This is my job. It's what I do.

Here is a glimpse of the magic. I mean, this is not ALL that I do, but it's pretty typical on any given day. Actually, this is a little more chill than usual. A lot of days it's a bit more like a really loud and cranky kind of circus. Those times are nuts.

Untitled from Angie Melton on Vimeo.

Maybe it's boring. I don't know. But I think about things like this as subtly important moments of time that at the end of our lives define us...and the world. Simple. Good.

One of my favorite statements of ALL TIME, from Neal A Maxwell, an apostle of  the LDS church :

When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this.

It's nice to think - home can still be good. With all that is happening in the world.

Sometimes it's the Little Things

Like finally breaking down and upgrading the alarm clock. You don't know what an indulgence it is to wake up to something other than a buzzer, until you've done it. Mike is a big snooze-bar fan. That can be torture (for me). When the alarm starts at 5:30AM so that Mike can hit snooze half a dozen times before he "really" wakes up. I've been really tempted to get him the Zen Alarm Clock for several years. But who can justify paying THAT much money for an alarm clock? I haven't. In our beach hotel in Newport this past summer they had the BEST waking soundtracks on their alarm clocks, and we both decided that was the way to go for a good morning. So...we finally shelled out a few bucks this weekend for a docking clock/radio, I downloaded some appropriate relaxation sound from iTunes and....ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
The problem is, Mike is TOO relaxed by the gurgling stream/mountain songbirds/ocean waves/piano music and sleeps straight through. I threatened him with Tibetan Bowl tones if nature sounds won't do the trick for him. But I wake up happy every day now. (And thanks to the "sleep" setting we have been lulled happily to sleep every night too.)

Why did we wait so long?

Snowshoeing on Saturday

We got out for a few hours this weekend to Neff's Canyon for a little snowshoeing. It always seems like we put off snowshoeing till it's late in the season and then conditions aren't optimal. We needed the snowshoes more for traction than for buoyancy, since the trail is pretty steep. 

 Grace and T. got a little silly and out of hand on the way out, running downhill at full speed and then sliding and rolling. Once they were wound up like that, It was hard to get things chill enough on the drive home.

We still had a lot of fun. And a good calorie burn too.

Here are some pictures:

Baby and mamma pose for a snowshoeing photo... 5 months and counting. (Baby enjoyed the outing.)

Looking back at the city from Neff's Canyon

Stopping for snacks under a huge pine tree...

Turning 36

I had a birthday this weekend.

I spent it mostly with my family ...and part of it with about a million screaming fans at the Marriott Center in Provo, watching Jimmer Fredette play his last home game for BYU. Thank goodness they won this one. After New Mexico came to town earlier this week, we were a little worried. It was a fun game to see. The kids had a great time - even those who are not big basketball fans. Our kids feel a special connection to Jimmer because one of their teachers at school is his sister. Jessie had a chance to meet him once in her classroom - and it changed her life (I say that only a little bit tongue-and-cheek).

Ice cream stop at Thanksgiving Point on the way home after the game. 

We all had a lot of fun. Even if it ended with Tillman getting sick in the car on the way home. A minor set-back. A little clean up and all was right again with the world.

- At the game with Noble (he was trying to hide from the camera) -

Today was perfect as birthdays go. A beautiful day. (And that's saying something when the occasion is your 36th birthday - the downward slope to 40.) For starters, Mike SHAVED off his beard as a birthday present....Dreams do come true.

We saw my little nephew be blessed at church.
We relaxed at home.
Mike and Grace made a red velvet cake with the number '27' on top for me. Grace said they didn't have the candle numbers 3 or 6 - and since 2 is one less than 3 and 7 one more than 6, it was all the same anyway. I was cool with that logic.
We had dinner with my family at my Mom's and Dad's, where there were lots of crazy kids tearing around outside in the rain and mud with Uncle Sean, babies to hold, and my best friends/siblings to hang out with.

36 isn't so bad.

Keeping Up with the Joneses' Technology

Let's have a talk. This is one of those posts where I tell you what I think. And you tell me what you think in return.
The ideal role of technology in life has been an evolving topic for thought with me for some time. I would rather have ignored this subject all together, go hide out somewhere in the wilderness or at least just tell everyone I am a technological conscientious objector (cop out) and to live with it...because at some point the race to stay relevant just makes me tired. You know? But here's the little miracle: my children have forced me to consider the issue more deeply and to strike out into the unknown. No other reason would probably compel me.
So, think about this: NO ONE I knew had a cell phone until about 13 or 14 years ago.  The internet has basically happened since I graduated from college.  I learned about email as a junior in college and it seemed utterly magic to me. I could not wrap my brain around the idea of a vast indefinable network of computers integrated and pooling infinite amounts of information all the time. It was/is mind-blowing and awe inspiring. Back then I used the internet out of necessity, on a rudimentary level - because it was so complicated to me. And life went on. I thought a lot about what it all meant. I recognized and still recognize the power and usefulness of it - but more as a curious spectator.
I have used mostly just the technology that was necessary for a reasonably efficient life - because it was intimidating and always changing. As a result, Mike and I have kept things simple. Until pretty recently we've survived without cable or satellite TV (until the world dumped analog signal and forced us to). Our cell phones have usually been basic - because it makes my head hurt to think about the possibilities of so many extra features. I have not been in the habit of texting/messaging people when I want to communicate. I don't even think to check for stuff like that - because I assume that if someone needs something from me they will talk to me. I write stuff that I need to do or remember on paper. I have made some concessions: I did start a blog at Mike's suggestion. And with trepidation I dipped my toes into social networking about a year or so ago (still trying to work out the value of that). This has been my limited world. And it's been kind of nice and quiet.

Still, I've been very aware that I will HAVE to change for a lot of reasons, mainly so that I am available and relatable to our children. Our oldest is turning 13 this year. She yearns to "connect" to the world. A phone, Facebook, to have a presence of her own in the world of information..... we've been justifiably reluctant so far (just like I made her wait to wear make-up). But time is ticking and we've got to figure out what the appropriate time will be for that initiation, the appropriate boundaries, and our own tolerance levels. This has not been an easy exercise. We have no precedent from our own childhoods to draw from. And sometimes the things I see other parents doing around me seem to go against common sense - I'm not jumping on any of those band-wagons just yet. 

So, as a start, this year I made it a resolution to make myself more comfortable with changing technology. We got new phones this week. We've been researching a lot of alternatives to traditional media sources...

And we are trying to build a working philosophy to draw from as our kids dive into all of it. Friday I was listening to my favorite radio program (Does anyone else you know have a favorite radio program? Sheesh...how old-fashioned and lame can a person sound?), Talk of the Nation Science Friday.  They were discussing a book that is now on my list - "Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other". It was not a new discussion. I think people have been talking about how technology is changing the way we interact for a long time. But as I listened, the conversation was particularly relevant to the question of raising kids with it. Well adjusted and face-to-face-socialized children who can still function and benefit from technology. I'm all about that. They talked about the weirdness of the carefully constructed images that kids (and adults) create for themselves in their digital lives. How they can maintain a contrived style, fashion, body-image, even their personality by restricting most of their social interaction to text, Facebook, etc. I mean, if you keep things digital you have so much more control over what is revealed about you, right? It's so much less risky that way. Only posting perfect (retouched) photos of themselves, editing and re-editing what they say before putting it out there, so it comes out sounding perfectly cool/intelligent. Having a "friend" roster longer than anyone else's...

Anyway, this has been on my mind. For myself and for my kids.
I don't deny that understanding current technology is important. Somewhere there is an ideal balance. We are hoping to find it. And to stay unmoved by the pressure to "keep up" with (or exceed) everyone else.

I think we'll go snowshoeing soon. No phones allowed.

Sully Strikes Again

Like many a two year old before him, Sully has entered a new phase of destructiveness. His specialty and new found passion is the toilet. You can scarcely open a toilet lid in this house without finding something deposited inside. The hairbands and rubber duck pictured are among his more innocuous deposits. I found the entire contents of the master bath garbage bin dumped into our toilet one day. Another day I found his Monsters Inc. "Sully" stuffed toy jammed into the toilet along with the toilet brush. (I think he tried to push him down the drain.) A toothbrush thrown into the kids basement bathroom toilet caused over a week's worth of back-ups before it was snaked out. A word to the wise: if we are coming over, keep your bathroom doors closed.

Simple Food: Does This Count?

Totally.

This is on the current list of things we like. A lot.

Reed's Ginger Ale / Ginger Beer with some serious ginger kick. Made with honey instead of sugar. Give it a try.

In case you haven't heard...

Our ultrasound was last week. This is what we found: ONE baby (whew), who appears to be healthy (whew). Incidentally, that baby is a BOY. I think Mike was a little stunned. After all, early on we had a nice pattern going: girl, boy, girl, boy.... So finishing off 3 for 3 in the boy department... it's kind of unexpected. Of course Grace took it hard. She cried for a few hours that afternoon - going on and on about never having a little sister. At first I felt kind of sorry for her. But not for long. As far as disappointments in life go, this is no real disappointment. She'll manage. 

It actually works out nicely. Sully will have a little friend closer to his age. And there are plenty of hand-me-downs for him. Still, I'm bracing myself a little for an even rowdier household. 4 boys. Wow. I'm happy we have a couple of girls to temper the crazy...and to keep me company.

We are anxious to meet him now.

Cancun Recap

Our trip to Cancun was pretty relaxing, which was just what both of us needed. Mike's company sent us - so that was even better. Essentially a free vacation, and you can't beat that. My only complaint is that I haven't been badgered that much to buy stuff since I was attacked by gypsies in Russia. I think it's the world capitol of tricky and/or aggressive salesmanship. But once you master the brush-off (or have Mike tell them off in Spanish - just kidding about that) - you do alright. The fact that our resort was all-inclusive made life easier. All the beach, restaurants/food/drinks and entertainment we wanted were on-site and no-charge. We took the city buses to a few places around, including a small post-classic Mayan site called El Rey. It wasn't too shabby and because it's not really a big stop for tourists we were pretty much left alone. We decided not to use up an entire day traveling and touring Chichen Itza since we'd just be stuck with a big tour group on a bus most of the day - and our time was limited. Instead we opted for more beach time and a little bumming around town / El Rey. 

On Superbowl Sunday, we had a fun little adventure going to church. We took a taxi instead of the bus into town because I was worried we wouldn't make it on time. Turns out, the taxi driver couldn't figure out the address, & Mike was kind of disgusted, thinking he could have gotten us there quicker by bus and asking people directions. When the guy finally found the building the gates were still locked and he TOTALLY didn't want to drop us in that part of town. He was telling Mike to hide his watch and our rings, etc.  Just then a Mormon-y looking guy in a white shirt and tie materialized around the corner. Suddenly the driver felt better about dropping us off. We stood around with a  group of members waiting for the Bishop to unlock the gates. It's times like that when I love that Mike is fluent in Spanish and comfortable just about anywhere.  After church the Stake Pres. pointed us in the direction of the nearest bus stop and we rode back to the resort in style.

Good times.

Lots of pictures...............

Looking out our balcony.

At lunch in one of the many restaurants around the resort.

Looking up under the giant thatched roof that covered the open-air entrance/drop off at the hotel.

Mike in the waves. That water is unbelievable.

Mike looking mad - in the ruins at El Rey.

El Rey

Mike with a pina colada and a Pepsi on the beach. Looking surly.

We were missing our kids.

Fish tacos on the beach. Mike was a happy man.

Angie looking pregnant...4 months

Back at the resort after our adventures at church. Just before catching our flight out. Angie's turn to look surly. I need a beard like Mike to do it properly.

Saving the World with Legos

  This deserves its own post.

 Noble's First Lego League team competed in the regional tournament a few weekends ago up at the U. By all accounts (I had to miss out because of other demands) it was an outstanding experience. His team (one of the youngest, by the way) finished 9th out of 56 teams from all over the mountain west. I have to brag a little bit. Noble is one of the most creative and original thinkers I've ever met (and I'm totally not biased - he he he). He also loves science. So Lego RObotics has been ideal. It helps to channel all that creative energy in a productive way -finding solutions to real problems in the world. ...As I used to say to him, "Use your powers to do good." I think this is a good start.

Thanks to Mike's dad who helped us so much in getting Noble to his Lego Robotics every week leading up to the tournament.

Noble with his good friend, Soren, setting up for a round.

THIS JUST IN:  Noble's coach just forwarded this SL Tribune article. Check out the photos on the left side. Noble is in the first one. (I think they took it at the same time that Mike took the one above. :)  )  

Yay, Noble!