Bloggers Block

It appears as I sift through my fellow blog wars buddies that there is an apparent problem that is spreading throughout the group, Bloggers Block.

Its ok, it happens to all of us from time to time. I have had my own case and I felt that I needed to help all of you that are out there in a funk and can’t think of anything to blog about. I have compiled a list (with the help of several other blog sites) that should help you get the creative juices rolling.

1. Keep track of your ideas. If you are like me at least once daily you have that moment when you think, I should blog about that, but then you never get around to it, and by the time you have a spare minute to write you have forgotten it. So write it down. Keep a notebook of ideas; you don’t have to blog them all but at least when in a pinch you can refer back.

2. Read past posts. Sometimes reading things you have or others have written in the past will spark an idea.

3. Have a goal. Set a deadline or minimum number of blogs you what to post in a given week/month and stick to it! I mean seriously here I have a desk job and I need something to do when I have down time.

4. Change the type of posts that you write. Not sure what to write about here are a list of options:
a. Write a review. Review that book your reading or the last movie or TV show you saw. How about a restaurant or recipe. I have to say my sissy is very good at this type of blog post.
b. Rant. Pull out all of the stops and just let it out. Be passionate, stir yourself up (and sometimes someone else too), say what’s on your mind and tell it like it is. If you write it in the heat of the moment keep in mind that things that you say may later come back at you.
c. Interviews. When you can’t think of anything to write ask someone else a few questions and record their answers, this is especially fun with kids.
d. Lists. This is an easy one, and if it has worked for David Letterman all these years then it should be a hit on your blog. Write a post with content like ‘The Top Ten reasons why….’, ‘My 4 Favorite ….’, ‘My Bucket list’ or what ever comes to mind. The best part is you have a simple idea and with each point you can add a sentence or two and you have a great post in no time, just look at how long this one is getting.
e. Blog Tag. When all else fails post that list of get to know you questions that someone tagged you with, or what ever other tag you have attacked by. Why not make up your own tag and tag your friends.

5. Change your blog background. Just like when you get a new outfit you feel confidant and happy, sometimes your blog needs a change too. This alone may make you want to blog about something fun and upbeat

6. Allocate your time. Get off of Facebook, Twitter, Plaxo and any other site that is taking your time away from blogging: oh wait, this is a personal issue.

7. Add images. Take a picture or video of something going on in your life right now. Everyone loves a good picture and you know what they say ‘A picture is worth…” ya, bla bla bla. It gives you the opportunity to share what you are doing with everyone else, and something to blog about!

Your blog misses you; don’t put it aside now, not after everything you have put into it. It has become a little piece of you. I hope that I have planted a few ideas in your mind to help you with that next post. I look forward to seeing the MANY new posts that will be popping up this spring. (That was my best cheesy bit of encouragement!).

Getting to Close to the Edge

I have wanted to take pictures of Alexis since her 16th birthday, and Tracy and I have wanted to go down to Utah Lake to take pictures of the ice blocks for a few weeks, so I just combined the two activities this weekend.
Alexis and I went down early and while we were walking around Utah Lake I went down to the waters edge and started to walk on the ice. This is when Alexis started to tell me about her lesson in church about not getting to close to the edge (aka don’t get close to temptation). This has been a recurring lesson in her young woman’s class and evidently they had drilled it in very well for her to start spouting it out at me as I started to walk closer to the edge of the ice. I guess it got to me so I turned around and went back to solid ground (aka the Lord, according to Alexis). I got off a few good shots of her. These two capture Alexis at 16, cell phone and iPod in hand.

Later Tracy showed up and she apparently did not get the lesson about being tempted and as a result she fell in… However, that did not stop her from taking more pictures. My squishy sissy and I stayed until sunset and I took a few more good pictures.

So how has your day been?

Well, so far my day has been just great! This morning my 2 year old tried to over dose on Hyland Teething Tablets by trying to consume the entire bottle, he would have succeeded at getting them all into his mouth too if he had not been caught by Courtney. We were able to get him to spit out about 30 of the 120 little pills that he had eaten. Luckily according to John at the poison control center they have such a small level of anything in them other than sugar and caffeine that he will be just fine.
Poor Kyle on the other hand did not see that he had done anything wrong and all he knew was that his new molars that are trying to come in are hurting. I am sure he thought that if three of those little pills help, then the whole bottle would feel great!
As I cleaned up the white powder from his face he looked at me with his cute puppy dog eyes and while signing and in a low voice said “more, Please” …seriously, um no honey, you have had enough for now.

My afternoon was fun too.
Did I mention that I had a water leak the day before my grandpa’s funeral?

Ya, that was so not cool. So the plumber thinks he fixed the leak in my master bath, but we were not sure how much water damage I had, considering the water was coming out of my light fixture in my family room. So today the “restoration” company came to “dry out” the floor. This is an interesting process, in order to preserve the tile in my master bath and not tear it out they went in from underneath and are trying to dry it that way.
This required a small structure that looks like something the bubble boy would live in to be erected in my family room. A hole was cut into the ceiling to get to the floor above and a dehumidifying machine and a large fan are hooked up to pull out all of the moisture in between the floors.

So the bright side, I know no mold has a chance in heck to grow in there now and I can remove that fear from my thoughts. If you see any other “bright sides” please let me know, I could use a few more.

And to think that when I woke up this morning I was ready for a wonderful day, I woke up happy and refreshed! I slept a full 8 hours, it’s true, I did. Cameron slept through the night, and Kyle slept in his own “big boy” bed. Awww… It was so nice, and a good thing too, because I am still in a good mood even after the teething tablet issue and the hole in my ceiling.

The Blessing

Our Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Melchizedek, which we hold; we take this infant in our hands and give him a name and a blessing. And the name that he shall be known upon the records of the church and throughout his life is Cameron Lee Bunker.
Cameron, you are so blessed to be upon the earth at this time, where you have been blessed with a body, which you will provide you with great lessons and experiences throughout this life. You are blessed to have the gospel in your life and be raised in a home where you can learn those things of Jesus Christ and of the truths of the gospel.
You have been blessed with great brothers and sisters, where you can learn readily from them. Heavenly Father loves you and is proud of your decision to come to this earth to continue to learn and grow. I bless you that you may be able to find those things in your life that will bring not only you joy and happiness, but that you may bless others, and you may be an example to them.
I bless you will feel and receive the Spirit of your Heavenly Father and that you will follow the Spirit, that you will do those things your Heavenly Father would want you to do, and your life will be blessed, as well as those of others.
I bless you that you will go on a mission and serve the Lord, that you will do those things to bring others the truth of the gospel. I bless you that you will marry in the temple and enjoy the experiences of having your own family and be a good example to them; that as the time comes you will be a worthy Priesthood holder; that you will be able to use that power form your Heavenly Father in building up His kingdom here on earth and that you will be an example to your friends and family. Use the Holy Spirit and you keen interest as you study the gospel and they will be a guide and help you.
The love you have from the Savior will shine through your entire life. Know that he will love and watch over you and guide you as you seek His spirit. Be strong and obedient to His commandments.
I seal these blessings upon you and do so humbly, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Thank you Sue for capturing and sharing this blessing with us.

Blessing Day

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

Cameron Lee Bunker was blessed today. He was given a name that will be on the church records from this day forward. I have been looking forward to this day for a very long time. So long, that I had anticipated it even prior to his birth.

I had very strong feelings about this blessing, I mean VERY strong feelings. I did not want Donovan to give his son this blessing. I felt that way almost from the time I accepted the fact that I was pregnant. Why should he… he walked away from his family, knowing this new life was coming, he was not there when he came into this world, he has not been there every day and night of his life, what relationship does he have with this precious little boy? What gives him the right to bless Cameron?

I looked forward to this day. I spent $60 on a blessing outfit that I felt was perfect. I made plans to have a former home teacher, who has become a good family friend, have the honor of doing the blessing and then I received the phone call, “…wait, Lore…” I am not sure what else was said. I just remember Donovan asking me to wait, and let him do the blessing. I told him I needed to think about it and I would call him back.

Months… months… I had waited for this day, I did not want him part of it! So why was I hesitating, crying and on my knees asking for help? My answer… “ask him why…”

After several days of struggling with the idea of talking to Donovan about this, I broke down and called. Why do you want to do this, I asked. I don’t know if it was his answers as much as it was the feeling I had inside that he needed to do this. So I waited.

Two months have passed, that super cute outfit was too small today, a little short and I had to keep the top snap undone around his neck because it was too tight. But that did not matter.

Donovan gave him a wonderful blessing that I knew he could. When he started, I knew he was supposed to give him this blessing. I felt a wave of comfort that I needed to ease my tension.

Cameron was perfect, not a peep, I believe he too felt the spirit and was comforted; otherwise he would have spit up on him.

After sacrament, Donovan had another family blessing to attend, and asked if the kids could go. Of course they can, they are family.

When I returned home from church to a quiet house, I felt so alone. The stress leading up to this day came pouring out; I just sat down and cried, holding Cameron in my arms. As I cried he started to smile, and I realized that all that mattered today was that he receive a beautiful blessing, and that I am so blessed to have him in my life. We may not have a perfect family, but the love I have for him is more powerful than the loneliness I feel inside.

Today was not easy for me, it was not how I planned it, no pictures were taken to remember who was there or how they looked, there was no family gathering afterwards to celebrate, but in the end, I am a little bit stronger today than I was yesterday.

He who dies with the most

…friends wins, remember when it used to be ‘He who dies with the most Toys wins?’ Not any more. Not with the introduction of Facebook.

After months of begging for a Facebook account I finally gave in to Alexis, and in order to monitor what she is doing I opened one for myself too.
This world of Facebook is an interesting thing; with in hours I had people coming out of nowhere asking to “be my friend.” friends from high school, work, the neighborhood I grew up in… it gets contagious, soon you are looking for people you know and inviting them to be your friend and you look at your friend’s friends to see if you know any and can invite them to be your friend… there is no end to this.

Alexis quickly acquired over 100 friends, I told her that they had to be people she actually knows and has talked to, and she swears they are all legitimate friends or family members. This is where the little bet started. She made fun of me for ONLY having 90 friends and the war was on… who can get the most friends in a week. I figured this should be easy, who else could she possibly get, she had invited everyone she knows right? Wrong! She has already acquired over 20, I am at 6… seriously; I could use some friends here! So if you’re not my friend yet please add me!

Aside from this little bet Facebook is actually fun. I have talked to people in the past two weeks that I literally have not talked to in 20 years. For example, I went to lunch with a great friend of mine, who I will always hold dear in my heart (and who I swear fell off the face of the earth), and if it was not for Facebook I probably would not have gotten back in touch with her.

Other than the communication factor, I think Facebook has taped into that secret side that everyone has, the one that enjoys looking into the lives of others, especially people we know. You can see if they are married, have kids, what they look like… it is cyber voyeurism to an extent.

The First Born

I thought that this was an appropriate little questionnaire considering that my first-born turned 16 last week. She has grown into a beautiful young woman. She is very intelligent, her honor roll status proves that, and she definitely has her own opinion on how things should be or not be. She is a true 16 year old teenager now, with one hand on her phone at all times texting anyone willing to text her back, a bedroom that looks like a disaster zone and an attitude that implies that she already has all of the answers that it took her mom a whole life to learn.
I have always made birthdays a big deal, this year was a bit overwhelming with everything going on, so Alexis, I am sorry that your “Big Day” was not perfect. I hope that your year will be.

1. WAS YOUR PREGNANCY PLANNED? After being married for 2 years it was and idea that had crossed our minds, so let’s just say it wasn’t prevented.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes, I was.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? I was scared.

5.HOW OLD WERE YOU? 23 when she was born.

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? I had a friend that said I had “that look” so we went to the hospital for a blood test. I got the results by phone later that day. I had to ask twice what “positive” meant I was in such shock.

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? I was in the bathroom crying when a co-worker walked in and asked if I was ok. I told her I was fine, just a little scared, and explained why. She gave me a hug and said I would be a great mom.

8. DID YOU WANNA FIND OUT THE SEX? Yes, I am not very good with surprises.

9. DUE DATE? February 22nd

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Only a little, when I would brush my teeth.

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? McDonald’s fries and their ketchup were my favorite.

12. WHAT IRRITATED YOU? The hated the smell of fish!

13. WHAT WAS THE SEX OF YOUR FIRST CHILD? Female.

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Yes, but then again I have always wanted a boy; I just had to wait longer to get them. I was happy she was a girl; she has been a great big sister.

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANT? Not much, I do not recall ever having to buy maternity clothing with her.

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Yes, I don’t remember much other than the games that we did.

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? Like I said, I don’t remember.

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING THE PREGNANCY? Other than she came VERY fast, nope.

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, Provo, UT

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? I was having contractions for just a few hours, but not strong enough that I was worried about them, I honestly though I was just having a stomach ach due to something I ate.

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Brian, in the very bouncy Jeep. I paged him when my mom saw my stomach contract and she freaked out; he had just left work as was at the point of the mountain.

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Brian, Dr Dewey and a nurse.

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural

24. DID YOU TAKE ANY MEDICATION TO EASE THE PAIN? I was given an epidural without even asking for one, they wanted to slow the contractions so the Dr could make it in. Apparently, they could see her head when they checked me to see if they were going to admit me into the hospital.

25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 7 lbs 6 oz

26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? February 15th, 1993 at 7:22 a.m.

27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Alexis Lauren Mease