The Truth is- Every year at the church Halloween party they have a chili cook off. It's one of those things where everyone's a winner and get a different award. 2 years ago I made CHICKEN chili and I won the "Very Vegetarian" award. . . Not sure how that works. . .

The Truth is- My mom and I had a deal that if I didn't kiss a boy till I was 16 she would give me $100. I got my $100. But I think we're going to do the same sort of thing with our kids. Especially Preston. Cause he's already quite popular with the ladies, and loooooooves to give and get kisses. (Pstt...Natalie...you might want to gently break the news to Rylie that although he Preston loves her and will marry her he can't kiss her till after he's 16.)

The Truth is- That we have a few "family rules" that we grew up with and still live by. And these aren't your typical family rules. Some of our family rules are "No motorcycles"- My mom was a nurse and saw too many motorcycle injuries. Later after some incidents this rule was changed to "No motorcycles, no ATV's/Quads, no jet ski's". Sometimes people like Jimmy start to think they might want a motorcycle and then I have to remind them of this rule. Another rule "No dating someone who someone else in the family has dated." That one needs no explanation. Next, "No hitting the soccer ball with your head". Head injuries may ensue. Sometimes I have to remind Jimmy of this one. And lastly "No playing in the fire." Jimmy. Apparently scout camp makes some people, Jimmy, want to jump over the fire or play hot potato with the fiery red coals.

Jimmy.

The Truth is- When Patrick was younger, he thought the phrase "pardon me" was actually "part of me". So he would squeeze by people and say "part of me".

The Truth is- Today, July 28th, marks 4 years since my mom died. I wish I could say "oh wow it's gone by so fast." But then I think about how every single day for the last 4 years I've thought about her, and then it doesn't seem to have gone by fast at all.

The Truth is- Today feels like I'm living in that children's book "Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day". Been up with Preston since 3am because he's sick. Took him to the doctor, stressed about stuff thats going on, spilled water down the front and back of my pants in public so it looks like i wet myself, couldn't change into what i wanted b/c it was dirty. Ah. Tomorrow will be better.

The Truth is- Sometimes people use certain words that use drive me crazy! Like when people say "for cereal?" instead of "for real?". Clever. Or redonkulous instead of ridiculous. I don't get it. And I don't see the humor in it. Don't even get me started on when people say impordant instead of imporTant.

The Truth is- Facebook has recommended some very strange things lately. For example, the other day they recommended I become a fan of Vin Diesel. Why? Because people who like Twilight: The Saga also like Vin Diesel. Well not this person. Then they recommend I like reading because people who like Lost like reading. It's just head scratching. And don't even get me started on when they recommend that I "reconnect" with Patrick Reynolds and drop him a line to see what he's been up to.

The Truth is- Sometimes when birds fly close to the car when I'm driving I tend to close my eyes. I don't want to see if a bird hits the car! I do realize it is kind of dangerous. but I figure it's kind of like sneezing when you drive, you have to close your eyes for a millisecond, same thing!

The Truth is- One year when it was just Andrew and I at home for Thanksgiving we came home to a bird in the house. We had accidently left the sliding door open, and it came in. Must have been a condor, it was HUGE! Ok, it was probably a sparrow. No, at least the size of a crow. It was flying around knocking pictures off the wall, pooping on other pictures. There was a lot of screaming going on. From both of us. And from the bird. And then pot's and pan's were brought out so we could try to shoo it out and then some sort of Thanksgiving miracle happened and it flew out the front door.

The Truth is- my family has some special lingo, or phrases that we use. Sometimes I use these around other people and then think "oh gosh they probably think I'm crazy...." They include the words/phrases: "I'm sweating like a hot pig on cheese" (to be used when your really really hot), "Butsmacker" (which is more of an insult then an anything else), "It's an Obama miracle" (Patrick brought this phrase home from a client at work after Obama won, and now we just use it when amazing things happen), "It's all political" (my mom use to say this alllll the time when it came to things like The Academy Awards or Miss America contests. Now we just say it for whenever), "This is why we don't have nice things" (you have to say this after anyone drops anything no matter how big or small). I know there are more, but they all seem so normal to me now that I can't think of them.

The Truth is- every time I eat Cheerio's I feel the need to look into every spoonful and make suer there are not tiny shrunken people swimming around in it just like in Honey I shrunk the Kids. Every single time.

The Truth is- my turtle eats worms. I know, how very carnivorous of her. Many years ago I was getting a worm ready to feed to the turtle, and I don't much care for worms and the way they feel. So i washed it, held it in my hand and then ran around the corner to fling it into her cage. Only problem is I was running with my eyes half closed so i didn't have to see I was holding a worm and ran straight into a bookcase. Had a big bruise on my head after that little stunt. I still don't like feeding her worms, but at least I keep my eyes open now when I take them to her cage.

The Truth is- My Phantom of the Opera music box is haunted. Possibly by the Phantom of the Opera himself. All I know is that on SEVERAL different occasions now I've been in the other room, and it will have been DAYS, even WEEKS since it had been wound (its the barrel monkey playing the symbols sitting on top of a box) and it will play. Sometimes it plays whole stanzas of music, other times it will just play one note over and over. Yeah it creeps me out.

FRIDAY: We went to see Eclipse w/ Krissa. It was hot. The AC in theater #11 at Harkins was not working (a fact they knew before they sold all the tickets and let us in). People were dropping like flies! But the movie was super good. Luckily there weren't any girls in there who screamed/swooned when Jacob took his shirt off. "Doesn't he own a shirt?" * Carmel popcorn * Visiting with family * Going to see Suzi/Braxton/ baby Kent with Krissa. No worries, didn't make me baby hungry * Gilmore Girls * Rainstorms (was it a Monsoon?) * Sleep *

SATURDAY: Early morning gym trip * Stupid stupid STUPID music videos and a treadmill that shocked me every time I pushed any button or tried to see what my heart rate was. It's not like I was dragging my feet creating friction, I was running * Visit from Bree & Jack's girlfriend Mystique * Humidity from previous days rainstorm (or monsoon) * 2 long long naps for Preston * More Gilmore Girls (halfway through season 5 now!) * Trip to Target for baby food for the baby * Dreams that night about working at Target * Cleaning * So You Think You Can Dance * Relaxing

SUNDAY: Slept in till 7:30 when Preston woke up. I then spent the day adoring him for sleeping in till 7:30 * Apricot jam & scrambled eggs * Lazy Sunday mornings * yes, more Gilmore Girls * Church * Spikey hair for Preston * Visit with the Grandparents & Family * Getting to introduce Preston to cousins, and 2nd cousins he's never met before! * Sad times thinking about Jimmy leaving ( he left for BYU today ) * Writing to Andrew (have you written to him lately?) * Sleep

Not too busy of a week ahead of us. Preston turns 6 months old tomorrow!!! So at some point there will be a Preston post. Typical.

The Truth is- My whole life we've kept the syrup in the fridge. Patrick comes along and asks why the syrup is in the fridge. I dunno, that's just where the syrup goes! I don't know why, it doesn't need to be refrigerated. It's not served better cold. Thats just how it's always been. Our syrup lives in the pantry now.

The Truth is- My Senior year in High School we had open campus for lunch and one day I went with a friend to Burger King. I let another car who was coming from the opposite direction cut in front of me at the drive in. Guess I must have been feeling extra nice that day. WELL, that lady I let in before me totally paid for our lunches! Free hamburger kids meal for me! And that's why you should always be courteous.

The Truth is- One day Andrew, Bree and I were in the family room watching a movie or something and a lizard fell from the light in the ceiling above the fireplace. A lizard fell from the sky. I then tried to trap it under a bowl, and almost cut its tail off. Needless to say it got away and ran behind the bookshelves. Someone had to rescue us at that point as I was in full panic mode. As a follow up one day Andrew went in to the bathroom and there was a lizard inside the toilet. He screamed and maybe flushed it? I'm not sure, I'll have to check with him. Lizards show up in strange places in our house. And fall from the sky.

The Truth is- Last week I had a dream that I was eating a PB&J with Ellen Degeneres and I asked her why we were friends. She said it was because I had been on the cover of People magazine 4 times. Sure enough on her wall she had all the covers of People Magazine and I was on 4 of them. 2 pre-Preston, 2 post-Preston. She said I was a good "puff piece" and a "feel good human interest story". I just remember standing there looking at my covers thinking "wow. I can so use this for Confession Wed. If I didn't know I was on People Magazine 4 times I bet no one else knows!". This dream has led me to believe I spend a little too much time thinking about what I'm going to use as a confession.

The Truth is- I hate filling up the salt shaker. Not because it's messy, and spills everywhere making you feel like your walking on sand. But becuase after I fill it I look at it and think...wow...we used A LOT of salt. Then I feel guilty. Then I step in salt and forget about feeling guilty.