the street and made a little raised box.  She had fun placing and planting the flowers and has been good at watering them, too.  
• Last night I caught a frog in our front yard!  It was so cool!  He was just sitting in the garden when I went out to water and I grabbed him.  Gotta love country living :P

Weekly Whispering Update

I am trying to get back into blogging simply for the journaling aspect.  So I'm going to be doing a weekly update from here on out.  Who knows, if I get ambitious, I may post more than once a week.  :)

 This week:

*Rain, Rain, Rain!  I have never seen so much rain!  Monday night we had a massive thunderstorm that washed out our sod in front.  It also washed away some of my new flower bed and totally wrecked our neighbor's yard (as all the water from our street funnels down their lot.)  We are working on better water direction but until then we will cross our fingers that nothing else washes away.

*This week was Spring Break for Jane so on Tuesday I took the kids up to Raleigh to a couple of museums.  First we went to the museum of Natural Sciences.  It was a HUGE place full of all sorts of interesting exhibits and the best part was that it was free! :)  Gotta love that!  Then we headed over to the Marble's Kids' Museum.  It was a lot like the Discovery Gateway Museum in Utah and the kids LOVED it!!!  I got tired just watching them play!  We hit up Costco while we were in town and by the time we left, it was a complete downpour!  I tried to put our groceries in the car and in the 2 mins it took me to do that, I was soaked to the bone!!  And the heavy rain continued almost the whole way home.  Talk about white knuckles!!  

*The kids spent most of the rest of the week playing with friends and hanging around here.  it was too chilly to do much outside and too soggy too.

*All the seeds in my veggie grow boxes have sprouted!  I am so excited to see them all showing their tiny green heads and hope that means we will have a bountiful harvest this year!

*Last week I managed to get a Crepe Myrtle tree for $10!!!!  This week, it started getting leaves!  It's now securely planted in front by our fence and I can't wait to see it bloom!

*Friday was kind of a rough day for Mr. Grant.  He plays hard and he wrecks hard.  He fell off a scooter  and skinned his elbow.  Then he fell of some playground rings at the neighbor's house trying to do a flip and got a bloody lip and a bloody nose.  Later that night, he and his buddy were jumping on our trampoline and the two big-noggin boys bumped heads hard and both were in tears.  Luckily through all this there was no concussions or stitches or broken bones, but you can bet he slept well that night!

*Saturday night we went over to a neighbor's house and had a little egg hunt for the kids inside (since it was again raining) and then had a BBQ and let the kids play.  It was a lot of fun!  We are so grateful that we have such awesome neighbors...and there are more to come :)

*And finally today was Easter.  The kids planted their "Magic Jellybeans" last night and found flower suckers had grown this morning.  They found their baskets and feasted!  Church, needless to say, was a bit of a zoo.  :)  

North Carolina

Last week Trent and I flew out to North Carolina for a job interview.  I had no idea how dense the trees were out there!  We got off the flight, got our rental car, and thought we'd stop at the first fast food place to catch some dinner (we were starving from the flight.  Pretzels just don't cut it after 7 hours).  We drove for a while and didn't see ANYTHING!  I got on Google and tried to find restaurants close by....the closest one was 30 mins away!!!  Once we got fed and back on the road, it was another 40 mins to our destination: Pinehurst. 
The next morning I dropped Trent off at the hospital to interview and I went exploring.  I drove into Pinehurst village.  It was so quaint!  all these beautiful old white buildings with brick sidewalks and old people everywhere!  I drove around a little more and found beautiful golf courses (there are over 60 in the area), historic buildings, trees, and more trees.
Later that night, the head CRNA and another CRNA from the hospital and their wives took us out to dinner at this perfect little Italian restaurant.  The food was amazing (and free)!  Then they drove us all around showing us the area and filling us in.  We were definitely wined and dined :)
The next morning a real estate agent picked us up and showed us several neighborhoods in the area and took us through a few rental homes.  The houses out there are HUGE inside and they all have a ton of windows and high ceilings.  I am completely in love with them (the style, the size, the layouts)!  However, the neighborhoods aren't like in Utah... Each house is set in it's own thicket of trees.  No 2 homes are side by side, there are tons of pine trees to separate them.  And the soil there is pure sand so you have to bring in top soil to get anything to grow.  This may be a problem...
Saturday was our last day and we wanted to see the beach.  We took off in the rental car and drove past these brown fields that were speckled with white.  Upon closer inspection, we discovered they were cotton fields!!!  There was cotton growing right out of the ground!  So cool.
This week we fly to Arizona for a couple more interviews.  Pinehurst wants an answer this week so probably by Friday or Saturday this week we will know where we are headed.  Wish us luck!

Jane turned 6 so we had a Party

I can't believe our little Jane is already 6 years old!  Man time flies!  This year was her "friend party" year and you know how I love to throw a party!  We had a bit of a struggle picking a theme and deciding who to invite but when all was said and done, we decided on a Jewery making party with no boys (except Bubba and Dad) allowed!

Here are the invites:

This was the set up: pink and black streamers, pink strawberry cupcakes, and purse shaped gift bags (that included ring pops, nail polish, lip gloss, temp tatoos, and a glow stick bracelet)

For activites, the girls made candy necklaces (out of colored twizzlers, gummy lifesavers, and fruit loops), they made colored pearl bracelets, and we played some rip roaring rounds of Freeze Dance.

Here's a pic of most of the girls.  We had 13 in all plus Jane and Grant:

And here is the birthday girl blowing out her candles:

"Our Wonderful K-World" Program

Yesterday, on Jane's 6th birthday, she had her Kindergarten program.  She had been practicing for  weeks on her songs and her speaking part and she was so excited for us to see the program.
She did a wonderful job!!!  The songs they sang were so stinking cute and they all sang with such vigor! Some of the songs they sang were: "Take Me Out of the Bathtub", "Baby Baluga", the Welby School song, "Witches Sailing through the Moon",  and "Let's Go Fly a Kite". Jane nailed her speaking part: "Eachone paints our world in colorful hues"  

We are so proud of Jane and all that she has learned this year!  She has truely advanced in leaps and bounds. 

She had a wonderful teacher, Mrs. McDougal who absolutely spoiled the kids!!  Jane has brought home countless books, notebooks, erasers, treats, crafts, and prizes throughout the year.  It will be a rough transition next year into 1st grade :)  Mrs. McDougal was very good about teaching and enforcing manners and  getting the kids to listen to and follow directions (which really showed at the program...the kids sat still for over an hour with thier arms folded and quiet feet!!  When we first learned who Jane's teacher would be last year, I had a friend of mine tell me that she had had her when she was in Kindergarten.  I thought, 'this lady must be ancient! I hope she's not a burned-out, grouchy grandma!'.  Nothing could have been further from the truth!  That sweet woman has more energy than the kids in her class!  She goes a hundred miles an hour and hardly slowed down at all in December when she got foot surgery.  We will miss Mrs. McDougal and all her happy energy!

 

30, Flirty, and Thriving!

Today I turn the big 3-0!   yay me!  It isn't as bad as some people make it out to be.  Yeah, I'm older than I once was but that can be said about everyone.  I'm grateful to have made it on this earth for 30 years.  Growing up I remember my mom complaining about her birthdays, complaining about aging.  Then she got cancer.  Every birthday after that battle had been a celebration.  She is grateful for every year she has been given.  And I've decided to take her frame of mind.  I am blessed to have been given 30 years.  Those years gave me friends and experiences and a wonderful husband and 2 crazy and beautiful children.  Thank you to everyone who has been a part of them!

Here's what I've learned in the past 30 years:
-I am stronger than I think I am
-Gravity wins, every time.
-I'm not the mom I thought I would be
-I'm not the wife I thought I would be
-Sleep is not optional
-Turns out that calories count every day--even on holidays and weekends.  boo.
-Despite the state of the world, there are still so many amazing and kind people.
-Unconditional love is not a myth. It's real and it's amazing!
-The best guys are bald :)
-I don't care what anyone says, caffeine is a drug...a strong one! (and I love it!)
-Facing fears is a huge adrenaline rush!
-People change
-Nostalgia can be dangerous
-If you're not moving forward, you are moving backward
-Laughter is the best medicine for ANYTHING!
-Wii bowling is very different than real bowling
-Pulling weeds is good therapy
-Tip your waiter/waitress
-Always pay the Karma jar. (learned that one the hard way...)
-My kids have a lot to teach me about being out-going


Here's what I look forward to:
-Staying fit
-Watching my kids grow
-Living out of state
-Going back to school
-Going back to work
-Completing my first Triathlon in July
-Traveling

Losing It

So around November of last year, I was going through a hard time.  My doctor started me on a new medication and the side effects were awful!  In 2 1/2 months I gained 17 lbs.  I was the biggest I have ever been, not pregnant.  I needed a change.

I got off of that med and Trent and I decided to do a program called "Feel Great in 8".  It's a fitness an nutrition tracking system and you compete against one another for 8 weeks.  We started towards the end of January and it was hard at first.  But as time went on I was feeling better and had more energy an felt more in control of my life. 

The 8 weeks ended and I tried to still stick with the tracking.  I do Zumba twice a week and run once to twice a week. 

I am so proud to say that as of today, I have lost 15 lbs!!!!  All but 2 of the 17 I gained!!!  I feel great and  look forward to losing the next 7!!!

Boogers

The other day the kids and I were driving in the car and I hear Grant making lip smacking noises.  I asked what he was doing.  Turns out he was eating his boogers.  My reaction: "Gross!!  Grant stop it!  That's so discusting!"
Jane's rebuttle: "No mom, it's great.  You have to try it.  Boogers are yum!"
Say what?!?!?
Now I hear two kids making lip smacking noises.
"Don't pick your noses, guys!  It wil make them bleed!!!"
Jane:  "No mom, I'm not getting the hard ones, I'm eating the gooey ones.  Sometimes if there's a booger just like hanging i pick it and eat it.  It's So yum!"
Me: (insert dry heaving here)


Today I got a REALLY bad bloody nose.
Jane's response:  "Mom, you really should stop picking your nose."
Rodger that.

Santa Claus is coming to Town!

This past weekend was the annual Bassett Family Christmas party.  Cathy B. through a great party with food and games and cookie decorating and, of course, the appearance of The Big Man himself: SANTA!
Grant was so excited he kept trying to sit on his lap and everytime Santa called another kid up Grant would be bummed.  Finally it was his turn and he hopped right up on the Jolly Old Elf's knee and smiled for pictures.  The more we would say, "smile Grant" the more he waould ham it up.  He nuzzeled right into Santa's beard and then started stroking it!  Yep, he was the creepy kid, but it was so adorable.
Jane did better this year.  She's still a bit nervous around him but she sat on his knee and told him what she wasnted and that he'd have to find us in California this year. 

 

My Cute Kids

*On Wednesday Jane told me: "I got my ears checked at school today, Mom"
Me: "Oh yeah?  How'd it go? Are they good ears? "
Jane: "I did great!  I raised my hand even when I didn't hear anything!"

*We have Monsters Inc in the car right now and every time we start the car the movie starts over.  The fist scene in the movie is a monster sneaking in to scare a kid.  Grant calls it the "scary monster".  Whenever it comes on he starts yelling, "Mom!  Close your eyes! Close your eyes!" and I watch him in the rear-view-mirror as his eyes go big and then squeeze shut, big and then squeeze shut until the climax where he is literally prying his own eyes open with his fingers.  It's so cute!

*The other night I made Shepard's Pie.  Jane was whining because she didn't like it and didn't want to eat it. "Moooommmmm. . ..I don't like this!  It's not even a pie!"

*Grant has been going potty now and then and we've decided to reward his efforts with little glow sticks and loads of praise.  Yesterday I went to the bathroom and he said, "yay mom! Get a glow-stick!  I'm so happy and proud!" aaww, thanks little buddy! I do my best :)

*When Grant says the word "Temple" it sure sounds like "tampon"

*Jane: Mom, when am I going to get born again?
Me: Honey you only get born once.
Jane: But in church they said you get born again when you are baptised. . .
Me: Oh. Well your body doesn't get born again, just your spirit.
Jane: Where's my spirit?
Me: It's inside you.
Jane: (wiggling and feeling her arms) Like in my bones?!?!  I can't feel it. . .

*The other day we were walking to the park and Grant was lagging behind.  I turned to see where he was at and he was picking something up off the sidewalk and putting it in his mouth.  I started yelling at him to spit it out, whatever it was.  When I got closer I realized that he'd peeled some old gum off the sidewalk and that's what he was eating.  GROSS! total "Elf" moment.

*Jane and I were talking about being good because Santa is watching.  She said: "I don't care I'm bad and her brings me coal.  I like rocks.  I have a collection." So much for that.

*When Jane and Grant play make-believe, Jane calls Grant "Dea".  I thought that was a weird pretend name but then noticed that Grant would say, "Hey! I have a idea. . . " and with his little man speech it must have sounded to Jane like "Hey! I am Dea" 

Surviving Fall

Autumn is always the hardest time of the year for me.  With the cooling air comes depression and restlessness.  It's been this way for years.  So I generally dread the onset of Fall.  This year is no different.  But I have chosen to embrace some of the things I LOVE about this season to try to make it through. 

Canning Peaches

Usually I do this with my Mom.  This year she decided to go have fun in Europe with my dad (rough life) so I got to fly solo for the first time.  Thanks to my wonderful Aunt and her fruit laden trees, I had a TON of peaches (for free!).  It was a bit more difficult doing it all by myself but it worked out.  The house smelled of peaches and burnt sugar, I had the windows open and Grant playing out on the deck.  It was a perfect day.

Harvesting our produce

I love having a garden.  It is one of the best things about living in a house.  The kids love to pick our ripe veggies and this year they were super pleased with the carrots.  If I don't keep a sharp eye on them, they will sneak out and pull up a few :)  We had a big crop of grape tomatoes and our little pumpkins make me happy.

Music
Fall has a specific type of music, if you ask me.  Usually it's Coldplay, Damien Rice, or Tori Amos.  This year I've found a new artist to soothe my soul. Ed Sheeran.  What is it about weird looking red heads? (He and Brett Dennen amaze me).

Holidays
While I hate Fall, I love Halloween.  It is my favorite holiday, next to Christmas.  And now I have the added aid of Pinterest to get my decorating on!  I'm working on a tulle wreath and am already planning out how to make the kid's costumes.  LOVE IT!

Family Camping Trip

Last weekend we took the family on a camping trip.  We wanted to get in a family vacation before Trent starts his clinical rotations because we won't see him much for the next year and a half.  Trent and I spent hours on the internet looking up good spots, checking the fishing reports, and trying to find a campground.  We decided to head down to Palisades campground just outside of Manti.  Friday morning we packed the car with as much as we possibly could and headed out on the open road.  After 20 mins the kids were done with the car.  Too bad we still had 2 hours to go!
We pulled into Palisades and talked with the woman running the pay station. "What brings you here?" she asked.  "Fishing and camping and swimming!" we replied. She gave us a confused/sad look and said "You know we don't have a reservoir, right?  It's all dried up." What?!?!?!?!  We wanted to see for ourselves so we drove over to where the water should be.  She was right.  Where there should have been a good sized body of water stood a swampy puddle.  We were bummed!  After driving around the tiny, shade-free campsites, we decided to try somewhere else.  The kids were livid.  They wanted to set up camp NOW.  They wanted to get out of the car NOW.  So we drove back to Manti and had a little picnic which helped thier spirits (and their flat bums).

having a picnic in Manti

Trent has taken the scouts to a little place called Burrston Ponds in Mona, UT and thinks it's a great spot so we turned the car around and headed back to Mona.  When we got there we found a great spot surrounded by trees and close to the water.  I was impressed with all that place had to offer.  Swimming, fishing, they have several rope swings, frog hunting, clean port-a-potties, and huge trees.  We spent the rest of the afternoon fishing and roasting marshmallows over coals and going on walks.  That night it was super noisy with all the college kids using the rope swing well into the night.

Fishing with Dad.

Jane biffed it and scratched up her head.  She got over it, though.  Look how happy she is!

They love each other, so sweet.

Our camping spot the first night.

Grant super excited to be sleeping in a tent in his sleeping bag.

In the morning Trent wasn't feeling so well so he took the kids into town to get some medicine and I stayed and fished.  I caught 3 good sized rainbow trouts!  I was so stoked that when they got back, I took Jane out and she caught 4!  Trent went out after us and he caught 4 too!  Grant didn't have the attention span but was sure happy when we'd reel one in.

Jane's fish. Go Jane!

Ice Cream at the Big Red Barn

After lunch we went to the "Big Red Barn" about 10 miles north of Mona and got some homemade ice cream.  We thought the kids would be tired enough they would crash in the car, but it wasn't so.  By the time we got back to camp Trent and I were ready for naps but the kids weren't, so Trent took them to the city park in Mona and I tried fishing at a different pond (still in Burrston but not with loud swimmers).  As I walked over there, it started to rain and then it was a downpour so I cast my line in, rested it on a chair and then stood under a tree for shelter.  all of the sudden my line was moving!  I ran to the chair and yanked it back to set the hook. And the line broke!I looked in the water and saw a HUGE fish swimming away.  So I cast in again and immediatly got another bite!  I set the hook and reeled in . . .it was a little baby fish.  I unhooked it and cast out again.  Within seconds I had another one. This was awesome!  Trent rolled up with the kids and I told him about the fishing.  He didn't believe me so he cast out a line and within seconds he had a baby fish.  So we decided to move our camp to that pond.  By then it had stopped raining so we moved all our stuff to our hot fishing spot.  

Our camp site the second night.

 I took Grant out on the float boat to try and get a big fish.  We were trolling our line headed back to camp when something big got my line.  It was so strong it was literally pulling us in the boat as I tried to reel it in.  This was it!!!  King of the Pond!!  I was yelling to Trent and Jane on shore and reeling with all my might.  Trent yelled back "get it in the boat!!"  How was I supposed to do that?  It was a huge fish and a small boat.  I guess I could throw Bubba out.  No time for decisions!!  I got that fish right up to the boat and pulled hard.  He came up out of the water onto the side of the boat.  He was definitely King of the Pond!!!  And then the line snapped and he splashed back into the water and swam away.  I had had him!  He was mine.  I must catch him again. . .
That night we had Dutch oven pizza's (which were a work in progress) and we let the kids stay up late.  Trent and I fished for a couple of hours after the kids went to bed and then we called it a night too.

This is how we found them after they feel asleep Saturday night.  Precious!

Grant got dirty.  VERY dirty.

Sunday morning Grant woke up early (big surprise) so I took him out to try to find King of the Pond again.  We paddled around catching stupid baby fish and then I saw them.  3 Kings. . .3 ginormous fish swimming around our boat.  The stupid little fish had taken most of our bait by then so I had 1 1/2 worms left to work with.  I tried and tried until the bait was gone and the fish were no longer in site.  It was not meant to be.
We had breakfast and packed up and headed to home to do-dirt ourselves.
We had a wonderful vacation, despite some minor snags, and the kids can't wait to go camping again.  Sunday night we ate some of our Rainbows and Jane was so proud.  Family vacation=success!