How do you NOT?

How do you NOT compare yourself to others?

AND THE AWARD GOES TO- my good friend Maureen! For the best answer.

"I remember years back in young womens we had a guest speaker (he was the stake patriarch and one of our leader's husband). Anyway he said something that has always stuck with me. I don't even really remember the context of it but he told us to never compare ourselves to others because we are never fair to ourselves when we do it. We always end up comparing the worst in ourselves to the best in others..."

*To see the whole thing, check out my comments.

Thanks Maureen you are the best! Hope you don't mind I posted it up :)

Tagged (Thanks Lizabeth)

A) Four places I go over and over:
1- Yoga
2- Knitting Group
3- Church
4- Online

B) Four people who email me the most:
1- Mom Jones
2- Stacy
3- Spam
4- Bassett Family Group

C) Four of my favorite foods:
1- Pastas (can't eat!!)
2- Pastries (can't eat!!)
3- Veggies galore!!!!
4- Pomogranate or Cotton Candy Ice Cream

D) Four Places in which I would rather be right now:
1- Bassett girls week or Austin's wedding which are comming up in August
2- Somewhere tropical with my family
3- Taking a nap
4- Eating something by a top chef that I can eat and is awesome!

E) Four people I'm tagging: (X-OP 2nd ward friends)
1- Tara A. (still OP 2)
2- Sarah O.
3- Milli C.
4- Daisie H.

F) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1- Probably the Twilight movie which hasn't come out yet
2- Scooby Doo (James & Spencer's favorite kids show/movie)
3- Pride and Prejudice
4- Phantom of the Opera
I actually don't like to watch movies over and over so these are the closest probably.

G) My favorite things to do: [couldn't narrow it down to 4...had a hard enough time narrowing it down to 7 :)]
1- Hang out with my family without other obligations
2- Hiking
3- Bowling
4- Amateur Photography
5- Eating
6- Shopping
7- Anything artsy

H) Things I am afraid of:
1- Honestly...losing my family
2- Too much noise (I get cranky around noise)
3- Someone breaking in to my house
4- The Jeep falling on Spencer or James when he's working on it and it's on jack stands in our slanted/uneven driveway.

Doesn't this look kind of like a multiple choice test??

And so it begins...

I just have to tell a couple of stories about James.

Not too long ago I was folding sheets in the livingroom with James. I pulled the sheet up to myself to find the edges and James gave a little chuckle and said "Mommy, are you Jesus?" He caught me completely off guard and I said "No..." Then I did it again and he asked me the same question with the same response. The next load of laundry came out of the dryer and I wrapped them around him so he could feel the warmth and he said "Ahh...yeah. I can be Jesus."

This next story is about a typical boy (James). Not 10 minutes ago I was in the bathroom with James waiting for him to finish so I could take him to bed and he said:
j: "Mommy, can you hear that stinky in your ear?"
J: "Yes." (Almost to laugh but impressed that he remembered that you hear with your ear).
j: "Mommy, does a big stinky fit in my ear?"
J: "No" (This is when I thought exactly "And so it begins...")
j: "Does a little stinky fit in my ear?"
J: "No, James. Stinkies don't go in your ear."

High School Tag (Thanks, LeiAnn)

Sorry it took me so long, LeiAnn!

1. Did you date someone from your school? Yes and no. I dated a couple of guys for like a week but I or we weren't feelin' it. Also there were a couple guys that were friends with benefits.

2. Did you win anything in Seniors Who's Who? I can't remember if it was official but I remember in the yearbook it said that I was something to the effect of looking innocent but I wasn't. That's not how they worded it though.

3. What kind of car did you drive? I had a chevy corsica, which I bought the last semester of my senior year. I had finished school a semester early and got a job to pay for it.

4. It's Friday night...where are you? I just depended I guess. I had a variety of friends I hung out with.

5. Were you a party animal? I guess you could say that.

6. Were you considered a flirt? Yes.

7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? I think I quit band in Jr. High. I was in choir from Jr. High through High School, though.

8. Were you a nerd? Deffinetly not. (I don't even get the picture below...I was just looking for an illustration)

9. Did you get suspended/expelled? No. My Dad was the elementary principal. Our elementary, Jr. High, and High Schools are all on the same land and they all kind of worked together. All the teachers thought I was all innocent, but my friends knew better.

10. Can you sing the fight song? Not any more. It's been too long. (Same, LeiAnn)

11. Who were your favorite teachers? Mrs. McCracken (Choir), Mr. Moore (Jr. English & Drama), Mrs. Shannon (Soph. English), Mr. Schaff (History), Mr. Green (even though I hated Chemistry...weird, huh?) not necessarily in that order. I also liked a couple of teachers from Bancroft but I can't remember their names since I was only there one semester.

12. Where did you sit during lunch? They had school lunch which was in the elementary cafeteria, I ate there sometimes and sat by my friends. They also had personal pizzas, nachos, and stuff in the HS multi-purpose room and I ate in there sometimes, too. I just ate with my friends. It was a small school and I was friends with a lot of people.

13.What was your school's full name? Shepherd High School

14. School mascot? Mustangs and Fillies

15. Did you go to Homecoming and who with? Um, homecoming was an interesting night for me. I was actually nominated for homecomming queen but I didn't win. That was fine with me, I was suprised I was nominated and wasn't planning on staying for the dance. I invited my bff Amanda to go with me. We showed up just for pictures basically (the proof that we were there) and then we ditched and got into trouble :)

16. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Um, high school is in my past but if I were to do it again, I would deffinetly do some things differently.

17.What do you remember most about graduation? The after-party. The parents get together and raise money for a party with a ton of good prizes so you don't go out and drink. It's held at the bowling alley and you are there 'till really late.

18. Where did you go senior skip day? I don't remember. That may have been during the semester I was gone for since I left a semester early.

19. Were you in any clubs? Drama and school plays.

20. Have you gained some weight since then? I'm with LeiAnn here...I would be very unhealthy at my high school weight for my height. Although I wouldn't mind being somewhere inbetween where I am now and what I was then.

21. Who was your prom date? Josh Dale. I actually had a boyfriend who had graduated from a different school, but Josh and I decided to go together as friends. We had a contest to see who could get the craziest corsage/boutineer (sp?). I got him the bird of paradise and he got me a HUGE corsage (if you can call it that). I'll see if I can get a picture. I'm having a hard time explaining. It went over my shoulder and a little down my back.

22. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Yeah, I would go.

23. Do you still talk to people from school? I talk to some people every once in a while on myspace/facebook and when I am in town. There are a few that I am still pretty good friends with though.

I'm not going to tag anyone I went to school with in MT because I already know pretty much their answers so I'll tag Sherydon & DeAnna (even though I was there 1 semester), Lizabeth, and Lisa.

Tagged (Thanks Sherydon)

Two Names I Go By: Jackie or Jacks/Jax

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now: Gauchos & Spencer's white tee (I'm scrubbin' it today)

Two Of Your Favorite Things To Do: Hang out with my fam, Camping

Two Things You Want Very Badly At This Moment: FiveFingers shoes (see previous post), and to go on a vacation to Moab with my family

Two Favorite Pets: Sugar Bear (childhood dog)...He was pretty much my favorite.

Two People Who Will Fill This Out: Ummm...not sure

Two Things You Did Last Night: Went to knitting group, dropped off a dish to a friend who brought me food when I was sick

Two Things You Ate Today: Waffles, and I'm about to grab a yogurt.

Two Last People You Talked To: James and Spencer

Two Longest Car Rides: Driving from MT to KS and from KS to MT!!

Two Favorite Holidays: Halloween and Christmas

Two Favorite Vacations: Honeymoon to CA even though I wasn't feeling well, Moab, UT

Two Favorite Drinks: Jamba Juice & Cream Soda (when I'm drinking pop)

PICTURE ME TAG- go to flickr.com search for the pictures to your answers and post them!

Birth Place: Lovell, WY

Favorite Vacation Destination: Moab, UT

Favorite Color: Tie between Pink & Green

Dream Career: There are so many things I love to do, I would love to just be a Jack(ie) of all trades (Hahaha...I crack myself up)

Guilty Pleasure: Shopping...for whatever!

Favorite Hobbies: Photography, Camping, Knitting Group [I know I'm a grandma already :)], and Dancing.
Favorite Restaurant: Cinzetti's Italian Market Restaurant

Favorite Actor/Actress: I don't think I have a favorite anymore!?!

Favorite Vehicle: We are working on building me an electric jeep. It will be pink someday...just you wait!

Favorite place to shop for myself: Nordstrom...straight up!

Favorite Flower: Lilies, Lilacs, Roses, Tulips (in no particular order)...Oh, how I love my flowers!

The End! Here's to far away friends...I tag all of my friends that live more than 100 miles from me and choose to do it! You know who you are :)

Vibram FiveFingers: Totally Rad Shoes!!!

Okay check out these totally awesome shoes that I am getting! You can wear them climbing/bouldering, running/jogging, hiking, swimming, doing yoga, etc... I am so totally stoked and cannot wait to get them! I just have to decide what color/style I am going to get. I'm going to go with either the classic or sprint. Here are the pictures of them and the website if you want to look further.

www.vibramfivefingers.com

Five Facts about Baer

Baer was tagged by my friend Amanda a little while ago, so here are five things about Baer.

1. Baer is 10 months old and is still not crawling and is barely sitting up (he's not even very good at that yet)! He's a lazy boy. He can push himself up with his arms, but it's into a "girl's push up" position instead of on his hands and knees. When we try to help him to his hands and knees he stiffens up straight as a board to the point that he shakes slightly because he is tensing his muscles so hard. He did this the other day at a friends house and we had a good laugh.


2. When Baer is excited he laughs and shakes his head really fast like he's saying no, but it's just part of his chuckle. I would also have to add to this one that he has a really great laugh! One Sunday I was giving a talk and he was in the very back of the overflow with Spencer. Baer was holding a container of those baby snacks that dissolve in your mouth, he kept pulling the container to his nose and would laugh hysterically. I could hear him from the stands it was so cute. He loves to have his nose poked. It cracks him up for some reason.


3. Baer LOVES music! His favorite song is I am a Child of God. He can be screaming and I'll start singing it to him and he will instantly stop, look me in the eyes, and listen intently. He also loves it when James sings to him. Last night he was having a hard time going to sleep and Spencer heard James in there saying "shhhh, shhhh" (in a calming voice, not like QUIET!) and then he (James) started singing to him. It worked! Bear just stopped and listened to James sing.


4. Baer is a very content baby. I am always getting comments like..."Is he ALWAYS this good?"...and yes, he usually is. Like every baby he has his moments but for the majority, he is a very happy and content baby. I am very blessed!


5. Baer's skin has an yellow-orange hue. Some of the many other comments I always get are "He's VERY yellow...does he have jaundice?" or those who know us/him better say "Wow, what did he have for dinner/lunch?" When we first noticed it I asked his pediatrician and she said it was just from his food. I feed him a LOT of green foods like broccoli, green beans, and peas but I do also feed him squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes, etc. He just soaks in those yellow-orange foods!

It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to!

Actually the only thing I have to cry about so far is that I am STILL sick! Bluck! I have been sick for over 2 weeks now. It started out as just allergies & sinus pressure then it moved to whatever is going around because I keep hearing about all of my friends and family getting it too.

On a happy note: What I got...in order from when I got or found out about them:

Yesterday my visiting teacher came and brought me groceries that I haven't been able to get out and buy myself and dinner for my birthday (today) which I ate last night because I was sick and hadn't made anything yet :). She also brought me some dark choc (my fav) and POMOGRANATE Ice Cream bites. Let me just tell you the ONE YEAR ago I had these AMAZING Pomogranate (sp?) Ice Cream bars from Costco. I was instantly in LOVE! Well you know how Costco is, they get something and you never know if it'll come back. Well for one year I have been looking EVERY TIME I want ice cream at any store I go to for these yummy bars. My visiting teacher is and INSPIRED woman! One year later I FINALLY get my fabulous ice cream treats. I'm thinking about paying her to get me a case of them since she got them from Sam's and I'm a Costco girl. My other visiting teacher is comming today to bring me the rest of the dinner that I was suppose to save for today. :) I still have some left though. I know I'm a brat!

SPENCER got me a Wii Fit that I have been sending signals for. He is always good at gifts. He always knows what I want...but that could be because I'm always wanting something and I always blab about it. He probably just gets it to shut me up :)

Mom & Dad Jones got me a gift card to Wal-Mart, Half.com (which I also sent signals out for), and a package with goodies for me, a few for Spence & summer clothes for the boys. Whenever Mom Jones sends a package for someone she always includes something for everyone. I think she is a very thoughtful person and she gives great gifts. She even included some GF brownies which if I feel up to it, I may make or have Spence make them for me for my b-day "cake". I even have pie cherries to go on top...now all I need is whipped cream...mmmm...!

My Dad called me this morning to wish me a Happy Birthday since they are headed out of town.

Well, that's what I have so far but I know of a few more people that are going to call, send cards, etc...because they always do! People must love me! Okay, I know...I'm a spaz.

Thanks for peeking!

Here's a picture of me back in the day...doing something I love!