The Fabulous Baker Family

2010-11-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

Now. What kind of word is that? I can't believe how many people say that to me in a day. I find it very interesting just for the fact that I usually cannot do anything right now. I seem to be on the time frame of "In a little while' or "Later". Come to think of it the only thing that seems to happen on a now basis is when I need to use the restroom, and even then I sometimes have to wait!

Falling

2010-05-29T23:56:00.000-07:00

the sky is far away
ground is getting closer
looking up I see forever, eternity, bliss
but falling
it gets clearer i know its there
no denying life after death
but falling
grass is tall, hard to grasp what will heal
help me, help them,
slippery and falling
closer to the earth
want to rise, want to rejoice
but falling
dirt on my face, smells fresh, alive
clouds above show truth and light
rain brings clean air
tis good
but falling
hoping the mud will bring a river
to lift to another place
but falling
rushing to lower ground, out to sea
to greater depths but
waves can lift, crest, swirling on
endless, maybe
but at least not falling

Blame the Dog!

2010-05-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

I need to be better at this blogging thing..... I really need to be better at a lot of things. It seems that we are always being reminded to up our game, so to speak. Well I'm tired. My mind knows what needs to happen. Exercise, clean, organize, donate, serve, teach, work, save, and so forth. My body says, Sleep, leave the cleaning for someone else, keep, read, spend, and relax. I think that this is a common struggle for most but it seems to be weighing on me more than normal these days. Maybe it's the economy or maybe my own silly ways. Actually I take that back, it's the kids! Yep, that's it. Those silly kids. Making the mom weary. I wonder if I did this to my mother? That this is some sort of payback. No, couldn't be. It's the dog. You can always blame the dog.

2010-03-16T23:19:00.000-07:00

OK. So this was interesting. I randomly chose a picture not knowing what would appear. I decided to write something about it no matter which picture I uploaded. This is Nellie our new dog. I am not necessarily a dog person so its funny that both my old dog Vince and my new dog Nellie found their way to this blog. Nellie is not like Vince. Well I take that back. Vince was a dog. Nellie is a dog. Vince was strong. Nellie is strong. Vince could jump very high. Nellie can jump very high. Vince had hair. So does Nellie. Vince was a little shall we say crazy...Nellie is a little crazy. Vince ate dog food. Nellie eats dog food. My kids loved Vince. My kids love Nellie. I think Vince had a sense of humor and Nellie makes us laugh....But they really have nothing in common.

2010-02-15T22:37:00.000-08:00

There once was a man who loved to collect unusual things. Something about stuff no one else wanted or found beautiful caused him great excitement. He marveled at all the cool throwaways that so many of his friends recognized as junk. One day he came upon a most intriguing find. He was so overjoyed that he even had to sit for a while and think about his extraordinary luck. After all it had to be luck that brought him to this special piece. So many thoughts were racing through his mind. What is it worth? How would he pay for it? Who was the first to own it? Where did it come from? How would he get it home? Where would he put it once he got it there? He just sat there thinking, so overwhelmed by the artifact that seemed to beckon him, call his name. It seemed so incredible that he just kept sitting and thinking. Time passed and people passed and before he knew it, night had turned to day, day turned to night and the days turned into weeks. He was so taken by this one object and so undecided on what to do that he just sat. Sat and sat. Then one day he too passed away leaving his find for another collector to marvel at. Yet no one cared to love this treasure as he did. No one else stopped to wonder. No one else understood. And the amazing thing about it is no one else even knew it existed.

2010-01-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

Bryce was walking around on a broken fibula for about 3 months. I am truly not surprised, we all wander through life for months on end waiting to find out what causes the pain. Sometimes we heal and never quite find out where the scar came from. Sometimes the wounds fester and ooze but we have found really good ways of putting on band aids. How often have you visited with friends showing off your scars, comparing stories? And even when you hear their stories, you really can only feel your own pain, that's what we relate to. We can sympathize, love and support our friends but when it comes down to the pain, its only our own we feel. I think now this is why we all suffer pain and sorrow, because that's the only way to know how it feels, but it is also the only way to know how healing feels. And though, at times, I'd rather skip some of the sorrow, the healing is so miraculous, so amazing and so incredibly perfect that I want to show off my scars and rejoice in the power of it.

2010-01-04T22:50:00.000-08:00

Wow! Where does time go? How often has that question been asked? Does time really fly on wings of lightning? If you could go back in time, would you? Does Father Time have a wife? If he does can she get things done more efficiently than her husband? If they have children, do they waste time? Is a moment in time sufficient to know someone? How about love them? In the time it takes to thoroughly clean your kitchen does another room in your house get messy? If you spend every waking moment with someone is that too much? Does it depend on the person? How much time, do you suppose, it took that woodchuck to chuck the wood? If there is no end to time and no beginning to time, why do we even keep time? Does your watch keep good time? Do you wear a watch or just use your cell phone? If you wear a watch do you still look at the cell phone for the time? How much tome do you think this took me to write? Do you really want to know? Didn't think so. Have a great day.

2009-09-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

2009-09-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

We had a dog named Vince. We had picked his name because he had a distinct "V" on his head. Vince was a quiet dog. He never barked. Once in a while he would whine or make weird underwater like sounds during his sleep. Even when people came to the door he would just sniff them. Most of us hate it when dogs sniff but I'm told that they can't talk so sniffing is the way they identify you since saying "Hi, Florence." would be next to impossible. Speaking of impossible, you would think that jumping a six foot fence is impossible but Vinny, as we later started calling him, could do this. He jumped all the time, right in front of us. He just liked the neighborhood. He would go to school and play with the kids, recess was always the best part of school right? Once he even went grocery shopping. We always got him back. One time he jumped while I was on the phone with my Visiting Teacher. I was still in my robe. I ran quickly outside and started pursuing him. No shoes, just my robe and the Visiting Teacher on the phone. Vince thought I was funny. He laughed and stopped running, but of course when I reached him he took off again. "I do not like to run and I do like this game!" I shouted into the phone. My Visiting Teacher hung up, although she did check on me later and we laughed. Vince did a lot of funny things and his nature was so sweet that all we could do was love him. I miss him, and its weird because I'm not a "Dog Person" or any "Pet Person" for that matter but he was like our toddler, giving us a little unexpected life here and there. Maybe I can share more stories another time, like when he climbed out the second story window and was waiting on the ledge, or when he broke through the window screen and was sitting on my leather sofa still attached to his leash. Then there was the time he walked on the fence like a cat, or the time he was hiding behind Bruce's white Sunday shirts in the closet because it was too loud on New Years Eve. Or the time he was.........

Freaked out

2009-08-11T00:49:00.000-07:00

We had gone here to take Bryce's Senior Pictures and ended up with 300 shots of the kids and me. I guess it was picture day with mom. My niece took them and she got some great ones. When I look at these I think of all the changes we have seen, and the changes ahead. Bryce will be leaving soon and I can hardly believe its here. As a mother I am FREAKED OUT! As someone who once left home, I am excited for him. As a daughter I now understand what my parents felt. As a friend I know everyone has the smartest, cutest, bravest, most amazing child around. As a spouse I support the feelings of Bruce. As a teacher I hope that all was taught, or at least some of it sank in. And as his greatest fan I say Go Bryce, I love you so very much!

2009-08-11T00:47:00.000-07:00

we were walking....

Ice Cream! Wow!

2009-06-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

I have had Ice Cream more in these past six weeks than I ever had in my life. We were not an Ice Cream eating family, at least not regularly. But when life throws you a whirlwind, and the strong winds of change its amazing what Ice Cream can do. Wow! In the past 6 weeks the fabulous Bakers have faced some major changes. Life changing is good, right? 1. My Father In-Law, Roland moved in with us. (which entailed me flying back to Boston, with Vertigo, and fly him home, while my husband packs his stuff and drives across country again) 2. He has cancer. 3.We had to do minor construction to make room for him. 4. I had to move my workroom and my endless supply of fabric. 5. I took him to 8 Doctor appointments. 6. My son, Bryce graduated from High School. 7. He will be leaving for college soon. 8. End of the year awards assemblies and concerts for three different schools. 9. Mothers Day. 10. Roland has a collapsed Lung. Can't breath very well. 11. Wende, my sister has complications from Lupus. 12. Someone I love may be getting a divorce. 13. Youth Conference. 14. Attended 4 ward Conferences. 15. Made and installed 7 panels of draperies. 16. Made three diaper bags. 17. Altered 15 pair of jeans. 18. Made a Blessing Dress. 19. Altered two, very difficult, under the wire Wedding Dresses. 20. Had a tragic accident with our dog, had to put him to sleep. 21. May get sued over the dog. 22. Kids are devastaed over the dog, trying to console the kids. 23. Roland needs surgery for his Lung, will be in hospital three days. 24. Roland is depressed, needs uplifting. 25. My husband is not getting calls for work. 26. I'm not getting calls for work. 27. Scout camps coming. 28. Girls camps coming. 29. I am way, way, way behind on the housework. 30. Bruce and I celebrate our 19th Wedding Anniversary! And whats funny is this is probably not a complete list. But all of us, everyone I know has this sort of life, has these experiences and we keep swimming. Yeah for us! I do feel overwhelemed sometimes but there are amazing people in my life that call, stop by, give support and it makes me smile. I truly have a great family, a great support group of friends. And Roland has taught me something, having Ice Cream every day does make it all doable.

my new motto.......

2009-03-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

Ha! Haven't quite kept up here but that's not surprising. I have never said I liked being in the lead, front of the line, on top of things, but I must say that it is good sometimes. Like when you go into Senor Taco and was first to order a shrimp burrito and then you get it first, yes, that's good. I also like the days that come around once in a while when my cleaning gets done early and there is time for reading. (Although I am able to read in a mess, just to let you know.) It's also great to finish first when there is extra dessert because then you might get extra dessert! I enjoy having things in order, done, up to date, ready to go, but I must relate, that there is something to be said for going with the flow, letting things go a little. Ease up and let someone else pick up the socks from the floor. It's not a letting go of everything or laziness, It's just a "It's OK" motto. The kids are dirty, the dog is stupid, dinner is, well, not so tasty and the car is making a weird noise, "Its OK". I am wearing a size too big for me and "Its OK". I am missing round table tonight and "Its OK". I am going to a pyramid scheme meeting tonight that I'm not signing up for and "Its OK". I laugh too much and cry too much. I side with the strangers at Circle K and pray for the cancer patients I know. I have known sorrow as well as great happiness. I love food and hate exercising and "Its OK". Life sends us postcards, bits of info, happy or not. Regardless of the message we can enjoy the pictures and reply to the sender, "Its OK"!

2009-01-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

Reliance Floor Care is offering 10% off of all carpet cleaning through the month of January.

2009-01-02T22:54:00.000-08:00

I really need to spend more time on here making this the fabulous site it should be for such a fabulous family. I have really enjoyed the time I spent with my family this Christmas season. Bryce, Madison Taylor and Brooke are such amazing (and did I mention fabulous) kids. They are always so kind and respectful to me. I must count them as my best blessing. And of course Bruce, who is a big part of why they are so fabulous. Sadly his Father just informed us he has Cancer although we are still waiting for more info on exactly whats going on, but since he is all the way over there (Cape Cod, Massachusetts) he is going to need a lot of moral support. Prayers and more prayers. We love you Roland.

2008-12-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

We had a fabulous Christmas. I am always awed at how amazing my children are. They are so good and I am blessed for knowing them. I know many of you feel the same about your own children. That's what makes families so great isn't it? I was asked to teach Relief Society tomorrow and I actually have had a few quiet moments to ponder. I decided to look up some funny story to share but they were all so irreverent and the people telling them seemed poke fun of everyone. I was surprised. I come from a fun-loving family and we laugh all the time, we laugh at each other all the time, but I felt so sad and sorry for these people. I think it was a good thing for me, helped me to remember all of Heavenly Fathers children are loved and important. I have family that needs to be understood , they could seem silly or awkward and sometimes say odd things but I hope that they are loved in their ward families, especially since I am so far away from them. I guess I'm feeling a little thoughtful and reflective today. I guess thats what a little peace and quiet will do for you.

2008-12-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

Brooke wrote this Christmas poem, age 9

Christmas Time

It's that time of year
We hear
Lots of Christmas cheer

Reindeer pull the sleigh
Full of presents on it's way

When I see
The tree
My face lit up with glee
There was a present for me

At midnight
We hear Santa recite
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night

2008-12-16T13:51:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

2008-12-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

We want to wish everyone Very Merry Christmas season and hope that all is well with you and yours. Bruce started his own carpet cleaning company "Reliance Floor Care" just a few months ago. It seems a crazy time to do this with the economy and all but we feel it was best for our family. He named it after his Grandma Baker. Her name was Reliance (she went by Lila) and she lived to be 101! We hope that our business will have some longevity as well. Bruce has always been a hard worker and prides himself in doing a good job. Being honest and trustworthy has been good qualities to have as well. You can check out his website @ reliancefloorcare.com. Check out Kudzu as well and read his reviews. His # is 480-330-5800. My own business Fru Fru Chalet has been a little slow but Kim (my Business partner, my kids say to always preface partner with business) and I are hoping we will pick up again in January. It looks promising and have a few clients lined up. We have fun designing draperies and other fun stuff. We still have diaper bags and other totes and purses for sale. We hope our own website will be running soon. Our children are doing well and everyone seems healthy. (My vertigo is gone for now, YEAH!!!!) Even in these harsh economic times we feel very grateful and blessed. We know that someone is always watching over the FABULOUS Bakers. I'll leave you with a FABULOUS quote, "Blessed is the Season which engages the whole world in a Conspiracy of Love." (Mary Engelbreit)

2008-10-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here we are! The Bakers, Bruce and Heidi, Bryce, Madison, Taylor and Brooke.

This picture was taken on Taylors 12th Birthday and Brookes Baptism Day. It was so nice to have sooooo much family support us.

The day was so nice and we were happy. (Yes, even Taylor, he rarely smiles in pictures!)

( no one likes this picture)

2008-10-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! The Fabulous Baker Family is finally stepping up to the plate, so to say, we are catching up with technology, sort of. Maybe we will actually have some fun with this and entertain some of our family and friends.