Congratulations

Two of my sisters are graduating this spring. Dory from high school, and Bethany from the great University of Utah. I made these announcement for them to send to family and friends. I think they turned out pretty well.

Congratulations sisters!

p.s. Thank you Natalie for helping me find the fonts!

A Few More Desert Adventures (4/19/08)

Window Blind Peak. You can see this giant peak from Castle Dale.

You can't go down the Buckhorn Wash without stopping at the dinosaur foot print. Carter was unimpressed because he thought we were going to see a dinosaur, not a rock.

The Buckhorn Wash Indian writings.

Swinging Bridge. You can't drive across it anymore, probably because just walking on it will make it swing.

Brandt climbing under the bridge. This is his signature move, he's been doing it since he was about 12. My mom still shrieks and screams. This time was a little more challenging for him, Christian threw giant rocks at him and tried to knock him down.

Carter threw his share of rocks into the mighty San Rafael river, he would have jumped in himself had we let him.

Take a Break

A Day on Desert

Looking into the blast holes. The government wanted to see if sandstone would withstand a nuclear blast, so they blasted a giant hole through a mountain.


Carter loved to climb into the caves and up the rocks.


Cali thought it was the "best place ever".


Brandt thought he could climb out of caves.


Hiking back to the car.


Carter needed a little ride on the way out.


Me and my sister Dory smashed into a small cave.


Ummm, Tate have you been defacing public lands? I only know two Tatums, you and a little girl that was named after you!

Grandpa Neal's Jr.

On Saturday we met my mom and dad at a lovely Carl's Jr. across the road from the Utah Valley Medical Center. My grandma is still in the hospital (an ordeal that could have it's own blog entirely) and we went to spend the day with her. I told Carter that we were going to meet Grandpa Neal at Carl's Jr. This was very confusing to a little boy who also has a Grandpa Carl. So, Carter has been asking all morning if we can go and eat at "Grandpa Neal Jr.'s".

In addition to eating at Grandpa Neal's Jr. they also went to the museum, the park, for ice cream at A&W (Cali told me that she was drinking a Latte....whatever), and then to the FYE superstore for the purchase of Cinderella III.

We're not sure who had more fun, Neal or the kids!

The Results Are In

Are you ready for the results of my training efforts? Bethany and I finished our last training session with Leisa yesterday, and it was one of the best. By "best" I mean that I can barely move, and I'm walking as if a stick were shoved up my you-know-what. That's what I call a good work out.

Check this out:
Weight: Gained 1lb (I can deal with that because I fluctuate within 4lbs. on any given day)

Chest: Gained an inch (Look out 34B, here I come....OK, not even close, but still a small victory)

Waist: No change

Hips: Lost .5 of an inch (A huge deal for a girl with a lot of junk in the trunk!)

Thighs: Gained an inch (Not the best news ever, but Leisa always says "You have to get bigger before you get smaller" so I'm trusting her)

Calves: No change

Arms: No change

Body Fat Percentage: Lost 7.7% of my body fat. Can you believe it? It's a miracle (actually it's really a lot of hard work, grunting, and sweating)

I think the most valuable thing that I gained from the experience was the knowledge that I can push myself a lot harder than I thought. This has helped me in all of my workouts, to know that when I think I'm at my limit...I'm not!

Thanks to Leisa for all her time and talents in the weight training department. This girl is unbelievable. If you live in the Greater Salt Lake area you should hire her, no doubt!

Not Carter's Best Idea Ever

Nor my best moment as a parent for that matter, and forget about Christian composing himself. Carter had a nice long time-out while I ran to the store to try to find something (short of egg shell colored paint) to remove the mess. When I got home he said to me, "thank you mommy for saving my life." Apparently with all the screaming and yelling he thought his life was in immediate danger. To avoid any residual punishment that might spill over, Cali went to her room and cleaned in from top to bottom.

Thank goodness for Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It really is "magic" and it erased the entire mess. Carter even got in on the action and helped me scrub it off. He knows now that he write only on paper.

It's About Time, Seriously!

My sister Bethany has now joined the blogging world. I've been on her case for some time about it, and she finally caved. Please join me in welcoming her! http://www.homegrownbethandty.blogspot.com/

This is the Right Place?

It's Mormon legend that when Brigham Young arrived in the Salt Lake valley he sat up in his wagon box and proclaimed, "This is the right place". Or, as the quote is more commonly known, "This is the place".

I've often wondered if he was just sick of traveling, sick of losing his followers to death and exposure, sick of wagons and oxen, and just (as Mormon history suggests) plain sick. I've also wondered what the faithful pioneers thought when they looked at the Salt Lake valley. Did any of them say, "Seriously? This is the right place?". Did any of them wonder how long it would take to clear the sage brush, why there weren't any trees to be seen, and how they were going to get...I don't know perhaps.....water? Could they really have come all the way across a country for this?

These are just some of the things I've thought about "the right place" now that I've lived here for almost 9 years. Couldn't they have just gone a little farther and proclaimed "the right place" somewhere with a less harsh climate? Somewhere where on April 24rd it ISN'T snowing?

I obviously don't have all (or any) the answers to these questions. However, I do have a picture that I took of this lovely valley from the top of the Huntsman Cancer Institute's Pointe Restaurant.

Pay no attention to the crane in the foreground. There's always a construction project or 20 happening on campus.

The Worst Advice I've Ever Given

Have you ever taken advice from a trusted friend or family member? Did it turn out to be good advice or bad advice? I pride myself in giving my friends and family members sound advice. I don't dish out advice without being asked, but in the event that you need some advice...ask me.

Which brings me to the worst most misguided advice I've ever given someone.

My sister Bethany had a really good friend who, for the purpose of blog safety, will be called "Dustin". She and Dustin did everything together, and I mean everything. One day I went to lunch with the two of them and was amazed at how in love they were. I told Bethany that I thought they should hook it up, she was hesitant citing that they were such good friends she wouldn't want anything to get weird. Over the next month they grew closer. She talked about him all the time and with me some emails and other things that he had said to her. I thought for sure that he was in love with her. Apparently I wasn't the only one. Bethany's other friends began to notice that Dustin was crazy for her. She asked me what I thought she should do.....here's where it goes south.

I told her that maybe he didn't know that she liked him too. They spent so much time together and acted so married, that I thought maybe he wasn't sure of her feelings for him. I told her to pour out her heart to him, to tell him in no uncertain terms how she felt about him. We rehashed the situation, I helped her build up her courage, and coached her on things she could/should say.

The day arrived. She spilled her guts. She was brave, and honest, and heartfelt in her delivery. To which he replied, "I love you, but I will never like you like that. I'm sorry if I misled you." She called me that night. I was so excited to hear the news of their new relationship. I was imagining different centerpieces I could make for their upcoming wedding, after all, they already acted like they were married. So you can imagine my shock and surprise when she told me that he didn't like her (like THAT) after all.

So, that's it. The worst advice I've ever given someone. I thought for sure it was going to be the best advice ever, turns out I was way off. However, the story has a happyish ending. After the fateful gut spilling she and Dustin got even closer, and became even better friends. So, maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Now she's married to Tyler and Dustin is getting engaged in the near future, and everyone lived happily ever. Despite my bad advice.

What's the worst advice you've ever given/taken?

Honest to Blog

First off, I must preface this blog title with the fact that I've been watching Juno. If you haven't seen it yet, you should. If you have, you know it's one of the best movies....ever (my opinion obviously.

But really, honest to blog, this has been one of the best blogging weeks ever. I have read so many amazing, inspirational, hilarious,and just down right great blog posts this week. If you don't believe me, check out my list of bloggin' friends and click on a few. You WILL NOT be disappointed, I personally guarantee it!

So, here's to a great weekend and another great week of blogging. Next week I hope to bring you such blogging excitement as, "The worst advice I've ever given someone", "Bad News: Carter got lost. Good News: We found him.", and other random thoughts and pictures as they come to me.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We are off to the country for a relaxing weekend!

28.5 Things You May (or May Not) Know About Me

[Photo courtesy of Cali and a disposable camera]

I was tagged by my Aunt Mari and my Aunt Bethany (that's right I have a sister and an aunt named Bethany). Mari tagged me to do the "7 Things that People May Not Know About You" and Bethany tagged me to do the "50 Things About Yourself". So in an attempt to do both tags (and to spare all you dedicated blog readers) I have decided to modify. I took the average of 7 and 50, which is 28.5. And combined the titles to get, "28.5 Things You May (or May Not) Know About Me.

Here Goes:

1. I am terrified of birds. Seriously, all birds. Ostriches (and other large birds) especially freak the crap out of me. Which is very weird that for most of my life I was known as Cammie Peacock (yes, I am afraid of Peacock's too).

2. If I start crying my left eye will tear up first and I will cry out of one eye most of the time. Clogged tear duct? I don't know?

3. I have an aversion to cotton balls, chalk, and news print. Touching any of these three things will give me the dry gags....every time. Not the best aversion to have as a student of mass media, newspapers are heavily involved.

4. I have never been nervous to speak in front of people, in fact, I consider it one of my talents.

5. On the other hand, I can nerve myself up about pretty much anything. I.e. The bird flu. I was positive I would be the first one to get it.

6. I probably have one of the funniest Honeymoon stories ever. It starts with me leaving my purse and picture ID in Price, has a short stint in a Mexican hospital in the middle, and ends with a couple severe infections. I guess "funniest" isn't really the right word.

7. I don't believe that dinosaurs ever roamed the earth.

8. My sister Bethany and I think that together we are comic geniuses, we often find ourselves laughing at ourselves....and no one else is laughing. Which, makes us even funnier.

9. I've often thought that if I were good at math, science, chemistry, and had a love of ALL people that I could be a nurse. However, I lack all of the above.

10. I lack a lot of patience, but hesitate to pray for it because I believe that's a sure fire way to have your patience tested.....and I'm not ready for that kind of commitment.

11. When it comes to interior decorating I have a good idea of what I would like to put in my house. But, I have commitment issues and a lot of my plans never materialize.

12. I am not a picky eater and enjoy foods of all qualities and origins.

13. Speaking of food, my stomach can't really handle anything spicier than ketchup.

14. I have often thought that the good Lord put my eyes too far apart on my face, as you may be able to see in the above picture.

15. When pregnant I gained between 45-65 lbs. and preferred to roll rather than walk.

16. Christian and I love Hannah Montana, and watch it almost every night. Try it, it's hilarious!

17. I can not handle movies with a lot of chasing and shooting, my nerves can't handle it. The Borne series are out for sure.

18. Christian and I got married when I was 18. What was I thinking? What were my parents thinking?

19. I am not above getting into an argument with a four-year old, and do it almost every day.

20. I have a large extended family and two of my uncles married girls younger than me. Which means I have two aunts who are younger than I am. You should see this family tree.

21. My favorite color is green.

22. I have no idea what my "natural" hair color is, and I don't intend to find out.

23. I love to take afternoon naps. It doesn't happen very often, but it is one of my favorite things to do.

24. I enjoy exercises and take my personal fitness very seriously. But, have come to accept the fact that I will never be 6'4" or 95 lbs. I'm over it.

25. I've never broken a bone. Unless, you count toes....do toes count?

26. I can't stand when my kids mix their play doh together. Something about the colors touching and smearing together really gets me nerved up. I'm trying to work on this one. It's no fun for kids to play with play doh whilst their mother is yelling, "no, stop, here let me help you!"

27. Until the wonderful world of blogging, I wasn't very good at keeping a journal.

28. I like to cook, bake, and sew, all domestic skills I learned within the last few year. I must throw a shout out to my sainted mother who tried to teach me these skills in my youth, but I was unreceptive.

29. I like.......

So there you have it, 28.5 things you may or may not know about me. I hope you enjoyed. Consider yourself tagged! All of you! Or none of you! Or any of you!

From Us

Christian and I just wanted to thank you all for your warm birthday wishes, and your thoughtful comments about my Grandma Cook. The doctor was pleased with her surgery, and she is currently recovering. We are hoping for a better week. Thanks again for all of your well wishes!

This Week

I took this picture of the Jordan River Temple last week. At the time I didn't realize that this picture would illustrate my emotions so perfectly this week.

Last Sunday my Grandma Cook was moved from the Nephi hospital where she had been for almost two weeks, to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. We visited with her on Sunday night, and then I had the privilege of staying with her Monday evening, Monday night, and Tuesday morning. Amid all of Christian's birthday celebrations we visited her again on Tuesday night. Bethany and I went for another visit last night.

It has been determined that it is riskier to let her continue in her current state, than it is do preform exploratory surgery. So, this morning she is undergoing surgery and our family will be meeting at the hospital this afternoon.

My emotions have been like the storm clouds in the picture. Low, ominous, and sad. However, I can't help but notice how much brighter the angel Moroni shines when set against a dark and drab background. The contrast is beautiful and comforting.

Kindergarten Orientation

Not last Friday, but the Friday before, Cali and I had the wonderful experience that is Kindergarten orientation. It was mostly the secretary going over paper work with a gym full of parents (some of them sobbing). The kindergarten teachers took the kids on a little tour of the class rooms, read them some stories, and colored some pictures. At the end we all met up in the lunch room where they served the kids some animal crackers. Cali didn't want to leave, and insisted that we sit down in the lunch room and stay until all of her crackers were gone. Even then, she still didn't want to go. It was also funny because she ran into several of her friends from preschool (the girl pictured above is our cute little neighbor friend) all of whom were very excited to be going to kindergarten. There are over 200 kindergarten students signed up for this coming school year. Two hundred kindergartners? Sounds like the title of my worst nightmare!

Holy Cannoli! Party with the Pollastro's

On Tuesday we met (what's left of) the Pollastro's at Carrabba's for dinner. With Dustin and Brittany gone on missions, and Carl working in Wyoming our family was a lot smaller. Carter had a major melt-down which involved screaming, yelling, and repeating the following phrase: "Give me some chocolate milk!" (I would then give him some chocolate milk) "I hate this chocolate milk!" And other random fit-throwing-related phrase.

I ended up taking him to the car to watch a movie while everyone ate. After Vicki ate her food she came to the car and we switched off. Eating in shifts is not usually the most pleasant way to spend the evening. But, in true Christian fashion, he didn't care! He was just happy to be eating his weight in raviolli, not to mention the free birthday cannoli....Holy moly!



Little brother Carson.


Little sis Melis and her husband Devin. (BTW: M and D update your blog for crying out loud)

My Cake

Christian wanted a swirl cake for his birthday. So, I made chocolate cake batter and swirled in yellow cake batter. I put the remaining yellow cake batter in a round cake pan and cooked them all together. When they were done I set them on the stove to cool. I ran around the house cleaning up messes, when I realized that I hadn't seen or heard Carter for several minutes. I found him elbow deep in cake. He had pulled his stool up to the stove and was diving into the extra yellow cake.

When Carter was learning how to talk the first two words he put together were "My" and "Cake". He really is my son. Is there anything better than eating cake right out of the pan? I don't think so, and neither does he!

Birthday Wrap Up

Some additional birthday highlights from Christian's 31st birthday!


Cali drew Christian a picture for his birthday present.


Carter thought he was a birthday present.


You know what they say about men who have big feet.......they have big shoes!


A picture together? What? Could this really be happening?

Christian, What do You Want to do for Your Birthday?

This is a question that I ask Christian every year, and every year the answer is the same, "I don't care." The funny thing is, he really doesn't care. I try to make him care, but he just can't get into the hype. Last year (for his 30th) I wanted to throw a birthday bash. He wanted to invite family over and barbecue. So we had family over and he cooked up a storm. Not exactly my idea of fun (cooking for a house full of people) but he had a great time.

So, at his request, here's what we did this year!

First, sleep in until 9:00 a.m. Which is pretty late for a guy who is usually up by 3:00 a.m.
Second, make a play list and download his birthday soundtrack.


Third, head over to the Sport Chalet for some softball shopping. On his b-day wish list: cleats, compression shorts, batting glove and baseball shirt. Check, check, check and check. I wanted him to do a fashion show, but he knew where the pictures would end up. By the way, this man can play some serious softball. One year at a softball tourney in Richfield he hit the ball out of the park and onto the freeway. Trust me, it's impressive.

Then onto lunch at Red Robin.




His birthday is still young. I have a cake to make, and a goal for us to get a picture taken together. Not to mention the follow up Peacock-Pollastro belated birthday fun. But first, a birthday nap...for all of us!

Happy 28 Tate

Happy Birthday to my oldest and dearest friend. We have spent many wonderful times together, from SRJH to EHS onto college and now toddlehood! It has surely been wonderful! Love Ya!