Some of that cute stuff

So now that I'm addicted to blogging, I spend a few minutes every other day or so when I have a little time to myself (okay, that's usually in the middle of the night) checking out everyone elses' blogs. I always seem to come across these really sweet posts where people write about the cute stuff their kids do and say. Don't get me wrong, I love reading about it, and it always puts a smile on my face. Sometimes even a tear or two will form in the corner of my eye... Now Seriously. I figured if I want to be any kind of decent blogger, I'd better include some of that cute stuff in amongst my ramblings once in awhile. So where to start? Babies are always treasure troves of sweet; deep wells of cute which overflow their cuteness daily. That would be my Maycie. Now that's not to say my other kids aren't cute, because every last one of them is dang cute- even the things that they say make me laugh and tug at my heartstrings daily (except sometimes when my three year old Jack let's the farm words slip out, and if you don't know what farm words are, well, I won't elaborate). Anyways, back to cuteness. Maycie is learning to do so many new things so quickly, that I could write the world's longest post mentioning all of them. My new favorite would have to be the standing. She's been crawling now for the past couple of months, and learned to stand up holding on to things about a month ago. She pulls up to everything now, but has a hard time getting back down. We're working on that. So in the mornings and after naps (and in the middle of the night sometimes), Maycie will stand up in her crib and hang on to the rail and say "mamama" until I come to get her. Since she has a hard time getting herself back down, she'll start crying if I can't get to her for a few minutes. Either way, when I do come in the room, she'll break out the cutest, most sunniest smile you ever saw. Now if that doesn't melt your heart, you might benefit from some professional help. Anyways, one other cute standing thing- a day or so ago she pulled up to the wall in the family room where the light was hitting just right, and she entertained herself (and me) for a few minutes by trying to get her shadow. The more she waved her arm, the more the shadow would move, and the more she would try to get it. I was seriously cracking up. I wish I could have got to my camera in time, but sadly I missed that photo op. It will just have to remain etched in the memory book of my heart for always... Well, I hope you all enjoyed these few fleeting moments of sweetness, and please keep all your posts coming. Like I said, I really enjoy some good late-night reading material, and the smiles they create last for quite awhile.

What is Easter?

Okay, so I really love funny e-mails. They can seriously put a smile on my face and a giggle in my heart for the whole day. I even love blond jokes, and I don't take offense at them- really. I got one about a week ago that (after I stopped laughing) made me think a bit. Three blonds approach St. Peter at the pearly gates and he asks them a question- "What is Easter?" The first blond replies, "It's the holiday in November where we eat turkey." St. Peter shakes his head, and turns to the second blond. She says, "It's the holiday in December where that guy in the red suit comes down your chimney and leaves you presents." St. Peter sighs and turns to the third blond who says, "Easter is the Christian holiday that coincides with the Jewish Passover. We remember that Christ was crucified for the sins of all mankind and was buried in a tomb." St. Peter smiles and nods. Looking proud of herself, she continues "Every year the stone is rolled away from the tomb, and if He comes out and sees His shadow, there are six more weeks of winter"...
Now let's put those giggles on hold for a minute. Do we really know why we celebrate these holidays? Yes, I think we do, but do we really care? I'm not so sure sometimes. We make sure to tell our children what they're really all about, but do we tell them enough? Don't get me wrong. I love the fun aspect of holidays, even the Easter Bunny. I'm not exactly sure where he came from or how finding hidden colored eggs reminds us of Christ's sacrifice, but I'll take it. Hey- I enjoy hunting eggs as much as my kids do. My in-laws hide eggs with adult prizes ($) out on the farm, and if you want to cash in, you had better be prepared to hike ditch banks, crawl through thorny bushes, wade in piles of junk, climb trees, and find elusive hiding spots amongst mounds of equipment, tires, tools, etc. I kind of had to laugh at myself this year. My baby is only nine months old, and I had her out hunting eggs with the kids. I'd let her pick up an egg on the grass, and she'd shake it in delight. Then I'd promptly take it away and put it in her basket, which I even tried to make her hold. She'd get mad, so we'd race to pick up another one and start the process all over. All she wanted was ONE egg. All she cared about was ONE egg. It's funny how we push the commercial on them before they can even remotely understand what's going on. If I had held up pictures of Jesus all day, that might have been a better lesson for her, all my other kids, and especially me. But it sure was cute watching all my kids. I love the joy they get out of such simple things. I especially love seeing them all done up in their Easter best on Sunday. It's one of two times each year that I actually make sure their socks match and their clothes are ironed. Zane's too. I think next year I'm going to put little pictures of Christ in some of the eggs I hide to try to bring more of that Sunday spirit into the rest of the holiday, and help my kids remember that Easter is about much more than just candy-filled baskets and treat-filled eggs. Though I do hope my in-laws keep filling their eggs with those wonderful green big-kid treats!

The Sacrament Talk

Alright. So I've written two posts now, and I've failed to tell you about us. Not because I don't think we're cool or anything, but because the time just didn't seem right. Now it does. Because tomorrow's the Sabbath, I've decided to give the "Sacrament talk." You know, the one where everyone starts out by saying, "The Bishop asked us to talk about- insert topic here- but let me start out by telling you a little about our family first (in order to use up most of the allotted amount of time and keep the actual talk short). So, here goes. Let me start out by telling you a little bit about my family. I met Zane 12 1/2 years ago on a blind date. The setting was the State Fair, and he was a country boy. I thought cowboy/country boys were a bit nerdy and I fancied myself more of a city kind of girl (the Dan Seals classic should be playing in your minds right now). After the date, I didn't think I would go out with him again, but when he called, my mother made me. Her good friend was the one who had set us up, and she didn't want me to be rude. Surprisingly, our second date was great- probably because we weren't in a country setting- and we dated steadily for the next year. Funny, we make it a tradition to visit the State Fair every year now, and this year will be the
14th one for us. Our first child, Alivia, came along a year and a half later, and then crazy set in and life was never the same again (though we wouldn't change a thing)! Wyatt came along three years later, then Jack three years after that, and then Maycie three years after that. Let me just say, and those of you with 4 or more children will be nodding your heads, our house is the nut house where chaos and disorder rule all. But we manage. Somehow. Seriously. Anyways, a little about the chitlins. Alivia is now 9 and will be turning 10 in less than 2 months. 10!!! I'm feeling really, really old. When you have a kid in the double digits, it does something to you- it ages you in ways Father Time can't. But, she is an awesome little girl. She is cute, smart, fun, and sassy- I mean the good sassy, but sometimes she can be the you-little-stinker sassy, and has been an expert at it since before she was two. Alivia's also an awesome babysitter. She prayed really hard for her baby sister, and she loves to be Maycie's second mother. I'm lucky to have her, and she is going to make an awesome catch for some young man someday (and by some young man, I mean it better be Bailey Marshall). Wyatt, now six and a half, is quite the kid, and is turning into quite the clown. He loves to build things, and has been putting together difficult puzzles since he was three. Now he has shifted to legos, and will work on a model until it is finished. Wyatt is a fun friend and wrestling partner to his little brother, Jack, and can also be the biggest tease. He puts new life into the "I'm not touching you, I'm not touching you" situation. But Wyatt also has a lot of sensitivity when it comes to his mom. He is sweet and loving (most of the time) and also loves his baby sister. Watch out girls! There will be catfights over who gets to be on Wyatt's arm, someday! Jack is the funniest little monkey you'll ever meet. He is full of life, and he wears me out. You may be thinking that all three and a half year olds wear their mothers out, but Jack is more "energetic" than most. He's refused to take naps since he was two, and spends his days sneaking outside every chance he gets and tearing off on his bike as fast as his little legs can go. Now my kids are all squirty, and Jack is no exception. But that kid can go fast. Many of you have probably witnessed me going, at a dead run, after Jack down the neighborhood. By the time I catch him, I've pulled a hamstring and got stitches in my sides. Not kidding. Not funny. Unless you're the one watching. Anyways, he is fun to play with, and loves to wrestle and cause trouble with his cousin Walker, as well as snuggle and read stories with mom. He also loves to play with his baby sister, which is funny when he's trying to explain the rules of games he's made up or telling her the names of his dinosaurs. Jack is also Zane's right-hand farm man. He loves tractors, combines, dirt, 4-wheelers, watering, dirt, cowboy boots and hats, climbing, digging, dirt, and he usually has some of that last one on his face and hands. And his clothes. Jack's cherubic face, his twinkling eyes, his silly smile, his raspy voice, and his crazy white-blond hair make him irresistable to me, so I frequently have to pin him and cover him with kisses until he stops wiping them off. Maycie is our baby. She will be nine months old next week, and I'm so sad to see the time flying by so fast (what good Sacrament talk would be complete without a few tears, so give me a moment here). She is absolutely beautiful, and yes, I know every mother thinks their child is beautiful, but Maycie is an angel. Not always in temperament, though. I haven't quite been able to label her as any certain type, because as I start thinking that she's one way, she changes. She is generally mild mannered and good, though she has a touch of the shy and clingy that I've always wanted. I know some hate clingy, and I'm sure I'll get sick of it later, but isn't it man's nature to crave what he doesn't have? And I've never had a shy, clingy child. Maycie is very talkative. Since she discovered she could make sounds, she never stops babbling. Her sounds change as she learns new ones, and it is always entertaining to me. She does the funniest things with her mouth, too, and has the most infectious smile. Maycie, like my other kids, is very small and can crawl at light speeds, so it gets quite challenging keeping up with her at times. I'm sure she'll be into everything, soon. She loves every one of her siblings and lights up when she sees them and when they play with her. She follows them around like a puppy, which is an especially appropriate metaphor considering Jack likes to play fetch with her. Maycie already shows that she'll have the same smarts, spunk, and personality (and a little sass) that all my kids have been blessed with, and I look forward to watching her grow. So anyways, have I used up all my time yet? No? Well then- moving on. I realize now that I skipped over mine and Zane's talents, hobbies, etc., so I'll briefly (ya, right) summarize. Zane is a farm boy, through and through. He bleeds John Deere green, and his apron strings only stretch about five or six miles from his farm in Lake Shore (West of Spanish Fork, for those of you who don't know where the next soon-to-be translated place, according to Zane, is). So we'll never live far from here, and we'll eventually settle down for good and build a house on the farm. Zane got his B.S. degree from UVSC and now works for Bank of American Fork, in the Pleasant Grove branch. He is awesome at what he does. Those who meet him can't help but like him, and I'm sure those of you who already know him agree. He loves hunting, fishing, camping, boating, hiking, spending time with his children, and teasing his wife (some boys never really grow up all the way, do they?). He is a great guy and a good husband and father. About me now. Are we out of time? Okay, I'll make it quick. I love to read, (except self-help books, which I probably need) and can devour book after book, except I have a hard time finding the time to do so- and I'm getting too old to pull too many all-nighters anymore. I love to scrapbook, and do so whenever I get the chance. I love to learn, and find interest in so many different things, that had I never married and had children, I'd probably have three or four degrees by now. I love to boat, water ski, play soccer (and watch my kids play soccer), make things, shop, watch movies, eat candy, go for drives, visit with friends, and play with my husband and kids. I hate change, organizing things, 9:oo church, and finding out I'm wrong about something. I absolutely cannot multi-task to save my life. Speaking of, my children are my life. They are my greatest love and my most favorite hobby. I am what I am because of them. And since I consider Zane to be one of them, I can say this. I grew up in Layton, Utah, and I sometimes think of who I was before my life in Spanish Fork, and wonder if I'm much the same person as I was then. But again, I wouldn't change anything. My family molds me, and I hope they continue to do so for the rest of eternity. I'm sorry I went over, but hey- that shortens the rest of the meetings, now doesn't it? And I hope you enjoyed getting to know us a little better.

What's in a name?

So now that I'm the proud parent of a blog, I've been telling people to check it out (since I don't know how to e-mail the link to people, I have to tell them). The first thing they ask is "What's the address?" and I say "evansfarm6". You may think that's a strange address for a blog, so let me explain. A few of my friends were discussing blog names and addresses the other day, and they seemed to think that clever addresses were best. Because I was about to create my own blog, I began to think about what address would be best for mine. Try as I might, I couldn't think of anything clever enough (Evans is a really boring name that doesn't rhyme or go with anything cute like Lemon Tree or Cooks Cookies). I got a little stuck on Heaven's Evans, but let's face it- that's just dumb. The Seven Evans' would have been good, except there are only six of us and that's not changing any time soon. So I finally settled on evans fam (short for family for those of you who might be reading this late at night), then had a stroke of cleverness and added an r in fam to make- drum roll, please- farm! If you're wondering why I'd want farm, my husband is a farmer and I knew he'd enjoy the plug. Besides, John Deere Dorks was already taken. I added the 6 because I like numbers in stuff, so my blog address became evansfarm6. A little nerdy, maybe, but it fits. So there you have it, folks! If you read this whole thing, tune in often for more literary tidbits of genius, or at least for a chuckle every now and then. p.s. this is the second time I've typed this since I didn't know you should save, and I deleted the first draft on accident.

I don't know what I'm doing, but here goes...

Okay- I've been hearing everyone talk nonstop about blogs lately, so I decided to figure out what in the heck a blog was. It sounds like a cross between a bugger and a frog, but I knew I had to be way off base. So I got the web addresses of some friends blogs and discovered that blogs were not in fact froggy green buggers, but were family journals equipped with pictures and music. I knew I had to get one, but this poses a big problem- I don't know how to work a computer. In fact, I just recently learned how to open e-mails, and better yet- I learned how to send and forward e-mails. So here goes! My first post. Enjoy!