tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58193717232218663192012-01-01T08:35:10.595-08:00rlmmmmcaressOur purpose is to connect with those we love and those who love us. We hope that you find our antics as amusing as we do.The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.comBlogger3031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-54088997146717772412012-01-01T08:23:00.000-08:002012-01-01T08:35:10.611-08:00Pantone Color of the Year for 2012 ... Tangerine TangoFrom the Pantone website:"Dance into the New Year with this Vivacious and Appealing Reddish OrangeThe 2011 color of the year, PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle, encouraged us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.Dance into the New Year with this Vivacious and Appealing The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-27531862839842057592011-08-12T05:16:00.000-07:002011-08-31T16:23:01.624-07:00The Whole Story Behind My Dream JobI have always dreamed of teaching Chinese in an elementary school. But it was one of those dreams like living the whole summer in France exploring the countryside or owning a two-seater light blue convertible T-bird when you have four children ... very much in the back of my mind. In other words, it literally fell in my lap with no pursuit. Much preparation, but no pursuit.
I served my mission The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-78173672190127468062011-07-13T10:15:00.000-07:002011-07-13T10:39:04.268-07:00Things I love about Betty ...I wanted to capture this while it is still fresh. I am a big fan of Betty Ford. In fact, I love her.I love that Betty turned tragedy into triumph.By going public with her battles, she was able to help others. She made it okay to say the words BREAST CANCER and erased a silly taboo. She turned a dirty little secret into a DISEASE thereby allowing people to admit, get help and conquer The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-34594565144008739832011-06-26T20:38:00.000-07:002011-06-26T20:42:57.057-07:00Harry Potter and MathematicsThis is the explanation I gave to my students in a math class for nursing students. A dram is from the apothecary system which comes to us from the middle ages.Students, There was some question about # 25 on page 106. The answer in the back of the book states 30 mL. If you use the conversion on the chart, it states 5 mL = 1 tsp = 1 dram. According to that conversion, the answer should be 40The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-78550814875493513352011-06-16T09:03:00.000-07:002011-06-16T09:08:41.029-07:00Amazing (g)RaceMom: How is the pool temperature?Monterey: It is perfect, like the Amazing Race!Mom: What does that mean?Monterey: You know (singing to the tune of Amazing Grace) "Amazing Race, how sweet the sound."I spend my days laughing at that child. I have to document this stuff. I would never be able to make it all up nor remember it all.The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-5986956590508492642011-06-11T21:26:00.000-07:002011-06-11T21:33:04.676-07:00Out of the mouths of babes ...Maya wanted to know how we get money. I explained that you get money by working. She said yeah, but how do they get the money to pay you. I explained that generally there are two ways. You are either a public sector employee like a fireman or police officer or a teacher who gets paid by the tax payers for the benifit they give to the community or you are a private sector emploee who provides goodThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-79644753192415274562011-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:002011-01-01T00:01:01.177-08:00Pantone Color of the Year: Honeysuckle<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-5994570556808254922010-12-31T18:41:00.000-08:002010-12-31T18:58:21.797-08:00Facebook History 2010This is a rather cryptic history, but considering what a blogging slacker I've become, AND considering that I really want my blog to be my family history; today they are getting together. Facebook, this is blogger. Blogger, meet Facebook. I love you both dearly, so I would be overjoyed if you two could get married and have a family together.Here are all my postings on facebook for the last The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-3143963462897993642010-10-27T10:39:00.000-07:002010-10-27T10:50:37.101-07:00Monterey Outsmarts Me ... AgainMonterey had a few issues with costume selection last year. She rotated between an orange go-go dancer and a cheerleader (Maya's costume. Maya generously switched with her when she started crying.)This year, Monterey decided to be the princess from The Frog Princess. We bought the costume. She has been wearing it for dress up the last few weeks. Today I told her I would run out and buy the The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-41015808967878051942010-09-03T09:14:00.000-07:002010-09-03T10:01:18.525-07:00Good News v. Bad NewsSo we went to the doctor and the good news is no surgery. Bad news is there are two broken bones so the recovery and propensity to re-break are a little longer and more likely.Good news: everyone at school is super helpful and she gets to leave her classes five minutes early and have a helper carry her stuff. Bad news: some of her classes are far away and she barely makes it in time. She comes The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-71315014793765387462010-09-01T16:01:00.000-07:002011-01-02T20:14:40.998-08:00The Family Crest ... I mean wristbandRyan comes home from work a couple of weeks ago and suggests we get family wristbands. You know, like the yellow "live strong" ones. Wanting to know if we would all be willing to wear them, he solicited our opinions. Sure, we could wear them.The color was not a fight. As long as we picked something that would not be inappropriate for a work setting. We agreed on turquoise bands. Coincidentally The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-42777415049823156722010-08-27T19:31:00.000-07:002010-08-27T19:51:07.244-07:00Ice, Ice Baby Part OneAchilles had his heel, Superman his Kryptonite, and Madison? Well. she has ice.This is her second time on ice and her second broken bone. We now forbid her to have anything to do with snow or ice. She will go to Hawaii for school. Marry someone from Southern California or Hawaii. Etc. She is not allow to work near ice cream, snow cones, etc. It is just too risky.The first experience can be read The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-86112181231908163402010-08-14T08:51:00.000-07:002010-08-14T09:23:30.524-07:00The Funeralof my computer. Before anyone starts thinking it was a person, let me clarify that I am talking about an inanimate object. Although it is more to me personally than a mere object, I do not expect others to mourn with me.It started on Monday morning. I got up, started the computer up like any other day and checked my email before I left to teach my morning class. When I got home, a couple hours The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-7141371674313764082010-08-03T22:09:00.000-07:002010-08-04T12:27:09.495-07:00The End of an Era: Mixed Emotions10 years ago I entered an era that I say goodbye to today. Kinder schedule, half-day. (Actually that includes the pre-school year as well.)My baby graduated from Kinder yesterday. She went today and brought home her report card. She is done. She is being promoted to first grade. From now on, all my children will be in school all-day.I can book appointments around a 5 hour block of time. I The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-57153391265606982642010-08-01T08:40:00.000-07:002010-08-01T10:34:06.424-07:00"Desire is the Opposite of Death" - Tennessee WilliamsYou know how you can get really, really busy? And then you get behind? And then you try to catch up? And then you are so far behind, that catching up is impossible? And then you get overwhelmed? And then you give up trying to catch up? And then you just give up? And then you realized how much you miss it? Well ... that is where I am at right now.I love to blog. I love reading others The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-20555847336194173702010-05-06T10:18:00.000-07:002010-05-06T11:14:14.469-07:00A Calling ... not new to me ... but new lessons to learn.So once again, I am the Primary President. I absolutely loved it before and I know I will love it again. I mean, let's be honest: the Primary is the best organization in the church. Not to disrespect the others, nor to incite competitiveness within the church; but let's be honest: the Primary is the best. Here is why:Children are children. They are essentially the same all over the world.The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-9678586568344488362010-04-10T23:23:00.000-07:002010-04-11T09:54:40.502-07:00Busy As A Bee Can BeNo posting for a while. Can't breathe. So busy. We are less than two weeks away from our first performance and every moment has been taken up with "Savior of the World" activities. Here was my week:4/5: MondayUp at 6:00 - (normally not difficult for me, but after Spring Break ... I admit it was a little tough.)Shower, dressed, scripture reading, dishes, get up little ones and shower them. (The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-87933124176648788752010-03-29T08:40:00.000-07:002010-05-02T20:47:06.005-07:00Travel Related Pet PeeveOkay, it's not technically a pet peeve ... maybe just an observation. Have you ever saved all your money and traveled someplace exotic only to arrive and take a few photos, ooooh and ahhh, and chit-chat with the natives and have this conversation:Native: Where are you from?Me: CaliforniaNative: Is that near Las Vegas?Me: Yeah, I guess.Native: Las Vegas is my dream.Me: Really?Native: Have you beenThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-29953298221667516602010-03-13T21:35:00.000-08:002010-03-15T06:57:50.410-07:00Picky or Extremely Loyal?Several years ago I found an awesome watch. I passed it up because I thought I would see it again. I thought about it almost daily with regret. I had seen it in Taiwan, in a night market. Because I was new to the island, I thought they would be all over. I was wrong. My parents picked me up at the end of my mission and we traveled through Asia: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Thailand, The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-56284789472220706472010-03-12T11:15:00.000-08:002010-03-12T11:16:22.191-08:00Free Flowing . . .Free flowing thoughts. Not money or anything substantial, just random ideas I need to get out on paper ... or computer screen ... off my chest .... you know what I mean.I still am not used to the students calling me Professor Caress. In fact, I kind of hate it. I feel unworthy to be "promoted" to that title. Then I remembered that is what the students at Hogwarts call their teachers. Now I The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-10889860330211469962010-03-06T08:49:00.000-08:002010-03-06T08:56:00.193-08:00Savior of the World Production Post - Part 1: Auditions & RehearsalsOur church is presenting the production Savior of the World on April 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, and May 1. This is a large, expensive, and professional caliber production. Several members of our ward are in it including the man who portrays the Savior and the man who portrays Peter. Their children perform with them and they encouraged us to get involved.McKayla and Madison were drawn to it because The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-50282635946296865362010-03-04T09:30:00.000-08:002010-03-04T09:39:56.050-08:00Why no updates?So ... some of you might have noticed that I am in a bit of a blogging lull. It is not that I don't have the time. That never stopped me before. I have often chosen to get something off my chest over a shower. (Much to the chagrin of those who are forced to live with me.) Maybe nothing is going on in my life. Again not true. We have plenty of things going on, humorous little tidbits, The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-2320989899875632412010-01-08T13:49:00.000-08:002010-01-08T14:04:35.746-08:00My New JobI needed a job. A job that pays well and still allows me to be with my children. Oh by the way, I have a Kinder kid with a horrible schedule. I am basically <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-23413350633347144022010-01-01T11:34:00.000-08:002010-01-01T11:42:05.308-08:00The Color of the YearIn honor of the color of the year, here is my new blog color. Not too different from last year, but I wanted to reference where I got it from. Thanks for alerting me Megan.Pantone, the company which business is to know everything there is to know about colors, has just unveiled Color of the Year for 2010: turquoise! "Turquoise is universally appealing. It puts everyone in the same state of The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-46158583629260462902009-12-29T12:04:00.000-08:002009-12-29T12:11:14.791-08:00Christmas GiftsGifts. This word conjours up some mighty different emotions. There are some who immediately start thinking about some of the best gifts they have ever given to others. Others of us think of the best gifts we have ever received. We look forward to the catalogs coming at Christmas time and pour over bright and shiny new things that we know would make us happy. I want one of everything. Is The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-76025267871124071552009-12-26T18:55:00.000-08:002009-12-26T19:33:25.306-08:00ChristmasSomething happens to your Christmas celebration once you have been to Israel. No matter how hard you try, you cannot go back to picturing it the way you used to. That is why I love my nativity set from there. It features a palm tree. Every nativity set should feature a palm tree. I have always loved the way the LA Temple lights the palm trees. They not only swirl the lights around the trunkThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-88700533505057167472009-12-26T16:46:00.000-08:002009-12-26T16:48:48.993-08:00Christmas Cookie Plates 2009Since I am in a new location, I have decided to revamp the cookie plates by adding in hand-dipped chocolates. We will see how it goes. Here is the list and the schedule.Christmas Treat Plate:Chocolate Cherry Kisses Sugar CrinklesMolasses Cookies Chocolate Pistachio logsCornflake Hollies Pretzel HugsSugar cookies:Christmas Tree, Santa’s hat, Star, OrnamentChocolates:Cranberry-Orange, The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-55122018738941301512009-12-01T07:48:00.001-08:002011-01-01T21:01:56.843-08:0030 Days of Thanksgiving30 Days of Thanksgiving: 30 things I am thankful for* leftovers* the scriptures* the beauty of the Earth* time* my country and my freedoms* my life: my body and my free will* Jesus Christ & His Atonement & teachings* my husband* my brothers and sisters and parents* my books* repentance and forgiveness* my children* cars that run* modern medicine, doctors, and dentists and the like. but not The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-15766007459143774242009-11-27T18:50:00.000-08:002009-11-29T06:47:10.351-08:00Thanksgiving 2009 - One for the Books Some people use their blogs to make everything seem perfect while their lives are imploding. Some people use blogs to try to convince the world that they are worthy of love and respect. Some people are incredibly real - those are the ones I love to read. I try to document things as they really are - for the sake of my family history. I want my girls to look back and see the reality of their The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-30574461751072908832009-11-19T10:35:00.000-08:002009-11-23T12:12:45.452-08:00Thanksgiving OptionsMost years of our marriage we have gone to my husband's family for Thanksgiving dinner. This had many advantages, namely, incredible food. I mean this was always a fantastic, free-for-all, feast. The dinner would be divided up among all those who were interested in cooking. Some years, because of travelling, all I had to do or could do was just show up. Since so many of us were living The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-39578477490565770242009-11-18T08:20:00.000-08:002009-11-18T08:31:28.209-08:00Thanksgiving Five Years AgoFive years ago, we had just moved to the Palm Springs area. Our life had changed drastically. We had two under two and Ryan was taking the responsibility of being the sole-breadwinner while I was adjusting to being a stay-at-home mom for the first time. I had attended a Church Relief Society meeting where Jackie Simpson had shared and idea of kind of a time capsule concept. You would survey The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-26766751482385845502009-11-14T20:53:00.000-08:002009-11-15T15:23:13.149-08:00Welcome to Las Vegas ... againWoo! What a day.We started out going to a Chinese restaurant for breakfast. An Elder, Duane Frizell, that I served with in the Taiwan Taipei mission happens to be in our new congregation at church and alerted us to this rare find: real Chinese breakfast. It is my favorite , but so rare to find. We decided we were dying to try it and we were dying to have the girls try it so we ventured over The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-37117701150683066152009-11-13T07:35:00.000-08:002009-11-13T08:36:40.670-08:00Short post about something way too funny to forget ...My father passed away about six and a half years ago. He was very, very close to McKayla and Madison. He took care of them while I taught school. He would take them on hikes, out to breakfast, to Chuck E. Cheese, and everywhere else. They loved him very much and and have very fond memories. One of the last things my father said to me was "Who is going to take care of the girls?" I was a The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-67064111404288257202009-11-09T08:06:00.000-08:002009-11-09T08:40:30.460-08:00ThanksgivingI love Thanksgiving, and not just for the food. I love the idea of a holiday that is focused on gratitude. It is not about gifts or cards or decorations, although the holiday that comes directly after is all about all that and we LOVE it. But the idea of being able to focus on what we are thankful for is a beautiful thing. Aside from the obsession with the food, it has not been overly The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-73142318360789741802009-10-31T20:01:00.000-07:002009-10-31T20:50:43.156-07:00This is HalloweenYears ago, I established some rules about Halloween costumes. They were tried and true and always seemed to work. They are basic and simple and meant to avoid frustration and last minute panic.Here they are:1. You are not permitted to talk about next year's Halloween costumes until after this year's Halloween is over.2. You must decide and inform your mother what it is you want to be by Oct 1st.3The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-25294170124639564332009-10-16T08:06:00.000-07:002009-10-16T08:06:14.562-07:00Moving Out and Moving InWhen I had my babies, I felt a deep love for my maternity nurses. To them, I'm sure I was just one of hundreds that they encountered while doing their job. To me, they were my heroes. I loved them each so much. While still in the hospital, I imagined sending them flowers and putting them on the Christmas card/cookie plate list. I knew we would be best friends forever.Of course, then I went home, The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-53850426753131247522009-10-04T18:05:00.000-07:002009-10-16T08:07:18.706-07:00General Conference: the Calm Before the StormEvery time we tried to put the move on the calendar, we found conflict. We were willing to miss Conference over the move, but didn't want to. No matter how we looked at it, we were just going to have to watch it later on, thanks to the Internet OR read the talks in the Ensign. We could live with that ... but did not want to. Ryan finally suggested that we start the whole process the day after The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-7546224356593750532009-09-18T12:51:00.000-07:002009-10-16T08:08:20.573-07:00MovingMoving. We are moving. WE are moving. We ARE moving. We are MOVING. Maybe if I keep saying it over and over I will finally internalize it. I am totally out of touch with my emotions. I am feeling everything at once: stunned, excited, devastated, stressed, mellow, worried, curious, anxious, thrilled, scared, overwhelmed, denial, grief, acceptance.Ryan has interviewed and accepted a position with The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-48254089331802935572009-09-15T21:09:00.000-07:002009-10-16T08:07:52.475-07:00McKayla's Humanitarian ProjectMcKayla is working on one of her Young Women's Value Projects."GOOD WORKS: I will help others and build the kingdom through righteous service.Serve others. Volunteer in the community, gather items to meet humanitarian needs, spend extended time assisting with child or elderly care, or tutor in school or in your community."She headed up a project that would gather supplies and disperse them to The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-65862036770260916942009-09-08T20:13:00.000-07:002009-09-09T16:39:58.755-07:00Monterey Turned FiveMonterey turned five - that is the whole hand. What a grand adventure it has been. She is a wonderful child, but definitely has her own way of doing things.
For her birthday dinner she wanted Kraft Mac & Cheese and Uncrustables. I took over the menu: Tri-Tip, roasted potatoes, asparagus, zucchini, rolls, peaches, mango, cantaloupe, grapes, and salad. She enjoys cake so, unlike her sisters, The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-72883881216303503882009-09-01T11:13:00.000-07:002009-09-01T16:37:20.758-07:00First Day of SchoolAnticipation and Anxiety. So excited that you can't sleep the night before, even though you desperately want to because you know you have to wake up before the sun for the first time in months. Will I like my teacher(s)? Will I have any friends in my class(es)? Will I remember anything I learned from last year? Will school be too hard? Will I get a lot of homework? What is everyone else The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-21415477929614974932009-08-28T14:40:00.000-07:002009-08-28T14:53:26.967-07:00Vacay 2009: NewportEarlier in the year, Ryan won the Manager of the Year award at his site. Along with a nice little plaque and the admiration of family, friends, and coworkers; he won a week stay anywhere we wanted. I wanted Hawaii. Our finances dictated that six airline tickets would mean that we would be eating Top Ramen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next six months. I tried and tried and cried The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-83863096379793078102009-08-13T22:45:00.000-07:002009-08-14T07:12:24.945-07:00Vacay 2009: MontereyFrom San Francisco, we headed south to Monterey.Ryan and I disagree on many things: I like Thai food, he hates it. I like NYC thin crust, he likes Chicago thick. He likes mustard on hamburgers, I don't (that one has a story attached to it that I will share another time.) He likes hot, hot, hot and hates the cold. I love soup weather, Santa Barbara, Hawaii: 72 degrees all the time and I can The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-88779929229073741722009-08-01T07:00:00.000-07:002009-08-01T07:30:39.866-07:00Vacay 2009: San FranciscoWe made our way from Livermore to San Francisco via the Oakland Bay Bridge. It is always amazing to drive over it. I much prefer the drive INTO San Fran and not FROM San Fran. The IN route lets you drive on the top deck, but the FROM route puts you on the bottom. I always feel a little claustrophobic with a road above me on a very long bridge. It is quite majestic and a totally different The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-60213213111105061572009-07-27T07:08:00.000-07:002009-07-27T10:29:34.404-07:00Vacay 2009: LivermoreWe left for our official 2009 vacation on Tuesday and headed to Livermore. Generally, you have only heard of Livermore if1. You know the Livermore Lab.2. You have been on wine tours.OR3. You have lived there.Ryan's family moved to Livermore right after his high school graduation. He lived there on (working) and off (schooling) in the eight months before he left on his mission. When he The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-70558865193468792852009-07-22T06:54:00.000-07:002009-07-22T07:06:08.749-07:0015 BooksOnce again, a facebook thing ... 15 Books here was the original instructions:Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you for better or for worse - in no particular order. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag 15 friends, including me because I'm interested in seeing what books my friends choose.So here was my list:1. EastThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-365901465000345932009-07-20T21:13:00.000-07:002009-07-20T22:31:35.856-07:00Maya is no longer a baby ... we have proof.Maya was complaining that her tooth hurt. Maya frequently complains of pain. She is acutely aware of every little ache and pain. A little gift from my DNA. Her teeth have also been on the soft side. Even though she is the best brusher and flosser, she has the most cavities. Poor Maya. It is not her fault. My baby teeth were a mess, too. The good news is my adult teeth were strong, so The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-53251508015130969262009-07-05T18:57:00.000-07:002009-07-05T19:37:15.313-07:004th of JulyWe love to go away for the 4th. We have spent most Independence Days either at the ballpark or the Hollywood Bowl. Lots of time, we are with friends. At the very minimum, we love to spend time at the beach. This year was no exception.We decided this year, we would do San Diego or, as Monterey puts it, Sandy Lego. We had made great plans. The Dodgers were playing at Petco Stadium so we couldThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-40480718884986969322009-06-13T20:40:00.000-07:002009-07-27T07:07:38.025-07:00Monterey's Tiny Tot GraduationMonterey, my baby, my last. That means everything she finishes will be my last. The last binkie, bottle, diaper. The last in nursery, the last sunbeam. The last Pre-school Graduation. Because of this, I have become slightly more reflective as she comes of age and goes through it all.Her first day of Pre-school, two school years ago, I was sure I was going to get the call that she was not The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-3075925619039225752009-06-13T09:44:00.000-07:002009-06-23T10:06:52.853-07:00Maya's Kindergarten GraduationMaya had her Kinder Graduation on Wednesday. Ryan had class so he could not be there, but the rest of the family rallied to cheer her on and enjoy a great program of music and dance and smiling.Maya's teacher this year was Mrs. McIntyre. Can I just tell you how much we love her? Aside from the fact that Maya learned everything that she should - which is all that you could want, she exceeded theThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-2581476559062427242009-06-13T09:02:00.000-07:002009-07-27T07:08:02.245-07:00Madison's 5th Grade Celebration/Culmination/GraduationMadison. My Madison. You have been looking forward to this day for years. Not that you did not savor each and every moment of elementary school, but you always knew your true calling was talking to friends in between classes. You are such a lover of all things social. You love a list and the organizational aspect of juggling a dozen things. You thrive when facing a busy day. You have been The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-71186036437791288002009-06-08T09:19:00.000-07:002009-06-22T21:39:50.981-07:00Maya's 6th BirthdayThis year, birthdays are about Disneyland. No parties and no gifts (other than the souvenirs at Disneyland.)We did, however, still have the extended Caress family over for the traditional birthday dinner. Maya loves all sorts of foods. It was really difficult for her to narrow down her choices. She loves all seafood: salmon, calamari, sushi, scallops, etc. She also loves a good steak, hot The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-21321537506738069412009-05-26T16:43:00.000-07:002009-06-22T21:39:29.942-07:00Memorial Day WeekendDid Memorial Day seem super early to you? It did to me. Technically this is the earliest day it can fall on, but it was a long time ago since we had it that early. It snuck up on us.The first thing we did, in preparation was go to get Madison's cast off. She had it on for only a month, but when everyone else is swimming, everyday is torture. She got it off right before the weekend of swimmingThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-41988522421742237362009-05-23T17:47:00.000-07:002009-06-22T21:39:07.327-07:00MBARyan had his graduation on May 23rd. We went to the University of Redlands' Greek Amphitheater for the ceremony. We left at 2:30 to give us plenty of time to make the drive, shuttle from the car to the amphitheater, save our seats for both sides of the family and get ready. Ryan went to join his classmates and line up.The ceremony started with all the normal pomp and circumstance, flags and The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-8649736096728365782009-05-18T22:18:00.000-07:002009-05-19T06:43:03.054-07:00Ryan's GraduationRyan will be graduating this Saturday. I will, of course, post a marvelous post with all the pomp and circumstance and pictures and family. But, I wanted to write a little bit about it first.A couple of years ago, Ryan came home from work and said "We need to talk." I hate it when he starts conversations like that...what is it? My mind always thinks of the worst things ... It certainly is The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-26491276332345173532009-05-11T06:33:00.000-07:002009-05-15T20:29:41.353-07:00Reflections on MotherhoodFor a reason I am not going to go into, I was reading through the Proclamation on the Family on Saturday night. I was reading it, thinking about ways to illustrate the different sentences, paragraphs and phrases.Because Mother's Day was the very next day. the sentences on motherhood were popping out at me. Here they are, I have bolded the words pertaining specifically to mothers: (For the The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-70020844834656819412009-05-10T06:28:00.000-07:002009-05-11T17:40:18.263-07:00Thoughts on MotherhoodOne important mother in my life was my mother's best friend. She died of cancer way too young, but after all her children were grown. She was a returned missionary and the mother of eight. She was an artist and a veracious journal writer. After she passed away, her husband gave my mom all of her journals which she had kept for the years spanning her years as a mother. My mother was The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-83158879008258298382009-05-04T19:46:00.000-07:002009-05-04T20:37:12.582-07:00I'm sure we think we are much cooler than we are ...Ryan's Uncle Jack has a black Porsche that says CARESS. It's pretty cool. We have always thought it was too cool for words. But heck, if you can afford a Porsche, then personalized plates are nothing.So one day, Ryan starts playing around with a few ideas and we discover it only costs $41 to get personalized plates. What?!? That's it? Yeah, but all the cool stuff is taken, I'm sure. So The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-9228260030701434482009-05-01T12:19:00.000-07:002009-05-02T06:13:25.429-07:00First Broken BoneI have always prided myself that none of my children have ever broken a bone. This is, of course, due to my superior supervision. (That should be said with heaps of sarcasm.) Tuesday night, my record was shattered.The youth in church were having an ice blocking activity at the park. For those who don't know what ice blocking is ... it is a Southern Californian version of sledding. You bring aThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-26625241504632372862009-04-26T17:50:00.000-07:002009-04-26T18:57:32.644-07:00Angels v. DodgersBefore anyone gets defensive, I am a Dodgers fan. True Blue. And in order to quell any one's suspense, I still am. Ryan has been trying to get me to an Angels game for years. Nope, no way, never. Then three years ago we started the tradition of attending a baseball game for my birthday. This year, the Dodgers were playing an away game. That left the Angels. Nope, no way, never. But, theyThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-17886893614346189352009-04-23T21:20:00.000-07:002009-05-15T22:04:05.764-07:00My Birthday 2009As out tradition the last three years, we went to Newport for my birthday. Each and everything we do it becoming tradition, so this may seem like a repeat of last year's post.We checked into our "associate rate" room at the Newport Coast Villas. If Ryan ever leaves Marriott, it will be a major letdown ... as in we will probably never travel like this again. That was a birthday present enough The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-57017114691627877672009-04-16T16:50:00.000-07:002009-05-17T07:49:00.377-07:00Magic MountainFor five years we lived next door to Magic Mountain. The older girls were a little too old for the kiddie rides and too short for the coasters. We went a couple of times (literally twice) and one of those times was Hurricane Harbor, the water park.) Both times was because my brother came into town with his family.Whenever we visit my mom, we drive by and see all the coasters and McK and Mad The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-22158847857966451232009-04-15T16:50:00.000-07:002009-05-18T19:54:22.060-07:00SkirballThe Skirball Musuem is off the 405, just north of the Getty. Hailed by The New York Times as "a lesson on how to connect the eye to heart and mind," the Skirball Cultural Center has established itself as one of the world's most dynamic Jewish cultural institutions, and among the most prominent cultural venues in the United States. Its mission is to explore the connections between four The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-78178739165891003932009-04-14T16:50:00.000-07:002009-05-18T19:54:03.033-07:00Spring Break '09We headed out of town and made our first official stop: Bob's Big Boy. The combo ... the photo op. Now on to Grandma Dixie's house.We arrived to the adulation of relatives and promptly left for The Olive Garden. It was one of my proudest moments: the waitress asked Maya what she would like. She orders the chicken from the kids menu. "Would you like fries or steamed broccoli?" "Steamed The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-91352310665115547142009-04-12T17:04:00.000-07:002009-04-12T17:13:01.888-07:00DreamsThere are dreams ... and then there are Dreams ... and then there are DREAMS.For example, I have a dream where I win the lottery. Since I have never bought a lottery ticket, and don't plan to, this dream is not likely to happen. I dream that someone else will just give me a winning ticket or I will just happen to find a winning ticket on the ground with no explanation of where it might have The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-85380649058053407182009-04-11T08:20:00.000-07:002009-05-15T22:03:00.771-07:00Festival of NationsOur school had its annual Festival of Nations. First we went and signed our names of the banner.This was the first time I witnessed Monterey write her name by herself correctly. I had to capture it fro posterity.The Festival of Nations is a celebration of culture and the wonderful differences that make our world so interesting and fun.Each grade level presents crafts, culture, food, activities,The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-18667459932718031152009-04-10T19:30:00.000-07:002009-04-17T08:03:51.294-07:00Kinder Easter ParadeThe boys were given ties to decorate. The girls were given paper plates to turn into an Easter Bonnet. We tried. These are what many girls did.We tried.And tried.And Tried.But Maya hated every idea. She thought all our ideas were lame. Or ugly. Or stupid.Sometimes you have to choose your battles.So we resorted to the one thing she loves: a crown. We made a crown of green paper and told The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-68869474232473204602009-04-05T20:22:00.000-07:002009-04-17T08:04:31.203-07:00Conference Par-TaySo by now, if you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that we always try to have extra-special treats for Conference Weekend. This year, each girls picked her favorite thing: McKayla picked Rochelle's Double Dipped Rice Krispy Treats (that is super-duper gooey rice krispy treats dredged in caramel on one side and dipped in milk chocolate on the other side.) Madison picked Terri's Rocky The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-40143606676588613252009-04-03T16:22:00.000-07:002009-04-06T08:01:30.145-07:00The Grossest Food I Have Ever EatenI was perusing a shelf in the library the other day and came across this book.I am always curious about gross food. I think I have heard of the grossest. I think I have eaten stuff that was pretty close to the grossest. But I picked it up to check it out and I solved a mystery that has puzzled me for over fifteen years: What was the grossest food I have ever eaten? Well there it was in the The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-58732495776986257812009-04-01T13:02:00.000-07:002009-04-01T15:58:15.932-07:00My Little FlirtMonterey. Ah, Monterey. What am I going to do with you? Some people are natural flirts, some people aren't. You can even hire someone to teach you how to flirt. And Monterey could make some serious money giving lessons. I seriously feel sorry for the little boys who are putty in her hands.She will generally flirt a little with one boy. The giggling at everything they say. The winking. The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-14133239855379513802009-03-31T20:00:00.000-07:002009-04-17T08:05:21.703-07:00Ryan's Official Birthday PostWe began the birthday festivities with the Caress family over for dinner. The menu was chosen by Ryan: quesadillas and guacamole for appetizers, then steak, iceberg wedges with all the trimmings, baked yams with all the fixings, rolls, watermelon and Dr. Pepper. For the birthday cake: See's candies and mini Baskin Robbins cones, he does not like cake. We took the traditional birthday The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-77147599472435789842009-03-30T07:30:00.000-07:002009-04-17T08:05:59.971-07:00Ryan's GetawayThis is not Ryan's official birthday post. This is just a portion of his birthday this year.Ryan, with his marvelous Marriott discounts, has been seeking a good price for the Laguna Beach Ritz Carlton for a while. He finally found it and reserved for his birthday. Just the two of us. Ryan's mother generously took care of the children for the two nights and three days. So with the house The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-12996544347648123562009-03-21T07:41:00.000-07:002009-03-21T07:54:27.595-07:00I LOVE KinderShort post, but one I did not want to forget. Maya is saying the funniest things with vocabulary that kind of throws me off every once in a while. Here was a brief snippet from a conversation we had after school on Thursday:Maya: Mom, you know Sami?Me: Yes.Maya: Her name is also Samantha, but we can call her Sam or Sami.Me: Which does she prefer?Maya: She like Sami, but today I called her The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-56673878258244733172009-03-17T20:58:00.000-07:002009-04-17T08:06:44.191-07:00March MiscelaniiWe started the month with the joyous arrival of a new cousin: Gwenyth. Miraculously born on her due date, even. We love adding new cousins and this is our first girl Caress cousin. Sweetie Pie Baby Gwen.Madison and McKayla and McKayla's friend, Elly went paint balling. Apparently, there is great joy in getting messy, so much so that being hit over and over again with little pellets of paint The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-69763217823613339182009-03-15T20:23:00.000-07:002009-03-15T20:39:35.579-07:00Lisalogy: Another Facebook activity that allows you to peer into my soul.* * * * * * * * * * * FOODOLOGY* * * * * * * * * * *****What is your salad dressing of choice?Ranch. But only freshly made. The stuff in bottles makes me ill.What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?The French Laundry (which makes my answer to the next one really quite ironic.)What food could you eat everyday for two weeks and not get sick of?Peanut butter and jelly. I know, my refined palateThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-69529698121454765162009-03-13T07:23:00.000-07:002009-05-15T22:13:49.746-07:00Trials<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-72797408259076351262009-02-23T18:30:00.000-08:002009-02-24T12:19:03.412-08:00My New JobThat is right people, I am now among the employed in the world. The news is starting to spread like wildfire so let me get it out there.I taught for ten years before I finally had to concede that I could not be a good teacher and a good mother with four kids. It was juggling the three kids that convinced me that I had reached the limit of my abilities. So with a heavy heart and much faith, I The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-52818781544730181772009-02-16T22:25:00.000-08:002009-02-17T11:19:29.813-08:00The Perfect WeekendHere is my idea of a perfect weekend.The girls get both Friday and Monday off so I have four days in a row to play.On Friday morning we get up early and go for a swim. I love swimming with my girls. All four are now really good swimmers which means, even though I am still the lifeguard, I don't have to hover or hold. Unless I want to.We would then go to some sort of fun festival, like maybe The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-61373566257772531422009-02-12T15:02:00.000-08:002009-02-12T21:30:46.109-08:0025 Random Things About Me<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-80645328253362748682009-02-07T19:22:00.000-08:002009-02-09T21:28:25.300-08:00Sarah's Bat MitzvahMy cousin Basha's daughter Sarah had her Bat Mitzvah today. We had so much fun.First there was the religious ceremony. It was deeply moving as Sarah read the story of Miriam. Their Cantor has the most amazing voice. It was an hour and a half but the time went very quickly. Sarah was incredibly poised. We danced and sang and chanted. We listened to her speech and her parents' tribute. TheirThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-78229034433114680412009-02-01T20:33:00.000-08:002009-02-01T20:52:05.226-08:00Monterey's First TalkMonterey gave her first talk today in Primary. She did a marvelous job. You never know what you are going to get with this kid. Although she is incredibly loud and obnoxious at home, she tends to be quite shy surrounded by others. I wasn't sure if she would say anything. She was very excited and held onto her pictures every minute from the time they were ready until she finished her talk. The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-76511471935070241522009-01-28T13:09:00.000-08:002009-01-29T15:05:43.140-08:00Our New ObsessionsWe have a new passion in our home. When we first got the Wii, we had fun with the sports. It was fun to interact with multiple generations and compete. Now, it has blossomed into a lifestyle.The Wii fit is truly amazing and everyone is involved with our Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobics, and Balance activities. McKayla is unbelievable at the ski jump. Madison can walk the tight rope like no The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-64446016307689430732009-01-25T11:11:00.000-08:002009-01-28T11:19:15.853-08:00Madison's EleventhA week before her birthday, Madison's class had the "January Celebration." The teacher has the January birthday people divide up the party: Madison volunteered for the cupcakes and was very specific that she wanted lemon and chocolate cupcakes. I made them and Monterey helped decorate. I must say that Monterey was pretty meticulous about the sprinkles. I was really impressed. She insisted The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-81621117080498611832009-01-21T07:16:00.000-08:002009-01-22T07:14:30.820-08:00Rockin' O'bottomOnce again. My sweet four year old has butchered a word and I feel inclined to publish. Yesterday, because we were all over the place, we DVR'd 4 1/2 hours of the festivities. After dinner, we sat down to watch the inauguration as a family. Madison popped popcorn and we all cuddled together. Monterey explained that Rockin' O'bottom was the new president. (She also brought home an "I have a The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-926600318477084672009-01-20T13:16:00.000-08:002009-02-11T21:44:13.377-08:00Our Pseudo VacationWhenever there is a holiday and the girls have the day off, we always desire to do something. Something, anything. Well, for this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, we really had nothing. Yes, we would celebrate diversity and progress. But we were mainly going to celebrate by cleaning the whole house, top-to-bottom.Then Ryan emailed me some reservations: Shadow Ridge in Palm Desert. Two The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-57168936948182819722009-01-19T15:13:00.000-08:002009-05-15T22:25:09.538-07:00A New Car for RyanPoor Ryan. He has been driving the same car for 10 years. Hey, we got our money's worth. He logged 150,000+++ miles on the speedometer. Again, we got our money's worth. He is a big guy driving a relatively small car. He is willing to take one for the team.The problem was, a few months after we moved to the desert five years ago, I backed into his car smashing the front left side. He has The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-34281535799951645402009-01-19T14:30:00.000-08:002009-01-19T15:00:18.491-08:00Uncle Gary's CardinalsWell, the Cardinals are going to the Superbowl. We will root for them for one reason and one reason only: Uncle Gary.Not because they are from Arizona and we love it there and we are close to Phoenix and we are neighbors with Arizona and we have friends from there.Not because we particularly dislike the Steelers.Not because my favorite color is red.Not because we like the team and we think theyThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-30916074708083467122009-01-16T20:52:00.000-08:002009-01-29T21:09:18.063-08:00Winter Ball BeautyHere is my gorgeous beauty on her way to the Winter Ball. She is with her friend Elly.Last year, we did not let McK go. Since she is our first, we are still trying to figure out what rules to live by. We keep figuring that we better err on the side of caution because the rest of the girls will hold us to the rules. When all the pictures came back, it was evident that the "dance" was more The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-38240937963344857212009-01-15T12:38:00.000-08:002009-01-15T13:39:55.666-08:00Mommy & Me DayMaya has been so excited for this day. Last night she was so excited she could not sleep. This morning, she explained that this would be the best day of my whole life, because ... (drum roll, please) ... today was "Mommy & Me" day at Kindergarten.It started with a "hug" greeting as we came into the room, followed by an introduction of each mom. The children stood up and told everyone: "This The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-33910879940807855242009-01-01T12:23:00.000-08:002009-05-15T22:10:07.002-07:00It's A New YearOur New Years celebration is usually pretty low key. Our tradition is to eat Chinese food and then play the board games we received for Christmas. I know, we are serious party animals. But we do have lots of laughs. This year our favorite game was Cranium. We played it several times. We laughed a lot. We went a fed ducks at the local duck hang out, enjoying the weather every minute. We The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-22650259118725628162008-12-30T17:52:00.000-08:002009-01-01T19:50:22.222-08:00Sandy Lego TripA few months back, Ryan announced that Marriott was cutting the associate rate by 50% during the holidays. That meant, that if we found the right deal, we could stay for about $20 a night and find a place that included breakfast. I told him to book it. We would figure out details later. So he went to work planning a nice little get away to San Diego in between Christmas and New Years. Yeah The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-66871867245880112432008-12-25T21:24:00.000-08:002008-12-26T16:50:35.812-08:00Christmas 2008Here are the Santa gifts before they were opened.Here is the reaction to seeing what Santa brought.Next we have a dozen pictures showing everyone how much fun we had opening the rest of our presents. Watch Ryan play Rockband. See the excitement.Oh wait. Those would be the pictures if the camera battery had not have died right after the last pic. Remember the Murphy Law thing.Oh well. We The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-13268611743512498502008-12-24T21:14:00.000-08:002008-12-26T17:33:41.932-08:00Christmas Eve 2008The girls and I were supposed to leave Sunday morning to visit my mom. My older brother Alan was coming in from Connecticut with his kids so we were going to make a quick visit. On Sunday morning we got the call that they were snowed in and would make it out when they could.We went to church. Very glad for that change in plan, because the ward choir sounded awesome.We headed out the next The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-2192568852659656082008-12-23T15:13:00.000-08:002008-12-26T16:13:03.359-08:00Why I fell short this Christmas OR Pass the throw up bowl, please!Normally, I have a million things to do at Christmas and so I start my list in mid-November with my Christmas card list, my cookie plate list and my gift list. I pace out everything so the bulk of the work is done before Thanksgiving, leaving me with a busy, but not impossibly busy Christmas. I always get it all done. Not this year. I love this view from our complex, as I exited. Snow cappedThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-71992431574227870462008-12-13T06:50:00.000-08:002009-01-28T13:36:50.440-08:00Happy Birthday my baby, my first bornOn Friday (and Saturday) McKayla's name was on the school marque. How much fun is that? Now everyone will know she is the big 13!
Breakfast was a rush job because of Madison's 8:15 game (her team won incidentally.) We just did a McDonald's run at McKayla's request. Afterwards we came home and she got her Aunt Karen phone call. We left for her game (they lost, but it was an heroic effort.)
The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-86594520269727672172008-12-06T10:52:00.000-08:002008-12-12T11:07:35.037-08:00Madison: Student of the MonthMadison received the Student of the Month Award for the IB characteristic "Thinker." Normally she wins for "Well-Rounded" but because I have been volunteering so much in the classroom. she got the award earlier this month. I'm not saying children receiving awards is solely political, but it is a unusual coincidence that the parents that are more well-known seem to get the awards sooner than theThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-2010216203591799392008-12-05T11:24:00.000-08:002008-12-12T13:16:14.877-08:00Abstract Art with the Book of MormonOur family has been reading the Book of Mormon for Family Scripture Study this year. We just finished it once again (two weeks early - yeah.) The older girls and I are the main readers. Maya and Monterey just usual fiddle with their copies. They mark their scriptures. Maya "reads" along (she acts like she is reading but is just reciting random church-related phrases - it is pretty cute.)I The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-66969576010070152602008-12-03T10:10:00.000-08:002008-12-03T20:15:18.283-08:00Microwave WoesOur microwave went out.That's okay, I mean people managed to eat and cook before the microwave came into our homes. So it would be a learning experience for my children. This is how we popped popcorn before the microwave. This is how we melted the butter for the popcorn. See how fun this is. That lasted until the next day. Panda Express leftovers. Normally zap and they are yummy. But The rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-3407201298741331912008-12-01T21:07:00.000-08:002008-12-26T11:36:32.080-08:00Maya: What I want for Christmas1. My Meebas Interactive Pets2. Dora Prance n' Fly Pegasus3. Princess in the Tub4. Girl Crush Streak and Style hair kit5. Tini Puppini Designer Plush Puppy6. Sleeping Beauty Vanity7. Camp Rock dolls8. Holiday Barbie9. Hannah Montana Dance Mat (the one with the blond wig)10. Barbie CarThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5819371723221866319.post-48128851289237334862008-12-01T19:30:00.000-08:002008-12-26T11:37:05.560-08:00Monterey: what I want for Christmas1. High School Musical Singing Together Dolls2. Sleeping Beauty Vanity3. Disney Princess FJ Cruiser4. Leapfrog Clickstart My First Computer5. Little People Dance and Twirl Palace6. Baby Play Set7. Christmas Carol Barbie8. Littlest Pet Shop stuffed animals9. My Little Pony 25th Anniversary Jumbo Plush10. Ariel Beauty Salon VanityThe rlmmmmcaress familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04393202441209137144noreply@blogger.com0