Yeah! or Nay!

I'm so indecisive, that I've opted to put it out for a vote. I'm in charge of my first enrichment activity, and I have to decide on what we should snack on during the auction. Here are the options thus far:

1. Chocolate-Covered Pop Corn
2. Chips and Salsa
3. Regular Pop Corn
4. Other (please specify in your vote)

Thank you for helping me do my calling!

Gorge-ous Day

We enjoyed a gorgeous day up the Columbia Gorge today. We threw rocks in the water, played ball, ran around and had a picnic. And to Walker's delight we got to see 2 different trains pass by right in front of us. Very exciting!Yesterday for my birthday Ben took me to Island Cafe. A fun fish and chips place floating on the water. We shared coconut crusted shrimp and Ahi tuna tacos with avacado and mango salsa. (yes Nancy, I like sea food) The place is a family favorite. Then in the evening we watched "Stranger than Fiction" It was a fun movie and I finally got Ben to relax and not think about Puj(our new name for ZU)

Happy Birthday Katie!

It was the Christmas Holidays. The Craigs took their 3 older children to Northern Arizona to go skiing between Christmas and New Years. Grandpa and Grandma Redd stayed and looked after little Katie who was about 2 and a half years old. We returned home late one cold night all wearing our ski clothes and were met at the front door by Katie in her swimming suit. Grandma Redd said she wore it most of the time we were gone. As she grew up she did spend a lot of time swimming and water skiing. The grown up version of Katie and her husband, Ben, also came to visit us in the Canary Islands. The fun part for them was the swimming and playing on several of the great beaches there. Katie has fun at what ever she does and helps to make it fun for the rest of us. Happy Birthday Katie! Love, Mom and Dad

Happy Birthday Elliot!

These pictures of Elliot remind me of a fun time we had together. Elliot and his family came to the Canary Islands to visit Grandma and Grandpa Craig while they were on their mission. We spent a fun time at the beach in the south of Gran Canaria and then ate dinner in a nearby restaurant. Elliot ordered shaghetti and really enjoyed it. Later we had dessert in what was an ancient house where we found these statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Happy Birthday Elliot! Love, Grandma and Grandpa Craig.

Strike a Pose

Don't you love how the digital camera has revolutionized picture taking? I noticed our front room has newly accquired a lovely shade of sunshine (since we trimmed back the dead ficus tree outside that window.) I decided to shoot some pictures there; this is the result. Sophie is growing so big. She is sitting up regularly. Sam has a sixth sense for when I get the camera out and comes running. "Take me! Take me and Sophie!" He's got a knack for the GQ pose (I do not coach him on these poses and do not know where he comes up with this stuff.)

My Friday night date

Dallas and Travis went to Father's and Sons last night, so I decided to go on a date...with my crazy Hallie. We had fun, I think. I asked her what she wanted to eat, I was trying to talk it up like it was so special to go on a date with Mom, and how we could eat whatever she wanted. "Soup, Mom." She wanted soup. Is that a funny thing for a three-year-old to want on a one hundred degree day? Anyway, soup it was. We ended up going to the mall and eating soup and salad at Paradise Bakery. We then proceeded to try on bathing suits (think almost Florida time, need a new swim suit) needless to say it was rather depressing, not to mention how expensive swim suits are, and I didn't come home with one. We did go play in the mall play area though, and Hallie was having fun running around going up to random kids and saying, "rarrr!" I think she was a monster of some sort. She makes me laugh. So I had a fun Friday night date, and Dallas and Trav had a fun Father's and Sons. When asked, Dallas' favorite part was throwing pine cones with his friends at the bigger kids. Aren't kids easily amused?

So if I wanted to post a picture to the blog...

So if I wanted to post a picture of my family to the blog it would be just this easy...

How to post a picture...

I noticed a couple people said they didn't know how to post a picture. When you go in to create your post, you just need to click the icon circled on the peach tool bar pictured in the image of the page below.

Then you just add the picture in basically the same fashion you would to add a picture as an attachment to an email. Hope that is helpful!

Couldn't Get Any Luckier!

So I imagine myself watching my newlywed mom and dad from way out there in far away heaven land and thinking, "So if I have to go to this planet Earth place, I want to live with . . . THOSE TWO!!!! Yep, that lady looks like the absolute most perfect mom on the whole darn planet!" And then, somehow, I--amazingly--get to be her daughter. What a privilege! I couldn't get any luckier. I thank my Heavenly Father (and my lucky stars)!
My mom has always been a good mom to me, a friend. I can remember going shopping (she's so great to chat with while driving--that's the most important part of the whole mother/daughter shopping experience, the en route chat time), cooking goodies (not only did I gain fabulous cooking skills at her side, but she let me lick the beaters, too), and countless trips to the library (a legacy I am carrying on with my own little ones).
My mom has always been a good mother to me, a care-giver. Constant, steady, dependable; my mother is as reliable as the Sun. From hot-lemonade to "Improve Your Hearing" proprietary herbal blends, she can cure all ills. (On the rare occasion that I become sick as an adult, I sure wish she was still close by; the lemonade doesn't quite do the trick when you make it yourself). And she is an absolute wealth of knowledge! And she didn't even grow up with the internet, she just knows things. You can say, "How do you know that?" And she will purse her lips together and say, "a little bird told me!" Like, mom knows when your note is flat, how to spell any word and that if you put too many potato peelings down the disposal you'll have to call the plumber; she knows when you're having boy trouble, or teacher trouble, or when you ought to be in trouble. And let's not even get into what she knows how to make ot do, because that is an essay-- no--entire book in and of itself. Because my mom is like MacGyver Mom. You give her a package of gum, a plastic bag and some crep paper and you will have the most fabulous prom dress ever. You will look good, feel great and be saving money! And if you try to pay her some compliments on this skill she will modestly deflect your praise and say something like, Oh, Becky, I just read about it in Martha Stewart. Or if you need a project for school and casually mention it on your way out the door, you'll come home to find a perfectly formed replica of a blue Egyptian hippopotamus found in King Tut's excavated tomb. See I told you I could write a whole book on this.
Most importantly, my mom has always been a good matriarch, a spiritual example. My mother is a spiritual rock. I am always touched when I hear (or just see) her pray. Once, as a young teenager when I was feeling especially confused about life and myself, my mom had a special talk with me. I told her, amid my tears, that I felt like no body in the world would ever understand me (not even myself). She confided that she had felt that way before too. She had been confused? My mom!? Lonely, or even depressed? This came to me as a shock--the lady who seemed so rock-solid, strong and steady--but I kept listening. She told me that when she felt this way, she would pray. And that Jesus always understood her. That the Savior would always understand me. That changed the way I prayed and the type of things I felt comfortable taking before the Lord. I saw that my mom had trust in God, and so I would find I could trust Him, too. And she was right.
Aren't moms always right? I think they are. I learned that from my mom.

Anyway, mom. I mean it. I sure love you and can't imagine a woman I'd rather learn from than you. A thousand million thank yous to you and dad both. Love, Becky :)

p.s. I noticed that though I am the first born, I am the last to post. This just means I've been busy doing a lot of my own mothering today. I will have to learn how to post pictures soon but for now, I'll just publish! Love me

Happy Birthday Jacob!

Dear Jacob,

We hope you have had a Happy Birthday celebrating with your family. We wish we could be there because we know that people in your family have fun parties! But we will get to come for the day you will be baptized and we are looking forward to that. We heard from your mother that you had a pretty painful run in with a scorpion while she was gone. We hope you are all recovered from that. I had a scorpion sting me once and it hurt really bad, kind of like somebody sticking a needle in me and it wasn-t even my eye like yours was. So we hope you are all better now. Have a Happy Eighth Birthday and we will see you around the time of your baptism. Love, Grandma and Grandpa Craig

Happy Mother-s Day young mothers!!

To my favorite Young Mothers,
I am in awe of you, my favorite young mothers-Becky, Emily, Nancy, Katie and Angela, the prospective mother of the group. I have enjoyed so very much being your mother. I thank my Heavenly Father every day to have this great experience, it truly is a privilege to be so closely associated with all of you. I love the memories of the fun times we shared together over the years like this trip to the Banff Jasper area. It is fun now to watch you all with your own children and be so impressed with what wonderful parents you all are. Your children need to know just how blessed they are to have you as their parents. Our Heavenly Father has been so very kind to all of us and He has demonstrated His love to me through you. Thank you for the love you show me in so many ways. Keep being such wonderful examples to me and your dad. Love, Mom( Grandma) It is great fun to read your blogs. So keep them coming so we can be in touch with all of you and know what is going on in your lives. Austin has been a great help in my entering my first blog message. I hope to be able to learn to do it on my own. But at least when he is here, I can probably post more blogs. He scanned the picture, I probably won-t be able to do that on my own for some time, but I so enjoy your pictures so I will try too. Love, Mom

Dear Mom,

Happy Mothers' Day! It's a funny thing trying to come up with something to do or say for Mothers' Day, because any kind of gift with wrapping paper and a bow won't do the sentiment justice, even if there is a brick of fudge inside. Everything good that I have, am, or ever will be, I owe mostly to you. There were good scout leaders, and teachers, and coaches, and friends, and even siblings, and Dad for that matter, but all of their efforts wouldn't have meant much without you. You did all of their jobs and more for me, from even before I was born. If I ever need to know how to clean something up, or cook something good, or cure any ailment, I know who to ask. You've done a pretty amazing thing, Mom, and the proof is in your children. I hope the grand kids know what an amazing Grandma they have.
So thanks for everything, I'm enjoying my life and getting a lot out of it. You made that happen. I love you.
Your grateful son,
Austin

P.S. You always hear the downfall of electronic communication is how impersonal it makes things, how a hand written card is much more meaningful than an email. What you might not hear as often is when you blog from your phone, and it has a hard time running the script on a big web page, you might not notice that it never loaded the "publish" or "save draft" buttons on blogger, and your Mothers' Day post gets lost the the virtual void. Then you have to retype the post from Mom and Dad's computer. That's another less known downfall of electronic communication.

Thank You

To Grandma from Aaron

Dear Grandma and Grandpa Craig,

Happy Mother's Day! If you could write a letter back, could you tell me if you're going to move, or not? I was just wondering if you could write me back. And I was wondering if you could move. I want you to move to a state called Phoenix, Arizona.

I know you were Stephen's mom and dad when he was just a little kid. You're a great grandma and grandpa.

From, Aaron

"Laurie -- Aus -- Stephen. . ."

I find myself saying things that mom used to say.

When I'm exasperated at Elliot, I say, "Aaron, Isaa -- Elliot!" (There were times you would have thought my name was "Laurie -- Aus -- Stephen!")

When the boys complain that they don't know how to clean their room, I say, "Find something that's out of place, and put it away. Then find the next thing that's out of place and put it away." And I demonstrate while I'm saying it. And then I remember that that's how mom used to do it.

When I'm ironing, I call out, "Who took my spray bottle!?"

I come home through the garage every night, and I see all my art supplies and unused furnature. And I say, "I'm not going to throw those things away, because, even though I'm not using them now, I hope that some day I'll be able to.

When Elliot's practicing the piano, and I'm in the kitchen, I call out, "Sharp!" Actually, I don't know that I've done that yet, but I'm looking forward to the right moment.

The other night I was driving home from work, late in the evening, and I heard myself think, "Stephen, there's just not enough time in the day."

I also find that I have skills that I never really learned formally; but when I ask myself where I learned it, I realize it was from watching mom: cutting hair, baking roast and potatos, listening to audio books while washing dishes (multitasking in general), ironing; the list goes on. But I have yet to brush my teeth in the car.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. You're wonderful. Thanks for passing down your wisdom, skills, talents, and love.

Love, Stephen

Mother Dear I love you so

I was trying to find an old picture of Mom for this post and came across this. I love how beautiful Mom looks in this picture, and how it's very reminiscent of her personality; always ready and waiting to serve and help others. I don't know anyone more loving and serving than Mom. Maybe at times she should have put herself first, but she never did. I loved that mom was always at home when I returned from school. I loved that she tried to teach me to play the piano, cook, and sew, and that even if I refused to learn she loved me anyway. I love that any time I needed help with a school project (even if it was due the next day and I'd known about it for a month) Mom would stay up late with me and help me finish. And finish we did, I usually had the best school projects, and it was because of my creative mother.

I was in my kitchen painting the other day, with my apron on of course (because that's how my mom taught me) while my children were playing, and reminding myself so much of my mom. I think I don't know how to be any other way because that was the example my mom set for me.

Mom, I just want you to know how much I love and appreciate you, and the gift that you truly are in my life. Anytime I set out to do something I think "now how would my mom do this?" And I try my best to follow your example. You are so kind, and loving, and patient with your imperfect daughter, I appreciate your presence in my life, and thank Heavenly Father for you every day. Happy Mother's Day Mom, I love you!

Truman is the man

Happy birthday, sweet kid! We hope to get to see you soon.

Doubly Delicious

Since food is all we ever talk about in this family, I thought I'd share my lunch with you. Notice anything unusual?

That's right, boys and girls, two yolks, one shell. I ate twins for lunch.

Vintage Inspiration

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

I wanted to be the first to thank you for being the wonderful woman you are. If anyone asks who my inspiration is it's Pam Craig. Mom, you've always inspired me to not be afraid to try something new. Be it in the kitchen, wood shop (aka garage), with pen or paint, or my new found love the sewing machine. When I was in Utah mom was kind enough to loan me some fun, vintage pajamas that belonged to one of her many aunts (sorry Becky, don't remember who) Well, I've been in the market for some new jamas myself but haven't found just the right thing. So when I find myself in that predicament I do as my mother always said, "Oh Katie, I can make that" So make it I did! These are my new/vintage jamas. They are fully inspired by the pieced pajams mom loaned to me. The white part is an old pillow case that mom gave me. I don't know who it belonged to, but it's old and has great detailing on the bottom. The top and sides are fabrics designed by my new found friend Amy Butler (we've been emailing back and forth) I think the combination of the old and new is just fabulous. Now when I'm drifting off to sleep I feel like such a lady and not a frumpy mom in man-jamas. It makes for waking up in such a happy mood. I highly recommend it.

The picture of me and the boys is us getting a hay ride at a local farm. We got to hold baby chickens and see one that was just starting to hatch. Very Fun! Support your local farmer.

An old Gypsy Tale

So Becky and I had some good conversations on our trip to and from Utah this past weekend. One thing that we talked about that has got me thinking is how time really does seem to go by faster the older you get. She said that an old gypsy once told her (really she didn't exactly talk to the gypsy first hand, but the person she talked to got this from an old gypsy, and hey this is my version of the story and that's how I like it) that you should think of time as a line from point A to point B. Point A being the beginning of your life and point B being the end. Anyway so you're traveling on this time line of your life and you should think of time being like a ray that goes from point B to A and back again, the older you get the less far the ray has to travel, and so time seems to go by faster. Does this make sense? Well it did to me. I just look at this picture, that is even out of date now, and can't believe that we are all grown up and raising children of our own. How fast time flies! I'm so grateful to have you all in my life and am glad that we can travel from point A to point B together. I appreciate the wonderful Aunts and Uncles, cousins and Grandparents that you are to my children. May we all live to be old gypsies together! (Hey Beck, how's that for pondering the universe?)

Welcome to the Craig Family Blog

Thank you, Nancy, for the fantastic idea!

Title, settings, template, contributors, administrator are all subject to change. Please discuss your preferences!