Utah State Fair

Corban and Caleb

On September 10th Sydnee, Caleb, Autumn, Jeremiah, Corban and I went to the Utah State Fair. The weather was perfect. We went on a day when admission was free for 12 and under and the all-day ride passes were buy one get one free. So it was reasonably affordable and lots of fun. I think that it was a perfectly legitimate way to spend a school day. Talk about a field trip! Here are some of the highlights.

Jeremiah in the farm exhibit. He was very wary
of the large, loudly-mooing fake cow.

Autumn and Sydnee

We had some great educational opportunities at the fair and we learned some interesting things but let's be honest, the kids loved the rides. It wasn't crowded until evening so they got to go on all the rides they wanted to several times. Corban and I didn't do many rides--he didn't really like any except for this one (which happens to remind me of the old Arizona State Fair, back in the day).




Here is just a little more footage of us. The four bigger kids came back to refuel and check in before heading back to the rides.




There were a couple of pictures that I didn't get that I wish I had. One was of the incredible Corn on the cob that I had two of, roasted with butter and lemon pepper. Mmmmmm! And one of the absolutely ginormous (that word is in the dictionary now) cotton candy that we bought right before we left. I didn't just want a picture of the cotton candy but a picture of my very estatic children with their cotton candy.



This just about says it all. Corban and I chased each

other all around while the kids were off riding the rides.

Now I remember what it was like when I had little ones

without helpers! Where's my wagon? I needed a nap too!


Ta ta for now!

Autumn Arlene Gay is 8 years old today!

Reflecting on the meaning of life or how to get the front seat next

time we go somewhere. (Perhaps they're the same thing.)

Hanging out with her little brothers at the duck pond.

Enjoying the wonders of digital photography by taking
pictures of herself. (The weirder the better.)

Jumping on the tramp.

Enjoying the summer sun at perhaps THE ultimate vacation
spot in Utah. We had such a great time swimming and canoeing.

She was born in a car, this year she survived being hit by one.

Life with Autumn is quite a ride! I wouldn't have it any other way!

She is the best!

Happy Birthday Autumn!

Dreams Do Come True

I have such a fabulous reason for not having blogged regularly. I have a job. Actually I have many jobs but the job I am referring to in this instance is a paying job. This isn't just any old job either. I am now employed (very part time) at the Springville Public Library. It is such a great place to work. I feel like Brer Rabbit being thrown into the briar patch. "Don't you throw me in that briar patch!" I know that I looked positively, ridiculously happy the whole time that I was being trained. I really have to make a concious effort to not look overjoyed which actually doesn't work well because my efforts to not look too happy just result in me looking sort of goofy.
One of the ladies that has worked for the library said "I know you from the other side" which another one of the librarians mistook as some weird reference to us knowing eachother in some previous existence but she was just referring to the other side of the check out desk.
I was hired as a substitute clerk so I fill in when someone is sick or out of town which is just perfect. I am entertaining big plans of a master's degree in library sciences someday but for now I have my foot in the library door and it feels pretty good. These are the actual statues by the entrance to
the Springville City Library.

Corban George Gay

I have had several things that have been rattling around in my head lately that I have wanted to write about. Corban is the theme of this particular post. He is the youngest of our Crazy Eight and he turned 2 this week. Let me interject a little warning here. Writing about one's youngest child at 12:30 a.m. with the soundtrack from Sense and Sensibility (which is one of the best movies ever) playing in the background could cause melancholy if one is prone to that sort of thing.
From the time Corban arrived on this planet he has been making life a little better for all of us.

He is almost always happy. He adores and is adored by his siblings. Until he came along I had never had two little boys close together in age. He and Jeremiah are great friends and I love it.

I love that my life has been crazily out of control. I love that this little person has come and made my world different then I thought it would be. I love that he laughs and that he cries. I love that I know he will be smarter than me and better than me. I love that he has a twinkle in his eye. I love that he communicates so well and does it without uttering a word we can recognize except for "HEY" and "No". He is so cool.

It is my birthday wish for him that he will apply this great advice to his life,

"Take Chances!

Make Mistakes!

Get Messy!"

Ms. Frizzle

(the Magic School Bus)

A Cry For Help

I have pretty much always been a game player. Many people have heard the story of my brother's first day of kindergarten but for those unfortunate souls who haven't I'll recap. My mom and I walked Gerry down our street in Scottsdale, Arizona to Miss Ingalls kindergarten class at Paiute Elementary School. My mother and I left Gerry and walked back home. We were going about our business when the door slammed and Gerry called out, "Dona, do you want to play a game of Parcheesi?" This incident took place when I was three or four years old. I believe that the adage "train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" seems particularly applicable in this situation. I was trained up to be a game player. It is not my fault. I cannot help myself.
I sound like an addict. I am an addict. Through the years I have experimented with various games and have had a pattern of zeroing in on one game for a period of time until noone else can stand to play it. It is sad really. There were board games: parcheesi, clue, masterpiece, yahtzee, trouble. There were card games: Battle (or War), Fish, slap jack. My Dad was always good for a late night game of gin rummy. We used to play "Spoons". (This was my mom's favorite, which is surprising because it got pretty dangerous sometimes and she usually frowned on violence.) My brothers taught me how to play chess but this was not a game that I excelled in. I always wanted to keep my horses at all costs (who cares about the king?) Risk and Monopoly ---not so much. Then there was Scrabble. Ah Scrabble. My inlaws introduced me to Master Boggle and I was hooked on that one for years (despite that one time that Gerry beat me with the words western, westerns, westerner, westerners. I might never get over it.) I made my poor, non-game-loving husband get up at 3 o'clock in the morning when I was pregnant with our first child because I needed a Rummikub fix. There was Pictionary, Phase 10, Quiddler, Five Crowns, Rook, Cranium, and more.
I thought I had seen it all but then I was introduced to the Settlers of Catan. The obsession has bordered on madness. We have played this game for the last four years. Two years ago I played all night long while I was in labor with my last child and noone even knew I was in labor until we went to the hospital. I think that qualifies this game as a drug. It looked for a time like we might never play any other games. But as a group we have recently ventured on to "Ticket to Ride" and "Blokus". I felt hope that I could escape the addiction which had culminated in Catan but then one day recently I thought I would just check out the internet version. That was a big mistake. I am hooked.
I have recently been quite concerned and thought that I needed to address this on my blog, get some emotional support for my addiction/obsession. So I went looking for an illustration for this post I checked ''flickr " hoping that I would find a random shot of Settlers of Catan. Guess what!? It turns out that I am not obsessed! I am A OK! Get a load of a couple of these pictures. THESE people are obsessed. And while it is true that I entertained the thought of naming my youngest child Catan the fact is, I didn't. These people, however, are crazy. So I'm good. Anyone up for a game? It doesn't even have to be Catan.

Happy Birthday Grant!

August 27th, 2007 was my oldest brother's birthday. It was also my birthday. We had a family birthday party the night before which I was unable to attend due to what turned out to be a very unpleasant strain of some intestinal thing. (Let's just say I stayed close to home for several days.) Even though I was unable to celebrate with Grant on his birthday I want to pay tribute to Grant in this belated blog.

Five Things I Admire about Grant

1. He is quiet. This is a great quality that I wish I had in some small measure. I am convinced that he and I never had a conversation before I turned 14. It is not out of the realm of possibility because he really does not talk much. Yet, I have found that he generally speaks when something really needs to be said. He also generally says what needs to be said in a straight forward way but is not unkind.

2. He loves nature. Grant appreciates where he lives. So many people don't really pay attention to what is around them. Grant notices nature. He spends time in the mountains and outdoors around his home.

3. He has the soul of an artist. He loves beauty. He sees it in people, and nature, and music. He expresses it through his photographs. I love to see the pictures that he takes.

4. He has empathy for others. He was actually unable to sit through an episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" or "Gilligan's Island" or any other show where someone might embarrass themselves. He would have to get up and leave the room. He was always great at listening to me, especially during my first couple of years of college.

5. He is constant. Grant doesn't get swept away by situations or emotions. He lives life and enjoys it but he doesn't get distracted. He has always been a great brother and a good example for me.

So, Here's to you Grant! I am going to try to be a little more like you this year by getting outside more and not talking so much. I figure that is a good place to start.

Look at me, I'm blogging, I'm blogging

It turns out that I am a person who is motivated by external rewards (who knew?) I have been working on starting my blog since May. I would look at it occassionally and wonder how to make it all work. I would think of how cool it would be to have a blog but really I just couldn't make it happen until this week. You see, I need to win a free prize being offered by a fellow blogger. (It is wrong for me to say "fellow" blogger because that implies that I am in her league somehow, which I am not.) This woman is quite possibly one of the funniest women I have never met. She is my sister's friend and I have been reading her blog for several months now. She has offered a free prize for recommending her site. The free prize is a stupendous refrigerator magnet which I have not even seen but has motivated me to sit down and spend several hours figuring out how to enter this brave new world of blogging. Amy is the name of my sister's friend. And while I am recommending great blogs let me also say that my truly brilliant little sister, in who's shadow I alternately shiver and shine, has an equally fabulous blog. Her name is Sarah. She is great. I would know.