tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34391669138492576802011-08-18T12:07:26.367-04:00SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.comBlogger741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-67661295177257175742010-11-19T11:22:00.003-05:002010-11-19T11:27:14.579-05:00

This article from the Wall Street Journal is a fabulous expression about the connection between education and electronic media, especially for boys. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704271804575405511702112290.htmlThe best quote in this opinion piece is as follows: "One obvious problem with the SweetFarts philosophy of education is that it is more suited to producing a generation of

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-73954379927025747922010-09-13T23:10:00.002-04:002010-09-13T23:24:19.952-04:00

I was watching ESPN with my husband last week when one commentator went on a bit of a rant about some issue. He turned to his co-anchor, apologetically and said, “Sorry to get on my soapbox for a bit.” Hi co-anchor replied, “I thought you looked taller.”Recently there has been a lot of buzz on my local homeschooling group board about the merits of gaming. I think it’s fascinating how we can feel

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-62523820335068325772010-05-19T12:58:00.003-04:002010-05-19T14:23:03.443-04:00

Cinderella: Part 1: The Little MermaidGrowing up freckled and redheaded, I was nearly always compared to either Pippi Longstocking or Harriet from the TV show, Small Wonder. (Remember the show with the robot girl and Harriet, the horrible red-haired freckled neighbor?) These were not favorable comparisons. So when Disney’s The Little Mermaid came out, I was thrilled. I watched it over and over

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-67305182452652901062010-05-13T13:32:00.005-04:002010-05-13T13:53:18.862-04:00

When I was in high school, I had a huge crush on a boy who moved in. I found out that in the place he had lived previously, he'd liked this one girl so much that he had called into the radio station and dedicated a song to her. To me, that seemed like the pinnacle of love--the most public declaration a person could make. I thought, "That is what love is!" and mourned the fact he would never feel

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-42801131294890316182010-03-05T09:34:00.003-05:002010-03-05T09:42:47.730-05:00

Yesterday, Junior Mint got upset with me because I wouldn't let him watch a movie preview on Netflix. He used his new Cub Scout skill of writing with Native American picture characters to write a story. Here is how part of that story went:The boy with the big voice hunted the woman morning, noon, and evening. The boy swam in the river with a bow and arrow and shot the arrow at the woman. The

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-6123278413135137262010-02-23T16:55:00.002-05:002010-02-23T17:01:10.224-05:00

Here is a conversation I had this morning with Curly Fry. Curly: Me do it!Me: No, you say, 'I do it.'Curly: Me do it?Me: No, 'I do it.'Curly: You do it?Me: No, you do it!Curly: Me do it?Pronouns are tough!

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-62957333149532407092009-10-25T23:52:00.002-04:002009-10-26T00:19:05.091-04:00

I waited eagerly for my baby girl to grow hair so I could do the most girly thing available to an infant female---add accessories!! But this little missy pulled every headband, bow, and barrett right off her head the moment it made contact. Finally, I gave up putting in the adorable fabric flowers my sister made and the cute little bows I had finally bought after more than a year of choosing not

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-17934341834037845452009-09-22T15:19:00.003-04:002009-09-22T15:25:22.843-04:00

Do you ever have nights when, if it weren't illegal, (I'm assuming), and morally reprehensible, you'd just shoot your kids with a tranquilizer dart and drop them in bed? I know my answer. What's yours? Steve Carell got interviewed on the red carpet at the premiere of "Get Smart" and was asked what super power he'd want if he could have one. He chose being able to put the kids to bed in under 5

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-18634550063589711652009-09-16T15:43:00.002-04:002009-09-16T15:53:10.959-04:00

My kids like Sesame Street. When we were on our school break, they saw it pretty much daily. Every single one of them can go, "Mwah Ha Ha!" just like the Count.Last night at dinner, Squeaky Bean started chucking food off her tray, which is my cue to get her out. As I picked her up, she either deliberately kicked or accidentally knocked her tray, so the whole thing went down, pasta, brussel

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-20918316821493527052009-09-01T12:36:00.009-04:002009-09-01T22:15:58.058-04:00

My sister and I went to a two day writer's conference conducted by Orson Scott Card in early August and it was sooo cool! Here are some pictures of things we did in Lexington, VA, for two days. Hurray for our supportive husbands who kept the kids! Me looking studious while reading writer's samples after lunch. Scary me! (I guess there are scary ghost tours in Lexington and non-scary ghost tours.)

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-26833574739421746122009-09-01T12:05:00.004-04:002009-09-01T12:35:51.687-04:00

Here's my good little girl! She wanted to wear an apron like Mommy!Crazy face. That kid loves to eat! Curly Fry put one of his ties on Squeaky Bean. (He LOVES them). She did not love it as much. At the beach...she stole Junior Mint's chair.

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-79482119390257722062009-09-01T11:05:00.006-04:002009-09-01T22:17:53.348-04:00

I can hardly believe Junior Mint will be 8 on Monday. He starts scouts tomorrow. I'll post pictures of that for sure. But til then, here are some of my favorite shots of Junior Mint from this summer. Independence Day Ice cream tradition at the Jersey Shore. Yum. Soooo happy! And freezing cold from boogie boarding. An Album Cover shot. He makes me take this kind of picture all the time. He's

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-18269011732080338992009-09-01T10:41:00.006-04:002009-09-01T22:18:15.803-04:00

Here are a few shots of Curly Fry. Love that face! And the hair! Don't even get me started... Happy guy with a snake puppet. Junior Mint and Curly Fry play box roller-coaster. A big hit! Daddy and Curly Fry on his first real roller coaster. Not such a big hit.

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-74932252477434993932009-09-01T10:21:00.005-04:002009-09-01T12:05:05.214-04:00

I've been offline so much of this summer there's no way I can really catch up with what's going on with our family and what we've done, so I'm just going to do a bunch of posts with lots of random pictures. Enjoy! Squeaky Bean is getting to be such a big girl! The pigtails still kill me! Love them! Curly Fry and his innertube. Happy Camper. This is Junior Mint's poker face. Seriously. He was

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-48120390933100885372009-05-18T23:17:00.006-04:002009-05-18T23:37:05.204-04:00

Have you ever had someone say something to you that seemed like a compliment, but then later wondered if that's what it really was? This happened to me a lot in high school. People told me often that I looked "comfortable." I'm pretty sure that wasn't actually a compliment. Has anyone ever told you that? I doubt it.Last week, I watched Squeaky Bean at a soccer game as she fell down, dropped her

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-78685549464331169382009-05-03T23:22:00.002-04:002009-05-03T23:31:41.713-04:00

the crime the culprit

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-78316577912741817762009-04-29T15:39:00.003-04:002009-04-29T15:46:12.332-04:00

Junior Mint and I are working on pronouns in English. We are also working on not yelling at each other when we do school. (It's tough for us not to argue a lot since our personalities are so similar). Today, I got so mad about his nasty attitude that I left the room. Junior Mint stayed and did more of his English. He was supposed to be writing sentences using the 8 pronouns he's learned.

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-76785268951052026052009-04-21T15:12:00.006-04:002009-04-21T15:33:49.094-04:00

You know that classic movie moment where a girl and a boy are running rapturously towards each other in a field of clover and wild flowers? (In slow-mo, of course). Well, I had a moment that's way better with my little Curly Fry last week.We were on a local high school track having some family time. The boys were running around and my HubbaHubba and I were enjoying a leisurely stroll with a

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-45503390357434422002009-04-03T18:06:00.005-04:002009-04-03T18:28:16.984-04:00

Several years ago, there was a major exodus of obstetricians out of the medical field because malpractice insurance had become so high. Now, more doctors will likely be forced out because President Obama is pursuing regulations (or the removal of regulations) that will force many conscientious medical professionals and hospitals to either perform abortions or quit practicing.It's interesting...I

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-16374048565100627282009-03-26T11:33:00.006-04:002009-03-26T12:37:06.020-04:00

My friend just brought up some hugely hot topics (gun control, abortion, and gay marriage) on her blog and I left such a long comment, I decided to just post it on here, too. I'd been planning about talking about some of these things in-depth, with links and such, but haven't gotten to it yet. Maybe I still will. But here are some of my thoughts on abortion and gay marriage based on my core

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-7619716735345183882009-03-18T14:41:00.008-04:002009-03-23T22:15:06.059-04:00

Picture from Squeaky Bean's 1st birthday party.We just got the best sort of mail from the Chesterfield County Circuit Court in Virginia. It's an envelope filled with formal copies of Squeaky Bean's Final Order of Adoption. Woohoo!! Her adoption is finally final! We can plan a sealing date now! And a blessing date! I am so excited!!!Of course, we still have the bureaucratic mess of applying for a

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-64326881397254641692009-03-10T22:54:00.003-04:002009-03-10T23:21:40.638-04:00

Several years ago, I was having a bad day. Normally, when things are going crummy, I don't feel any need to take it out on God. (That's ungrateful). But that day, for just a while, I was starting to think his plan for my life stunk.We had just experienced our fourth miscarriage. I was still a little ticked from the third one, which happened to manifest on the very anniversary of the day our

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-53707187695943422012009-03-03T17:34:00.005-05:002009-03-03T17:57:03.913-05:00

When I was a much younger girl, I would write essays. Essays about poems. Essays about stories I read. Essays about movies that affected me. I think I wrote 3 pages when I saw The Dead Poets Society. I wrote at least 7 pages about Dances With Wolves. I didn't ever show anyone my essays; it just made me feel better to talk through my feelings in that way. An essay is also a good place for a

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-69202735880236260842009-03-03T17:12:00.004-05:002009-03-03T17:17:05.338-05:00

This is a crafy little pass-along game. Here's how it works. Be one of the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post and I will send you a handmade gift sometime in the next 6 months. I have no idea what yet...you can make suggestions if you like. Then you pay it forward as well by doing the same thing for 3 people on your blog. Once you leave a comment telling me that you want to

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-62898171393313541612009-02-18T15:25:00.002-05:002009-02-18T15:31:16.639-05:00

Last night, I caught the opening of the local Channel 9 news. The lead story was newsworthy, but the second? Not Obama signing the massive bailout into law...With a straight face, the newsman said, (and here I quote), "Is your man a sloppy kisser?" I changed the channel. I figure I can pick up Teen magazine next time I'm out if the kissing issue becomes urgent. (By the way, my man's a fabulous

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-65519455515882563082009-02-12T15:17:00.008-05:002009-02-12T16:37:23.622-05:00

Squeaky Bean will turn 1 later this month. I know. It's shocking. And lately, I've been able to sense a change in her vibe. She's much less like a baby and more like a GIRL every day. It is awesome. I feel a little badly about it, but I'm way more psyched for her birthday than I have been for the boys', because you just give them another ball and a truck and they're set. But girls come with

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-44716035575467998682009-02-05T14:51:00.006-05:002009-02-05T15:26:11.264-05:00

A few times since we adopted Curly Fry, people have compared his seemingly buff little stature to the long, lean frame of 7 year old Junior Mint and suggested that Curly Fry will end up as the bigger of the two when they're older. Maybe. It doesn't matter to me. But for those of you who didn't ever see Junior Mint as a baby, here he is... 10 lbs. by the time we left the hospital, 12 lbs. at his

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-73920881705558259362009-02-03T19:53:00.003-05:002009-02-03T20:12:30.220-05:00

Today I ground about 40 lbs. of wheat into flour with my awesome BlendTec wheat mill. Unfortunately, my filter was gone, so my enitre house is now coated in a fine white film. Junior Mint walked into the living room earlier and asked where all the smoke was coming from. I had to open a window and turn on the ceiling fan to clear the air. I guess it's a good thing I never got to mopping the floor

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-75423089762389787702009-01-30T18:35:00.013-05:002009-01-30T23:44:31.858-05:00

Geneva Kate, wearing her dad's wedding ring as a bracelet.The boys and I made a chocolate chip pound cake this afternoon. Yum! It's Geneva's birthday cake. Most of you didn't get a chance to meet Geneva because she only lived for 9 days, but she would have been 6 years old today. I say would have and not should have because I know she lived for exactly the amount of time God wanted her to. I

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-60515544406652048332009-01-28T22:29:00.006-05:002009-01-28T22:54:57.527-05:00

The Live With Regis and Kelly show is having a Beautiful Baby contest. Of course, we're entering our Curly Fry. Who can beat that hair?! (It's for kids 6 months to 4 years old. We're not entering Squeaky Bean because there would be legal issues since her adoption is not yet final.) Anyway, we can't decide what our favorite picture is and we could use your help! Would you please look at the

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-31914827091955989012009-01-26T17:45:00.005-05:002009-01-26T18:14:54.141-05:00

My cute friend, Millie makes the most delicious little bows and hats. She's doing a giveaway on her blog until Wednesday. Here's the link. http://busybutlersboutique.blogspot.com/ It's linked on the side, too, if that doesn't work for some reason.I'm doing the giveaway thing for two reasons. 1) Millie's about the most crafty, organized person I've ever met, and if you have little girls, you'll

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-19492860532707563132009-01-23T17:55:00.006-05:002009-01-23T18:22:37.150-05:00

I love iTunes.My nice honey got me an iTunes gift card for Christmas and I had so much fun last week looking up new music and artists. Junior Mint got his own gift card (for his shiny new ipod shuffle) and together we made some fun discoveries. Below is a list of some of my favorites. Look 'em up or listen to the ones on my playlist. Tell me what you think! Then maybe you can tell me the last few

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-53955183605373594662009-01-21T22:59:00.003-05:002009-01-21T23:04:05.255-05:00

Do you ever find yourself saying things as a parent that you never expected to hear come out of your mouth? I remember first having this discussion with my older sister when she was forced to instruct her young daughter, "Don't eat the poo!" and "Don't flush the bunny down the toilet!" Today, I had to tell Curly Fry "No cars in the guitar!" while I struggled to get the little matchbox car out

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-11260694122108409202009-01-21T22:13:00.003-05:002009-01-21T22:18:40.321-05:00

We finally started a book club! We met for the first time today and didn't even decide what we would read next month for sure, but we had a lot of fun. Our blog will be www.bookgerm.blogspot.com Awesome. Any suggestions for a fun romance for us to read in the hearty month of February?Getting the new blog ready made me reevaluate my old one. Jennie Mathews likes to change things up constantly

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-89401446276385206212009-01-18T22:24:00.003-05:002009-01-18T22:34:45.283-05:00

A lot of lovely people have been asking for an update on Squeaky Bean. I'm sorry I was negligent on that account. She is doing beautifully and seems to be fully recovered from her pneumonia. We were in the hospital for 6 days and we are so glad it wasn't any longer. It is much nicer to be home together. The other boys are all on the mend as well except my cute honey, but I think his cold

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-11273891710485967912009-01-16T10:30:00.005-05:002009-01-17T11:14:21.892-05:00

TAGGED5 things I was doing 10 years ago:-Wishing HubbaHubba were home from his mission, while I dated a dead-ender.-Playing in the classical guitar ensemble at BYU. (Don't be impressed. I was the worst one.)-Still trying to major in music.-Exercising A LOT more.-Working at a blender factory in Lindon, UT.5 things on my To-Do list today:-Be a better homeschooler. (like my homeschool hero, Karen)-

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-59878420915678602662009-01-09T18:10:00.003-05:002009-01-09T18:24:20.018-05:00

I was planning on posting last week about my New Year's resolutions. I got derailed...Squeaky Bean has been in the hospital since Sunday night with RSV and pneumonia. I just came home today for the first time since Sunday... We're hoping Squeaky Bean (the baby girl) will be able to come home tomorrow, but that's what we've hoped for the last couple days. She is doing better, just not good enough

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-71117623719100353532008-12-25T19:16:00.004-05:002008-12-25T19:38:10.669-05:00

First off, Merry Christmas!! What a beautiful, warm day we had to celebrate the birth of our Lord. I hope you all had as lovely a day as we did.Curly Fry does not speak very clearly. There are a lot of sounds he doesn't say yet--like t's, k's, f's, any consonant combinations, etc. There are some sounds he can say, but only does in certain words for whatever reason. For example, He can say

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-3994230876480551802008-12-23T21:43:00.007-05:002008-12-23T23:18:32.774-05:00

The first time I held Curly Fry.Mad Baby Curly Fry: 1 day oldCurly Fry smiling in his sleep: a few days oldCurly Fry and Junior Mint's 1st meeting!!! Brothers. Kind of eery how alike they look, don't you think? (Before the curls came in, that is.)Adoption has played a major role in my life. Obviously. It's on my mind tonight for a few reasons...1) I learned today that I had been misinformed and

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-84575560491528966022008-12-19T15:53:00.003-05:002008-12-19T17:03:37.994-05:00

I got a great tag from my awesome little sister. She's working on exorcising a few demons and I happily come to her aid here in this blog. Here's the link to her post where she tagged me and others. http://plainbellied.blogspot.com/search/label/ExorcisingFor starters, a relevant story:My oldest sister recently told me a story about a friend of hers who was acting a bit too much like her mother

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-39997084248930607672008-12-16T17:28:00.002-05:002008-12-16T17:32:33.550-05:00

What is the US release date for the Twilight DVD?"...At the moment, the date is Valentine's Day (Sat, Feb. 14th)...The price will be 19.99 unless you want the 2disc Special Edition, and that will be 22.99. The date may change, but they said it probably won't. If it does, it will be within two or so weeks of that date."http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_US_release_date_for_the_Twilight_DVD

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-79231334318813268932008-12-12T19:57:00.005-05:002008-12-12T20:39:50.668-05:00

2 recent thoughts from my only verbal child:"He hit me on my body part!" ---I swear I taught him correct anatomical language...but then I told him not to say it ALL the time. I guess this is what we get."Maybe he thinks they're holes of grossness..." ---Junior Mint on why his younger brother wouldn't take the penne pasta I offered him.As for the nonverbal children, at 14 months apart, they are

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-84837850397121507902008-12-07T00:11:00.002-05:002008-12-07T00:17:22.922-05:00

While I'm at it, I'll just add a small thought about the idea that gay marriage is a civil right.70% of African Americans in California voted for Prop 8. Umm...I think if this were a civil rights issue, the black people would be the first ones to know about it.Side note: Mormons make up less than 5% of the voting populace in California. Can you imagine the gay community attacking blacks?! How

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-19620469824225404282008-12-06T23:58:00.003-05:002008-12-07T00:10:35.506-05:00

I haven't yet written my planned Prop 8 post because it just seemed too big. I wrote down a list of points I wanted to cover one night and it was almost 2 pages long...so I'll just write little bits here and there. I think I felt a little complacent--kind of "over it" because it's not impacting my daily life--but clearly that will not be good enough. We don't move on from a battle that is in full

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-32914888416130483132008-11-25T00:06:00.005-05:002008-11-25T00:32:59.904-05:00

Do you ever find it to be the case that when you read a very stylized work of fiction, you find yourself so wrapped up in the language of it, it's difficult to speak like a normal person?I do.I have just finished reading Emma by Jane Austen. The impact of the language upon me was heightened because I had it in audio format as well from the library. So, while doing dishes, I would listen, and

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-75949026913764786152008-11-21T12:04:00.004-05:002008-11-21T12:34:17.352-05:00

Did anybody else watch Dr. Phil today? Normally, I don't. I usually think he's a few shows away from becoming a Ph.D.'d Jerry Springer. But today he actually tried to have a very balanced discussion about gay marriage. I appreciated his effort. At the end, he asked each side if they thought there was a common ground they thought we could come together on to begin to heal the bitter feelings and

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-57235020608384512192008-11-19T00:09:00.004-05:002008-11-19T00:31:00.841-05:00

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-24318258079730126732008-11-19T00:01:00.002-05:002008-11-19T00:09:17.924-05:00

Several months ago the awesome Wayts family and Brother Shearman came and cut down and hauled away two big pine trees from our backyard that were killing the grass and taking up all our space. I still haven't thanked them properly. How do you thank Sister Wayts? She bakes, sews, cooks, does everything...better than I do. What can I do for her? Suggestions would be appreciated. Can you see how

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-38591933409699885512008-11-14T12:19:00.004-05:002008-11-14T12:36:58.064-05:00

I have a more serious post in the works about why Proposition 8 is necessary, not because the Prophet said so, but because of the many devastating consequences we'll be faced with if it is not upheld. More later...For now, here is a story my great friend told me when I visited her in Colorado last week. Her good friend (we'll call her Karen) has a 3 year old daughter who is in the midst of a

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-21989631936650540292008-11-05T10:27:00.009-05:002008-11-05T21:22:53.526-05:00

I watched The Return of the King last night instead of election coverage, because orcs eating people seemed cheerier to me than watching the Leftist media gloat. I will say, it's an exciting day for blacks in America and I hope Barack Obama's presidency will be the kind of change his followers hope for.I was sent a disturbing email this morning about an anti-Mormon ad opposing Proposition 8 in

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-63070689327667281592008-11-04T19:33:00.004-05:002008-11-04T20:00:29.079-05:00

The election coverage is only a few hours in and already I've had to restrain myself from throwing the remote control at the TV.You know how sometimes you can't go to your kid's soccer game, so you might call your friend who's there and ask how they're doing? Your friend may give you a play-by-play..."We had the ball for a while, but #4 from the other team stole it and scored. Seth got a corner

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-21311613995412531142008-10-21T10:24:00.005-04:002008-10-21T10:40:57.225-04:00

I saw a show on TLC recently about this giant family of kids who were all homeschooled. Awesome! I love big families. I love homeschooling! Good for you, I say. But did the girls all have to wear matching pinafores circa 1890? I appreciate modesty as much as the next conservative person, but really, is that necessary? Keeping up a clothings style that is more than a century out of date is just

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-6601206976089805972008-10-12T22:45:00.004-04:002008-10-12T23:33:59.434-04:00

Writing that last post made me want to do another poll.If you had to choose one of the Muppets to be President, who would it be?1. Sam the Eagle2. Kermit the Frog3. Miss Piggy4. Gonzo5. Rolf6. write-in muppet

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-84311929907468933852008-10-12T22:42:00.002-04:002008-10-12T22:44:53.827-04:00

Hubba Hubba and I were talking about Skyping--talking for free online through a webcam and phone line--and he didn't think many people had webcam's. I told him I'd do a poll. So here's the question. Do you have a webcam? Also, have you heard of skyping?

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-51831396361910698442008-10-12T18:36:00.004-04:002008-10-12T22:42:27.896-04:00

Today was Fast Sunday in my branch. I was nearly to the podium on my way up to bear my testimony when I noticed two other women had stood up on either side of me near the front, but that I was first up because I was closest. Without even thinking, I raised both my hands in the air to celebrate my "victory". Does that mean I've overly competitive? People either thought it was funny or that I'm

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-85645232634687797272008-10-02T17:25:00.003-04:002008-10-02T17:36:59.963-04:00

I think all of you have met Junior Mint. He's a delicious little boy and I love him. And he talks all the time. I have no idea where that quality came from. Out of so much talking, there are bound to be funny sayings.Two things he said yesterday are as follows:We were at the grocery store in the cereal aisle. Always hoping to be the one who chooses the cereal, Junior Mint said, "I want to

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-75261669387091249552008-10-02T17:02:00.003-04:002008-10-02T17:25:30.958-04:00

Guess what we got in the mail today??!!! (Imagine a very sing-songy voice because that's what you'd hear right now). Curly Fry's Amended Birth Certificate!!!For those of you unfamiliar with the bureaucratic beast that is adoption legal procedure, this means his adoption is now completely done. WOOHOOO!!! It has been legally finalized since January, but we couldn't do any taxes including him

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-37830376876948396072008-09-14T23:06:00.003-04:002008-09-14T23:10:26.718-04:00

The following article is from The Onion. It was linked on a homeschooler yahoo group and it cracked me up. Even if you're all pro-school, I think it's still funny. I loved school as a kid and didn't get burnt out until the very end of college, but I love the idea of homeschooling now...even if it's not all warm fuzzies with my 7 year old every day. What do you guys think?http://www.theonion.com/

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-75431557742472311382008-09-14T22:58:00.003-04:002008-09-14T23:10:50.936-04:00

Wow! I got so many great comments from the last post, I feel famous. And I've gotta add, it is totally cool with me when we disagree completely...like my awesome sister and some outstanding friends. One thing I think is true about me is this: I always think I'm right. Honestly, I think most people do. But, I genuinely WANT to know if I'm wrong, and have no problem admitting it if I find it to be

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-2781760058900422222008-09-12T23:24:00.004-04:002008-09-12T23:36:56.517-04:00

I've been obsessed with politics of late...It seems like everything matters so much, I feel really divided in how to spend my energies...homeschooling, adoption advocacy, the near destruction of our traditional foods, (Thank you for that terrifying knowldge, 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle'), physical fitness, yard work, parenting, missionary work, developing strong relationships with my family...

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-54920962873826902372008-09-02T14:53:00.004-04:002008-09-02T15:25:41.501-04:00

You may have read books by Orson Scott Card growing up. I did. I guess a lot of people think of them as 'boy' books. I love his science fiction, but I think it's his essays that mean the most to me. He has a wonderful book called, "A Storyteller in Zion" that is filled with his essays on all kinds of things. I have it if you have a yen to read it. He's also got a great website that is linked from

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-84873032874292213122008-08-28T20:38:00.005-04:002008-08-29T13:07:13.578-04:00

Hi guys. This is a song I wrote in June of 2006 for Girls Camp. If it seems a bit churchy, that's why. All the other wards were singing songs like, "I Am a Child of God" and "Teach Me To Walk in the Light." I wanted to write my own. It seemed like a good goal and deadline to make for myself. The girls were troopers about it and practiced through all my strange edits. I totally wrecked a pair of

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-77558099217187835622008-08-26T13:45:00.003-04:002008-08-26T22:48:33.694-04:00

Last night, I took some wash out of the washing machine and I saw something funny at the bottom of the barrel. I grabbed a tissue to get it out, because it looked sort of stringy, but I was pretty sure it wasn't thread. I was right. It was a cricket...well...part of a cricket. It had a head and the antennae--one, anyway--and a kind of stick-like stem sticking out the back of the head creating the

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-78861598999058904782008-08-25T16:19:00.005-04:002008-08-28T20:35:52.726-04:00

I've wanted to blog loads in the last few weeks, but haven't. Here's the paraphrased version of stuff I would've said.Bob Costas...Really?His and Matt Lauer's commentary of the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics was asinine. Honest-to-goodness, this is how the web dictionary defined that word."1. foolish, unintelligent, or silly; stupid: It is surprising that supposedly intelligent people

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-40237542097909198512008-08-03T20:29:00.002-04:002008-08-04T12:18:00.029-04:00

How To Play This Game of Tag:Post these rules on your blog. List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!3 Joys:1. Writing2. Dancing3. Snuggling with my honey and our babies.3 Fears:1. That I will never be enough.2. That my

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-10951807850790384412008-07-22T19:00:00.002-04:002008-07-22T19:36:21.138-04:00

This isn't the first song I've ever written, but it's the first one I'm posting. I read once that the first 100 songs don't count, so I figure you can expect these first 100 to be stupid and I won't feel a need to explain, that I, too, think each song is largely lame, but in the interest of furthering my personal creativity, am putting it out there anyway. (Phew! Take a breath.) So, here it is, a

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-81835464094431798242008-07-22T18:11:00.004-04:002008-08-28T20:38:43.663-04:00

So, it took forever, but the chitlins codenames are listed below their pictures here. My cute honey's nickname is Hubba Hubba. =) Junior Mint: He picked it himself. He also took this picture of himself. Curly Fry: Blissfully enjoying the last home game after it rained. Puddles galore! Squeaky Bean: She's just so happy here. You can almost see her dimples.(She's squeaking right now.)

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-10621858275747436722008-07-13T22:32:00.003-04:002008-07-13T23:01:57.620-04:00

I have been upset for months that I couldn't attend my dear friend's wedding in Colorado. I figured, we're still paying for the last two kids--adoption isn't insured, you know--and I couldn't see how we could do it. But I checked airline prices in a meager hope that there would be something reasonable...and I found a really good deal. And even better, my husband was insistent that I go to show

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-86831686585042073652008-07-08T00:12:00.001-04:002008-08-28T20:36:24.250-04:00

Have you ever turned into Dragon Lady out of nowhere? Here's me a couple months ago:Sitting happily next to Hubba Hubba on the couch watching some goofy football game. (Happily was for sitting next to my honey, not watching football). Suddenly, the camera goes straight to cheerleader cleavage and focuses in. Then the whole line of them.Me: Those girls are prostitutes and they're kidding

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-21826343178497137282008-07-08T00:00:00.000-04:002008-07-08T00:11:30.536-04:00

There were two main motivating factors for me starting this blog and doing it the way I will.1) The commencement address Elder Ballard gave at BYU Hawaii earlier this year. Read your Ensign this month for a recap. Here's the link. http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=72443645a2cba110VgnVCM100000176f620a____2) I read Karalenn's

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-74724112589707602282008-07-02T08:51:00.001-04:002008-08-28T20:38:20.669-04:00

Here are some pictures of the family--some at the Jersey Shore, some at home. Can you see the sand crab in the top? Isn't the headband my sister made for baby girl SWEEEEET?!

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-23686218665827834712008-07-01T18:28:00.001-04:002008-07-01T18:46:17.341-04:00

I guess we're going to use code names. Our buds know who we all are, but in case anyone else in the world happens by here eventually, they won't be able to hunt me down for any of my crazy rants. Plus, it let's me pretend we are spies. So Charlie's Angels...I'll just stick with the one that is my blog title--Sumgreater. Though in elementary and middle school, I always wished someone would take to

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-22162866058153268232008-07-01T16:53:00.000-04:002008-07-01T16:53:07.672-04:00

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439166913849257680.post-89085378632757434382008-06-10T13:30:00.000-04:002008-06-10T13:43:23.787-04:00

I am nearly 30. That is totally cool with me. I figure that you're taken a lot more seriously once you hit 30. Mostly, I want to take myself more seriously. Maybe if I don't wear pig-tails so often...I am doing what I always planned on--being a wife and mother to a nice little family. I just didn't know I'd find my identity being sucked into those two awesome titles. Wife. Mom. It's nobody else's

SumGreaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663850963947080840noreply@blogger.com3