The Wright Place

Coming Soon! - 2011 Update

2012-01-05T19:58:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas card didn't get out until after Christmas, and now that it finally got mailed, I still haven't gotten anything put up here... BUT, stay tuned and I will eventually get something posted here in the not too distant future. :)

One Minute Ciabatta Bread

2011-01-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

So much for my New Year's resolution to blog more... :) Here it is half-way through February already and I'm back-dating my first post to January so I won't have missed a whole month.

Anyway, I did make an amazing discovery in January. I stumbled upon a recipe for ciabatta bread that takes only one minute of preparation (presuming the ingredients and utensils are pre-gathered)! It has only four ingredients and it is delicious. In fact, here's a picture of my first attempt:

I wasn't able to get the camera before it was all gone! :)

1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry yeast
2 c warm water
4 c flour
==================
Mix (easily done by hand with a big spoon) and let rise for 8-12 hours, then shape and bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

I've told everyone I could to Google "one minute bread" and find this recipe because it is nothing short of amazing to me! I shall never buy ciabatta bread again!

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T18:05:00.000-08:00

Brian
His chiropractic practice is still doing well, which is a blessing we're all grateful for. Brian continues to do a lot of maintenance and upgrades around the house. This year, he installed cabinets and countertops for my craft area, as well as cabinets in the laundry room. He also installed a new fountain in the backyard, floodlights, a new barbecue grill, and a TV that swivels so the kids can watch movies either on the trampoline or in the hot tub. He is a master gardener and, in addition to his oranges and grapefruits that multiply exponentially each year, he is growing strawberries, a few varieties of tomatoes, basil, and red peppers.

Chanda
I've enjoyed being home with Carsten, watching him learn and grow. I've also had a lot of fun this year with the embroidery machine Brian gave me last Christmas; it's opened up a whole new list of hobby projects for me. I'm hoping to also find the time to get back on the blogging bandwagon this year.
Brian and I are looking forward to celebrating our 4th anniversary in January.

Ethan
Ethan turned 12 in November and was ordained a deacon. He is in 6th grade and doing well; he got almost all "A"s this quarter. He continues to participate in swim team during summers and flag football in fall.

Elise
Elise turned 8 in July and was baptized. She is enjoying 2nd grade. She is a good artist and she does a great job of "babysitting" Carsten so I can get other things done around the house; she is so loving and tender with him, it is really sweet to see.

Treyton
Treyton turned 7 in August and is loving 2nd grade. He took Spanish, cooking, and science in summer school and wants to be a scientist. He is very good reader and is hoping to start piano lessons in January.

Carsten
Carsten turned 1 in October and started walking mid-December. He has taken a couple of baby signing classes; he signs "more" and "all done" at mealtimes and is working on more. He enjoys playing with cars, trains and anything with wheels. He sings and hums and dances when there is music on. He is adorable and we all love having him around.

We hope this finds you well and happy! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! :)

Wedding Book

2010-11-22T21:36:00.000-08:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Mother's Day

2010-05-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

Brian brought me breakfast in bed on Mother's Day; the most delicious omelet ever!!!

Today, (as I was making him breakfast) Treyton said, "I wish there was a Son's Day."
Me: "What's that?"
Treyton: "Well, there's Mother's Day and Father's Day were you get food made for you. I wish there was a Son's Day where you have to make food for me."
Me: "Don't we make food for you every day?"
Treyton: "Well, yeah, but... I wish there was a Son's Day."

HALLELUJAH!!!

2010-03-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

Carsten slept through the night without waking AT ALL!!! :)

Anniversary

2010-01-25T23:11:00.000-08:00

We've been planning for 3 years to go back to Hawaii for this anniversary, but... an adorable wrench was thrown into that plan. :)

We spent our anniversary doing normal, daily stuff, but we're planning a shorter trip as soon as we figure out how to make that work with Carsten. :)

Zion Natl Park

2010-01-04T16:40:00.000-08:00

On the way back from Utah, we drove through Zion (to get some more use out of our annual pass).

New Years

2010-01-01T16:51:00.000-08:00

We went to Utah for New Years and had a great time at the cabin with Jeremy & Jen's family and Suzy & Brannon.

Ethan & Elise

Treyton

Carsten

Brian, Carsten, & the jackalope

Chanda, Carsten, & Elise being chauffeured by Jeremy

Carsten's 1st Christmas

2009-12-25T10:41:00.000-08:00

2009

2009-12-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

We finally got our Christmas cards mailed off today (with two days to spare)! :)

Brian
His chiropractic practice is doing well. He enjoys helping people be healthy and can recommend a vitamin or supplement for nearly any ailment. :)
Brian has also done a lot of work around the house. In addition to all the maintenance and minor upgrades he does endlessly, he just finished two major projects: 1) RV gate he's been planning for six years and 2) additional cupboards and computer desk in the kitchen. Both projects turned out great. Brian replaced his truck with an Armada to accommodate our growing family, so the RV gate is used to store a trailer (to replace the truck bed).
Brian is serving as secretary in the Young Men's organization at church. He especially enjoys chaperoning the water and snow skiing activities.

Chanda
I spent most of the year being uncomfortably pregnant, so it feels great not to be pregnant anymore. :) I'm still working for Brian, although he hired an assistant to whom I've been able to turn over the day-to-day operations after the baby. I continued sewing a lot this year, including Elise's Halloween costume, but now Carsten takes up most of my time. He'll be my new hobby for quite a while. :)
At church, I play piano in Relief Society and am on the Committee Formerly Known As Enrichment. :)

Brian & I celebrated our two-year anniversary last January by going skiing in Arizona. We're looking forward to celebrating three years next month. :)

Ethan
Ethan is in 5th grade. He completed Cub Scouts, earning his Arrow of Light, and is now in 11 year old scouts. He competed in swim team over the summer and played flag football this fall.

Elise
Elise is in 1st grade and loves her teacher. She took swimming lessons in the summer and dance class in the fall. Elise loves to help cook at home and also enjoys covering the refrigerator with her artwork. She even colored a picture for Carsten before he was born.
Elise lost her first tooth this month. She asked the tooth fairy for candy and received chocolate "coin" candy (and a real dollar).

Treyton
Treyton is in 1st grade and, although he's doing well, looks forward to all half-days and school holidays. He took swimming lessons in summer and also attended summer school where his favorite subject was cooking class (he apparently didn't realize they were secretly incorporating math and reading).
Treyton lost his first two teeth in October. He got a gold Sacajawea dollar for the first tooth.

Carsten
Carsten was born!!! :)
That was the highlight of his year, as well as ours. :) We're so glad to have him! He is so precious and adorable. He smiles and coos which mesmerizes us all. He will be two months old on Christmas Eve. :)

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and Wonderful New Year!!! :)

Carsten @ 3 weeks old

2009-11-14T21:57:00.000-08:00

Carsten Sterling Wright

2009-10-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

The one day I was not expecting him to show up was his due date... so, of course, that's when he arrived! :)
24 Oct 2009
11:27pm
8 lbs 7.4 ozs

Here he is hanging out on the blanket his aunt Jen made for him.

Wright Reunion

2009-07-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

Brian's extended family reunion was the same weekend as mine. He went to mine last time, so we went to his this year.

It started out in Jackson Hole, WY on Friday. We set up camp and then had dinner at a park in town, complete with clown for the kids. :)

Saturday we went rafting down the Snake River. We all did the tame float in the morning. Then Brian and Ethan also did a white water trip further down river that afternoon.

Sunday we went to the Grand Teton museum and all the kids started working on Junior Ranger badges. Then we went to a lake until it started raining.

Monday we packed up camp and stopped off to picnic and swim at String Lake on our way to our Yellowstone campsite.

Tuesday we saw Old Faithful and visited a lot of other hot pots and geysers.

(Click on picture to open video in new window)

Wednesday we drove and drove and drove in search of wildlife. The majority of what we saw, though, was the bison that kept stopping traffic by meandering into the road.

Thursday we packed up and headed toward home.

Babymoon

2009-07-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

I calculated several months ago that the weekend of July 10th would be the one weekend before the baby is due that we would have no children at home... So, I was adamant that we utilize it. :)

We had a couple of free frequent flyer tickets to use, so we initially were planning to fly somewhere. However, with only a two-day weekend available, there weren't many options that wouldn't 1)waste half the weekend traveling and/or 2)waste the tickets on cheap, nearby locales.
We finally opted for a "local" babymoon. We were technically out of town (i.e. a different suburb of Phoenix than the one we live in) but we didn't need a rental car or anything. :) Surprisingly, it was very easy to forget we were close to home and it really felt like a vacation. :)

When we weren't hanging out in the pool, we turned the A/C down as low as it would go (something we would NEVER do at home) since it was 114 degrees outside.

We mostly ate at the hotel, since I had booked the room with a meal package. However, there was a Melting Pot nearby and I'd heard great things about it so I wanted to try it. I had also heard that dessert was not to be skipped, so I lucked out in finding this coupon for free dessert right before we went. It was delicious and I'm glad we got to try it. We had our own little booth with a curtain and it was very fun. :)

Tent Trailer

2009-06-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

My sister told us about a great deal on a tent trailer. We weren't in the market for one, having just bought one about a year ago. However, it was such a good deal that we couldn't pass it up so we bought it anyway. Fortunately, Brian was able to sell our other one right away (within less than a day of listing it; Woohoo Craigslist!).

The new one is bigger all around (e.g., 2 king beds) and includes a toilet and shower (YEAH!). Of course Brian had to re-do all the upgrades he had done on the first one (i.e., stereo and porch lights) and there were a few things to be fixed (needed a new spare tire, new brakes, etc.), but overall it was still a great deal.

The two of us took it out for a test run a few weeks before Brian's family reunion. That really helped because we were able to figure out a few things and work out the kinks.

We also took the kayak out for its maiden voyage. :)

Treyton stayed home with Aunt Paige and, except for the fiesta going on ALL NIGHT LONG in the very next campsite, we had a really nice weekend.

Ultrasound Update

2009-06-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, fine! If hardly anyone will guess, then I suppose I'll just let the cat out of the bag (so you can all start helping us come up with names)...

This is an image from below (i.e., as if he were sitting on the camera lens) and those are legs pointing left above and below the arrow ("BOY" is on the right leg).

We had one girl name that we both agreed on (probably a middle name), but we have no boy names that we can agree on so far. We're looking for something slightly different (i.e., absolutely, unequivocally not trendy), but not weird. Any suggestions? :D

Ultrasound

2009-06-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

I'm at 20 weeks (half-way!) as of this past Saturday.
I went in for an ultrasound today.

Any guesses on gender? :D

Bad Mother

2009-05-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

Our kids' school doesn't bus most of the kids who live within a mile of the school (the exception being the ones who live across a major street). I've measured it on my odometer and, although it is less than one mile from our subdivision, the school is 1.2 miles from our home. Yet... I still have to take the kids to and from school.

I really don't mind the driving. My issue is the remembering-to-pick-them-up part. I generally don't have a problem in the morning (unless I make the mistake of checking my e-mail that early) because their presence is a sufficient reminder that I need to take them to school. In the afternoon, however, I'm usually engrossed in some activity or other that causes me to lose track of time. Does this make me a bad mother? Every other parent seems to converge on the school like clockwork and I've never heard the slightest mention that it's hard for anyone else to remember to pick up their kids from school, so I feel like I'm alone in this.

Several months ago I stumbled upon a site called iwantsandy.com. I could set up tasks (e.g., "Pick up kids") and it would text me a reminder 15 minutes before I needed to pick up the kids. Unfortunately, Twitter decided to buy it and shut it down! I started using a new service (RememberTheMilk.com) that's pretty comparable for the most part. In fact, just today I learned that I can integrate it with my Google calendar, which is kind of cool. Then I also learned that I can sort of do the same thing with Google calendar (i.e. receive text reminders). However, I prefer to keep my calendar limited to actual appointments and such and not clutter it up with daily "Pick up kids"-type reminders, so I'll keep my RTM service.

Am I the only one out there who doesn't instinctively sense when the end of the school day is near without an external reminder?
And if I'm not utterly alone in this, does anyone want to share any nifty technological advances that I might find useful? :)

Laptop update

2009-05-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

My new battery arrived today. Shortly thereafter... I did a little research online and discovered that I am not alone in my battery issues for this brand of laptop. This particular laptop apparently has a flaw wherein a DVD playing program it comes with causes the registry to become corrupted, which causes the CPU to run at full speed on battery power (instead of using the power management settings that slow it down when running off the battery). Apparently I can fix this myself with some techno geek ninja skills, but the site that will tell me how is currently down due to a hard drive malfunction.

So... at least I have my new battery for now that may (fingers crossed) function properly as long as I don't run the DVD program (then again it may not, since the registry is already corrupted). Bleh.

Laptop

2009-05-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

I bought a laptop when I started law school. It's tiny and I love it, but I hate it when things are not charged so I was constantly plugging it in to make sure the battery never died. I ruined several cell phone batteries that way before I learned what I was doing wrong (I am now working on year #2 with the same phone battery for the first time ever!). Now, supposedly lithium-ion batteries (which my laptop has) are not supposed to do this, but mine definitely took a dive due to the constant charging. It would start out fully charged and within a very short period of time (sometimes just a few minutes) it would die.

So... I pretty much haven't used my laptop for the past year or two. I pulled it out from under the bed this past week and decided I would get a new battery (now that I know how to properly care for them). I ordered a new battery and then... decided to wait for this one to die.
After about 30 minutes of using battery power, it died. I pushed the power button and was able to use it for another 10 minutes before it died again. Then I pushed the power button again and... 15-20 minutes later it's still going!!! My battery indicator has said "0%" for quite some time now, but it's still going!

I have learned:

Lithium-ion batteries do suffer from the "memory effect" even though the experts claim they don't and
NEVER order a brand-new, non-returnable battery until you are absolutely sure that your current one is really, truly irreparably damaged.

Eighteen Weeks

2009-05-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

I felt something on Mother's Day that I was 60% sure was the baby moving. Then I felt something two days later that I was 90% sure was the baby moving. Now I'm feeling movement daily, but every time I try to let Brian feel, it stops. It's getting more frequent, so it shouldn't be long before it's constant enough for Brian to feel it. At this point I'm still impatient for the kicking to really begin, but I know I'll regret it because I remember being miserable with Treyton kicking me in the ribs for months on end.

Maternity clothes mostly don't fit yet, but I'm getting there. I only kept one maternity outfit from Treyton (a denim jumper that I really liked) and I pulled it out last week. Brian says this baby needs to get bigger before it looks like a maternity dress; right now it just looks like a muumuu. Fortunately, my sister, Carla, gave me a few really cute maternity shirts. Also, we went to Goodwill yesterday and got a couple things. Brian wanted camping pants so as not to ruin his good jeans and I am always on the lookout for decent maternity clothing lately. Work is still pretty easy (drawstring scrubs are very maternity-friendly), but I have no idea what I'm going to wear to church tomorrow. :P

Board Games

2009-04-27T19:24:00.001-07:00

Brian & I started a game of Cities & Knights with Ethan last Wednesday. It's been on our table all week waiting for them to come back tomorrow so we can finish it. (Treyton was concerned that the "Toy Monster", who takes toys that are left out overnight, would take our game. I told him I'd write the Toy Monster a note explaining the situation and asking him to leave the game alone.)

I love playing board games and having one out in plain sight all week has made me want to play more.
Yesterday I challenged Brian to a game of Scrabble. He was really giving me a run for my money... until I managed to get a 66-point word ("quartz" with the "q" on a double-letter score plus a double-word score). Seriously, I think he would have beat me if it hadn't been for that word.
Then we played Rummikub. I had never played before in my life, but I thought we could both learn together. Turns out, Brian has played it for years... He totally cleaned my clock. I did not feel guilty for Scrabble after that. :)

I still want a Rummikub rematch. :)

Thirteen Weeks

2009-04-24T10:22:00.001-07:00

I hit the thirteen week mark this past Tuesday. I'm officially in the second trimester. Apparently I should be getting over the morning sickness about now, but I never had any... My sisters are jealous; they've had more than their fair shares.

Last night I dreamed that I could feel the baby doing somersaults. But I really can't feel anything yet. I don't even feel pregnant (probably because of no sickness).

One of my sisters is having a girl in June. Another sister is having a boy in September. I'm going to wait another month or so to find out what we're having, but our baby will have a same-gendered cousin close in age either way. :)

Anniversary Gift

2009-02-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

And as a belated anniversary gift from our ski trip...

Anniversary 2

2009-01-31T13:01:00.000-08:00

We took our annual anniversary snow trip to Sunrise this year. It was great fun, as usual. :)

Hot Tamales

2009-01-25T12:13:00.000-08:00

Many moons ago... my friend Kristy gave me some corn husks for tamale-making purposes. I was in Ohio at the time and it just wasn't going to happen there, but I was hopeful that someday I would attempt and conquer that task.

In January, I finally decided it was now or never. I found a fabulous recipe on the Internet and set about to acquire all the ingredients and cooking gadgets I'd need. I warned Brian beforehand that this was my project and he should not touch anything... (I can be a little territorial when I want to prove to myself that I can do something from start to finish.)

I cooked the meat per the instructions and waited until the next day to do the rest (recommended in the instructions). The next day, I soaked the husks, made the masa, and began assembling tamales. I filled one pot full of tamales but... the meat bowl looked just as full as it had when I started! That's when I realized I had bitten off more than I could chew...
I went pleading to my dear, wonderful, sweet husband to ignore what I said earlier and please, please, please save me from myself. And he did. :D

So, together, we spent the rest of the evening making several dozen tamales. They turned out great!

P.S.
Yes, Monica, they freeze well. One of the kitchen gadgets I acquired was a vacuum sealer; the recipe says they will keep indefinitely that way. :D

Join in the fun

2009-01-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

Copy and paste the list. Bold the things you have done...

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14.Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22.hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a 1/2 Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31.hit a home run. 32.been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone. 78.Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee 100.Made amends with someone who offended you 101. Flew in a small Cessna plane with just you and the pilot 102. Ran out of gas 103. Eaten fried okra 104. Swam in the Caribbean Sea 105. Peed in a swimming pool 106. Stayed in a beach house 107. Hosted an exchange student 108. Been a Secret Santa to a family in need 109. Worked on a political campaign 110. Coached a sports team 111. Baked bread from scratch 112. Driven from coast to coast 113. Paid off all of your debt 114. Roast marshmallows over a campfire 115. Cut up a credit card 116. Drove a car through a flood 117. Been on t.v 118. Had braces 119. Been to the top of the twin towers in NY. 120. Have played in both the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans 121. Been to ground zero 122. Bitten your fingernails 123. Scrapbooked 124. Visited Mexico 125. Seen a Tornado in person 126. Been lost at sea 127. Kissed a frog. 128. Given birth to twins. 129. Received 2 moving violation tickets in 1 day. 130. Taught English in a foreign country 131. Gone rappelling

Make sure to add a new question once you're done.

Skiing

2008-12-29T09:59:00.000-08:00

Brian & I planned a skiing weekend for when Treyton left since we would not have any children at home. We were going to go to Sunrise, but they hadn't been getting any snow and it was uncertain whether they would have any by that weekend. So, when cousin Buck's wedding turned out to be that same weekend, we changed it to Brian Head so that we could do both and take my mom to the wedding.

I'm getting better (I did a couple of blue runs), but I'm still no where near as good as Brian (and likely never will be):

On the way home, we took the scenic route... (through southern Utah and the Grand Canyon)

"Gingerbread" Houses

2008-12-29T09:08:00.000-08:00

My mom invited the kids over to make gingerbread houses a couple of weeks ago. Only Elise & Treyton were able to go, due to Ethan getting back really late from an out-of-town field trip. They had fun making them. Unfortunately, they were inadvertently covered in furniture polish when Brian was polishing the kitchen cabinets and had to be thrown out without being eaten.
Brian & I got to go see "Four Christmases" and share a "Founder's Favorite" at Cold Stone, both of which were good. :)

The next day, I took all three kids to Lowe's for their "gingerbread" house project.

Ethan was lucky enough to build his on his own. Unfortunately, the other two had my "help" and ended up with their lids nailed shut. I figured out how to fix them, and they are functional now.

Next month's project is a time capsule.
https://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/step1.asp

2008

2008-12-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

I got our Christmas cards mailed off yesterday. We're "going green" this year by saving paper on the newsletter. :D Actually, I really wanted to put together a nice little newsletter on the year, etc. but I finally realized... it just wasn't going to happen. I decided my best bet would be to put the blog address on the cards (Thanks, Lisa!) and then try to post something here before the cards arrived to the addressees. :) So, here goes:

Brian
He's been working out of his new chiropractic clinic for just over a year now. It's been a learning experience, but things are going quite well. With the additional space he's been able to see more patients than he possibly could have before, as well as do more physical therapy with the gym area. At the time we did not feel the timing was ideal, but with the turn the economy has taken we now see that the timing could not have been more perfect and we're incredibly grateful for how well everything has turned out.

Chanda
I'm still working for Brian and we enjoy working together. I've been sewing a lot this year. I made Halloween costumes for Elise & Treyton (Ethan prefers gory costumes from the store) and have really improved my skills. Apparently following the directions really helps. ;) I also started my first patchwork quilt and have another one planned as soon as I finish the first one.

Brian & I celebrated our one-year anniversary last January by going skiing in Utah. We're looking forward to celebrating two years next month. :)

Ethan
Ethan is in 4th grade. He has been doing really well in Cub Scouts. He earned his Bear badge just before his tenth birthday and he is now in Webelos. He has been swimming most of the year and really enjoys that.

Elise
Elise is in 1st grade where she has been working really hard learning to read and is getting better all the time. She also is taking swimming lessons and enjoys that. Elise loves to help cook at home.

Treyton
Treyton is in Kindergarten. He played soccer in the spring. He likes to do "exercise" and eat things that will make him "strong and healthy." He is also learning to read and enjoys cutting out paper letters to make words.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and Wonderful New Year!!! :)

Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

We went to Utah for Thanksgiving this year to spend it with Brian's family. It was the "off" year with his family so we did not get to see everyone we would have liked to and we did not get to spend as much time as we'd have liked with those we did see, but it was still enjoyable.

The day after Thanksgiving, Brian embarked to teach Elise & Treyton how to ski. There were a few tears, but all in all it went pretty well and they should be better next time around.

Brian's Mom got a cake for the kids' birthdays and we celebrated all three together.

The next day we went to see the Christmas lights on Temple Square with Bart (Brian's brother) & Shonnie's family.

On the way back home we stopped in Zion National Park.

Halloween

2008-11-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

I made Elise's costume last year, so she asked me to make her a Snow White costume this year. She was determined that she needed to look exactly like Snow White, so I bought the officially-licensed (i.e. more expensive) pattern that is exactly like the movie. I also dyed her hair black with temporary spray-in stuff (which Brian informed me is incredibly messy to remove). But she wanted her GORGEOUS blue eyes to be brown like Snow White's, and that's where we drew the line.

Treyton did not specifically ask me to make his costume, but he wanted to be a "Pollen Jock" from The Bee Movie and the only way that was going to happen was if I made it for him (I did look, but I guess that was not the "hot" costume this year because I could not find one anywhere). I bought a basic bee costume, black sweats to wear underneath, sunglasses, and a Nerf gun. Then I made him a fleece vest to resemble the black leather jackets with yellow stripes that the Pollen Jock wear in the movie. At the last minute, he decided he needed yellow boots like the Pollen Jocks, so I made some fleece covers to velcro over his sneakers. And at the last last minute, Treyton decided I should cut holes in the vest so his wings could stick out! I was not about to cut holes in the vest I just made, so I cut out some gold fleece into wing shapes and safety-pinned them to the back of the vest.

My Brian

2008-10-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Brian is my perfect match. I never believed there was any such thing as a soul mate until I met him. He's my other half; hand-crafted just for me. I have learned so many things from him. He's a very hard worker and gives his all to everything he commits himself to. I'm so incredibly thankful to have him in my life.

What can I say? I LOVE HIM!!!

Happy Birthday to Brian!

2008-10-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

After getting Treyton off to school, Brian and I went to IHOP for breakfast. His favorite breakfast is omelets, so he had one.

He had two patients scheduled for late morning, and then a new patient called and made an appointment. I don't think he should work on his birthday, but I also know he wouldn't enjoy it knowing he was missing out on business, so... here we are at work.

After the three patients, we are planning to catch a movie before the kids get out of school. It's Tuesday, so Brian gets Ethan & Elise. Ethan has Cub Scout pack meeting tonight @ 7, but we can probably do something fun together before that.

Autism Walk

2008-10-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

I took Ethan & Elise to the Zoo Walk for Autism last Saturday (Oct 18; Treyton was still in Utah).

Their favorite exhibit was the little monkeys that pee on everything. : P

Then Elise rode the carousel.

We had our picture taken in the photo booth, but I haven't scanned that in yet.

E.T.

2008-10-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Brian's painting the house today. He has all the windows covered with brown paper, which makes it quite dark inside. The garage door is open, but covered with a clear, plastic drop cloth. I feel like that scene in E.T. where the house is enclosed. I'm expecting guys in space suits to come barging in at any moment...

Clarification:
He painted the outside of the house.

The first step is admitting you've got a problem.

2008-10-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

Brian said he tossed and turned all night... dreaming about the upgrades he was going to do to the tent trailer. He wants to extend the hitch and weld some kind of storage system on there. I'm all for his plans to create additional storage, but if he's losing sleep over it... I think he may be a little too obsessed.

The kids are all out of school this week for fall break. He gets Ethan & Elise at noon and he's going to go do something with them while I have a girls day with Brenna. :)

P.S.
The house also stays amazingly clean with no kids around!

Quiet Sunday

2008-10-12T11:56:00.001-07:00

It is SO WEIRD with no children around and having the house so quiet...

Cold Camping

2008-10-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

The kids seemed to have lost their excitement about camping when we tentatively planned to go last weekend. So, we made other plans last weekend and then Brian & I went camping by ourselves this weekend. Turns out we still needed earplugs because the wind was howling like a freight train all night, but other than that it wasn't bad. Brian had made a bunch of upgrades to the tent trailer and this was our first (and probably last for the season) chance to enjoy them.
In addition to covering the top with rubberized paint and putting in trim all around the floor inside, he installed a stereo system (that also plays MP3s). It was too windy to really enjoy the outdoors, so it was quite nice to be cozy inside the tent trailer (oh, and he also fixed the heater when he was doing everything else).

Paige & a friend came up to stay with Treyton while we went camping, and then Paige took Treyton to the airport this morning. He was excited to go, but he was a little nervous, too. She said he was getting scared in the car on the way to the airport. She gave him a pep talk and told him how brave he was. It's not his first time flying by a long shot, but it's his first time flying unaccompanied. Also, he hasn't seen his "Matt dad" in a long time so that probably caused a little nervousness, too.

Peachy

2008-09-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

I bought a case of peaches last week and it turned out being more peaches than I anticipated. Somehow, in my mind, a case consisted of a few flats of nicely arranged peaches. In reality, it was a whole box full of peaches with no other filler whatsoever.
I spent last week scouring the city to collect the proper equipment. This was my first canning excursion as an adult so I had nothing of my own. Both Wal-Marts I checked were completely out of canning jars, but I finally found some at Fry's (thanks to a tip from Carla). I found a big, canning pot at Wal-Mart, and all the other specialized stuff at Shar's.
Brian was afraid, however, that I would not actually get around to canning the peaches so he started the process on his own Saturday morning. Halfway through, I encouraged him to go ahead with his own Saturday plans (i.e., I gently threatened to take over his housepainting project like he was taking over my peach canning project) and he went on his merry way. :) What I didn't know what that he had already started to make a sugar syrup to can the peaches in. I had purchased white grape juice for that purpose. So I used what I thought was plain, boiling water to boil the skins off the peaches and... to sterilize my jars. I was wondering why they were cloudy until Brian wandered by and explained. Fortunately, by that point it was funny.

I ended up bottling 5 quarts (only 4 sealed, though), making two quarts of freezer jam (thanks again, Carla), and the rest will be regular jam in cute little half-pint jars. :)

Slideshow

2008-09-26T12:48:00.001-07:00

Free Camping

2008-09-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

I should have posted this before our free weekend getaway, since this was the weekend before, but I just didn't get around to it.

We went on our first camping trip with the tent trailer here.
The place we stayed a couple of a weeks ago was just a few miles away and cost $14/night. We were woken up multiple times (aside for from the screaming banshees, er, sleepwalking/talking children...) by headlights from other cars as it was a very busy campground.

This time, we found this campground that was secluded with all the spaces set pretty far apart. If it hadn't been for the sleeptalking (I think the trailer keeps them better contained as far as the sleepwalking goes) children that time, I think we would have slept really well. (I've since stocked the tent trailer with earplugs.) So, not only was this campground way better, it was FREE! : )
We stayed two nights and had a pretty relaxing time. : )

(Apparently we have a "lizard whisperer," too, Monica.)

Breakfast in the trailer while I tried to master my dollar store tripod.

Three, little helpers cleaning up camp

Our Free Weekend

2008-09-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

Brian's windshield has been cracked for more than a year, but it was a small crack so he wasn't worried. Then the summer heat made it spread until it became blinding (and then, of course, he got pulled over and advised to get that fixed) so he decided it was finally time to replace it. The company he found came to him to fix it, and then mailed us a gift card to Macaroni Grill (where we had our first date).

My mom had offered to take Treyton the weekend before but we had been camping, so we decided to take her up on that the following weekend. I called my sister Carla for suggestions on where we could go for a quick getaway (she always knows all the best deals) and she gave us two suggestions. Brian called and made the reservations and we were off!

So, free babysitting from Grandma, free dinner from the glass company, and free lodging/food (paid for by sitting through a time-share presentation the next day)... There were a few hiccups in the plan, but over all it went off okay and Brian was especially pleased with the low cost of it all. : )
When it came time for the hard sell, all he had to do was tell them how much he's paying in spousal support and the guy let us go. 17.5 months to go...

Camping

2008-09-05T09:29:00.001-07:00

So... we bought a little tent trailer and now we're going camping today after the kids get out of school. : )

Unfortunately, until Brian knocks out the block wall and puts in a boat gate, Audrey (my car) is evicted from the garage... : (

Labor Day

2008-09-04T21:49:00.001-07:00

We had a BBQ and had a great time socializing! : )

My dear, sweet husband was kind enough to come outside and take a picture for us. : )

Anita, Carla, Paige, Chanda, Monica, Brenna

Anita, Carla, Stone, Paige, Chanda, Monica, Brenna, Elise's shoulder

Elise

Rocky's arm & forehead, Stone, Gma's lower torso, Treyton, Gavin

Labor Day also served as the combined birthday party for Dad, Cody(27), Brig, Rocky(28), Treyton(5), & Mom. Instead of swapping candles and taking pictures with the same cake like the last joint birthday party, age numerals were placed on opposing ends of two sheet cakes. : ) Very efficient. : )

Brocade

2008-08-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

I decided I wanted to make a shirt for myself. I found a pattern I thought would look really nice in a silky fabric and brocade was on sale. How was I to know that it would turn out to be the single, most difficult fabric I've ever tried to work with? I'd had an extremely difficult time with the crepe I tried making a dress out of once, but that was nothing compared to this. The brocade virtually disintegrated in my hands as I tried to work with it.
I can't even adequately describe how difficult this project was. Very, very difficult.
Now I feel like an expert who can make pretty much anything. : )

Elise announced that she wants me to make her a shirt just like this one...
I don't know if I'm up for that just yet. I made her a
white princess dress last year for Halloween (that has doubled as a church dress since then) and I'm about to start making her a Snow White dress for this Halloween. After that, we'll see...

(I know I look kind of pregnant, but I assure you I am not.)

Painting II

2008-08-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

Treyton picked up the camera and decided to take this picture all on his own. I had to help him turn it on, but he did the rest.

Shortly after this photo I ended up telling Brian that unless he wanted to replace the carpet, it wasn't a good idea to have me paint the trim. When we painted the walls, we had drop cloths in place. Without them, I can't help but get paint where it shouldn't be.

Painting

2008-08-31T01:03:00.000-07:00

Before we were married, I gave Brian a gift card to Home Depot that I specified was to be used for paint. The master bedroom of this house had been painted a hideous shade of lavender by his former mother-in-law. I have my own reasons not to care for the woman, but that was one of the reasons high on his list.

Fast forward 19 months and our bedroom was still lavender. Within the past couple of weeks he developed this burning desire to paint the bedroom and finally insisted that it happen this weekend. I think part of it was our tax refund (the lone benefit of paying spousal support is that your taxable income is significantly reduced and a large refund is likely). Brian had a court hearing earlier this month and it didn't go very well. I think that's the other reason for the sudden urgency in painting. I think it gave him a sense of erasing the past figuratively since it can't be done literally.

Brian had patients this morning until about noon (and, of course, e-mailing the scammer guy). Then we spent the rest of the day emptying the room so it could be painted. I think it turned out quite well. I'll post pictures once everything is in place. I think it'll be even better than before because as everything gets put back, other unfinished things will get done, too. I have valances and curtain rods that have been waiting since... the same Christmas as the Home Depot gift card to be put up. They match the photo display curtain rod (Thanks Carla & Monica) that I made for this room, too.

Best of all, when all is said and done, I will have a permanent crafting area. : ) When he got tired of my stuff scattered all over the house, he put up two folding tables forming an L in the corner. Now those are going to be replaced by cabinets and a counter top. : ) I'm SO excited!!! I've been sewing a lot lately. I made another dress and a nightgown for Elise, then I made myself a blouse that was hands-down THE most difficult thing I've EVER made. I think that one deserves its own post. However, I've already posted more today than I have in the past year so... it'll have to wait.

Good night. : )

Craigslist scam

2008-08-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

All I wanted was a tent trailer, for crying out loud in the dark!!!

Brian found a good deal on Craig's List and sent an e-mail. He was afraid it was already sold because the guy didn't respond right away. In all likelihood, the delay was due to the time difference between here and Nigeria...

Brian started getting all these weird e-mails referring to "the product" and telling him he'd have to use this third-party escrow-type service that would guarantee everything was safe. The first thing that caught my attention was that the e-mail said there were no scratches when the ad clearly said there was one "purley" (sic) cosmetic scratch. I Googled the name of the third-party service (Online Outpost) and my browser suggested that I might want to search for "Online Outpost Scam," indicating that there were more than 85,000 hits for that search term. That was clue #4. (Clue #3 was too much irrelevant information (e.g., "I'm a construction engineer.") which is typical for liars to give.)

I immediately called Brian to give him a heads up this was probably a scam. He replied to the e-mail saying he needed to see the trailer in person. The guy replied with pictures, but otherwise exactly the same e-mail. Then Brian said he'd need to talk via webcam. The exact same e-mail was received again (claiming to need a fax number and all kinds of other unnecessary information). The e-mails kept promising that after providing all contact information, then he would receive "confirmation" that the third-party had "the product" in their possession.

At this point, Brian started messing with him and e-mailed asking whether it was a V-6 or V-8. I'm fed up with it though and asked him to stop wasting our time and told him he's a pathetic waste of oxygen who should learn a real skill instead of trying to scam others out of their honestly earned money. "Pathetic waste of oxygen"probably isn't translated in their detailed scam instructions, so from what I've read about this scam on the Internet, I can still expect the same response as all his previous ones: "Please let me know what is your opinion and if you agree to start the transaction."

Family Reunion

2008-07-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

back LtoR: Weston, Cody, Colton, Brian, Brig, Jim, Lance, Paige
middle: Rocky, Brenna, Chanda, Treyton, Carla, Gavin, Aftynn, Monica, Maci, Anita
front: Ethan, Elise, Stone, Brynn, Madison

Lance & Ethan

Elise

Treyton

Chanda

Cousins

2008-07-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Such cute cousins playing together!!! : )

Elise's 6th Birthday

2008-07-26T00:09:00.000-07:00

Elise turned 6 the day our family reunion started. However, since we spent most of that evening inadvertently touring Hawley Lake... ; ) we had her birthday party the next day.

4 Things...

2008-06-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

4 Movies I could watch over and over:
1) Tommy Boy
2) Groundhog Day
3) Breakfast at Tiffany's
4) Just like Monica, I OFTEN forget the plot & ending of movies, so I can "watch them again...for the first time"

4 Jobs I've Had:
1) Registrar's Office person at a graduate school
2) Travel Accounting (auditing employee travel expense reports)
3) "Quote Administrator" (I just used Excel & Access a lot)
4) Chiropractic Assistant

4 Places I've lived:
1) Kingman, AZ
2) Provo, UT
3) North Bonneville, WA
4) Ada, OH

4 Favorite foods:
1) Butter Pecan Ice Cream
2) Fettuccine Alfredo
3) Ravioli
4) Joe's Carrot Cake

4 TV Shows I Watch:
1) Trivia shows (Cash Cab, Millionaire, etc.)
2) Last Comic Standing
3) America's Got Talent
4) Smallville

4 Internet Places I visit daily:
1) Gmail
2) Google
3) Mapquest
4) Google (I really use it a lot)

4 Places I've Vacationed:
1) Church History sites
2) San Francisco
3) Salt Lake (skiing)
4) Sunrise (skiing)

4 Places I Would Rather Be:
1) Camping (maybe next weekend...)
2) Disneyland (maybe this Thanksgiving...)
3) Hawaii (January 2010...)
4) I've always been happy in AZ and could live here forever.

4 People to tag:
1) Ninna
2) Aubrey
3) Carla
4) Leah

2008-04-04T19:31:00.001-07:00

We hosted the Second Annual Wright Family Easter Turkey Dinner.
Brian likes to buy extra turkeys around Thanksgiving. In 2006 we spent Thanksgiving with Josh & Lisa, so Brian still had a turkey in the freezer when Easter 2007 arrived... Thus the 1st Easter Turkey Dinner was born (although not yet known to be annual). It was very good, but it wasn't until Christmas 2007 that Brian was able to duplicate Josh's excellent turkey brining technique... Since we spent Thanksgiving 2007 with Jim & Monica, we again had an extra turkey at Easter. : ) So, from now on, we're just going to plan on hosting a turkey dinner each Easter. : )

(Pictured LtoR: Treyton, Brian, Maci, Elise, Madison, Grandma Carol, Ethan, Lance, Taylor & Kennedy, & Monica)

1 Year

2008-01-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

Today is our one year anniversary!!! :)