Group Hug

Last night was a night I think our family will never forget.

It started out at the dinner table eating a simple turkey vegetable stew when Dad said, "What should we talk about tonight?"

None of us thought much of the question and we kept on eating and chatting about the days events. We didn't realize the depth of what he had planned to share with us. He started out by saying, "What does it mean to die? Really think about that question. What did you worry about most today? What did you think about most? I realize I spent most of my day at work, worried about what other people thought of me...If I was good enough for the job...If they would like me. Then I remembered how short my life is. I never know when my time is up. None of us do. I want to focus on what matters to me in life. I want tell and show the people I love that I love them, more often." 

Dinner time stretched out as we all shared our thoughts and feelings on the matter. Everyone at the table was in tears, some sobbing, in-between bites of food. Dae shared the analogy of a fake flower (believing in eternal life or living forever even after death) compared to a real flower that blooms temporarily (what we have proof of and what we believe). Even though the life of the real flower is fragile and temporary, how much more important is it to you that you notice and make the most of it's beauty? I believe religion blinds people, causing them to believe that they have more time than they do, all because it makes them feel safe and happy. I once believed that too. I will always have hope for an afterlife, I think having hope is good and essential to anyone's happiness. Think about what a life changing surprise that would suddenly be! But...because we have no proof of an after life, we cannot know for certain; all we can do is honestly think about what makes sense, no matter how hard that may be, and make the most of this beautiful life that we do have.
At the end of the discussion, we had a family group hug that I will never forget.

After dinner we all went to grandpa Jay's so Dad could help him with his computer and then Dad surprised us by taking us to Culver's for custard. What a meaningful night it was.

Questions Of The Day

What If

By Deacon:

What if you could drive for 10 hours to get $10, and then you could give that $10 to someone that could give you a super power to control nature; like the water and earth. Would you?

Like, you could make a giant hand out of dirt come out of the ground and make it do what you wanted.

What if you could do any kind of job at all to earn a million dollars and then trade it for a super power. Would you?

Musings of An 8 Year Old Boy

Deacon randomly announced at grandma Linda's during dinner on Sunday...."Mom! I forgot to tell you my dream about you last night! I had a dream that you had donkey teeth and that you were trying to bite my shirt and it was REALLY tickling!!"

Hahaha...

I wonder....Did he have this dream because...

A. I tease him sometimes in real life.

B. My mouth really does resemble a donkey.

C. Both

"Mom, I have been thinking a lot lately about the universe, the sky, EVERYTHING....HOW WOULD IT START, AND HOW WOULD IT NOT? I am going to get a notebook and write it down and figure it out. I'm not going to stop and every time I think of something I'm going to add it in my book. I really like to think about it."

(Driving in the car)..."When we are driving really fast and I'm holding this paper why doesn't it fly backwards when I drop it? Forget about the wind....I can't figure out why it doesn't fly backwards..."

I love how he likes to think deep about things already for himself. 
It makes me so proud.

(Deac and I went to the school and played soccer alone together on a winter day before Christmas)
Just look at him...I can't believe how grown up he is getting. I swear it wasn't that long ago that he thought a Cattail weed was a corndog.

How You Know You Are Getting Old

A random conversation...

Me: "Wow....Chase bank, was founded in the year 1799. I didn't know that."
Kandus: "Whoa...That is a long time. Before you were even born..........maybe."

Question of the day...

The other day Lucy and Kandus were looking through our family scrapbooks. They were looking at this picture of me and Dae. In the picture we were standing out in front of the Provo temple,(just a week or so before we were married). 
Lucy said, "Ohhhhh....Mom, how many times did you wear your hair like that?" 
I AM GETTING OLD.

A pet that hops

This summer I've...

been a dog,

a cat,

a big fat spider,

a witch,

a clown,
a princess,

a queen,
a nice mom,
a mean mom,

and a mean lady.

I have...
played dinosaurs,

Buzz Lightyear,

and Woody,

made friends with a dog,
made more green smoothies,

ran with the Dae,

eaten less meat,

loved anything with coconut,

maintained a steady diet of watermelon,

and ADAMS NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER,

and

I've mowed the weeds with my teeth.

(There's more, but that's all I can think of right now)

What have you done?

**********

Do you recognize this person?

Try to guess...

Don't look yet, but the answer is at the bottom.

He's Alphalfa from The Little Rascals!! But without the freckles.

(Kandus did it)

********

Question of the day...

Deacon: Mom, can we take jack back to the place where he came from and get the kind of pet that hops?....But not a bunny.

Annie: Do you mean a kangaroo?

Deacon: Ya, a kangaroo.......................No wait, I want Jack akshlly!!

question of the day.

Because sometimes, we all wonder things...

Lucy: Mom, how do people go blind?...I'm wondering if you have ever told me before if you are blind or not?

(Instantaneous and uncontrolled cackling from me as I was driving the car)

Lucy: Okay Mom, tell me what I am doing right now.

Can you see my hand? What is it doing?

(I looked at her serious little face in the rear view mirror....I could barely talk.)

Annie: Ya, you are twirling your hair with your finger.

Luce, if I was blind how could I drive a car or go grocery shopping without someone helping me? I wouldn't be able to see.

Lucy: Oh ya.(giggle) How would you pick out soap?

I was just wondering....

(Last week after Kindergarten.)

quizzical questions.

Lucy: Mom, would you rather that I die or a mean cow?

Annie: The cow.

Lucy: Yep! Would you rather I die or a nice bull?

Annie: The bull.

Lucy: Yep! Would you rather all the mean cows in the world die or all the bulls?

Annie: Bulls.

Lucy: Would you rather have a mean pet dog or a lion pet?

Annie: A mean pet dog.

Lucy: Ya, me too. Would you rather have a lion pet, a tiger pet, a grizzly bear pet, or a polar bear pet?

She would rather have a polar bear for a pet...Me? I still haven't decided.

*******

A few nights ago, I found myself absentmindedly telling my six year old, "Come on Luce, lets go change your bum."

What I meant to say was, "Lets go brush your teeth."

I swear the words felt completely natural and instinctive. They just flowed.

It was really weird...almost like I had said those words once before. Like deja vu.

The girls and I laughed and laughed.

*****

Next up,

the FAIRIES.
Do YOU know them?......I do.

Once there lived...

an ogre.

This ogre was mean and green.

He was bound and determined to destroy all of FAIRYTALE LAND.

No wait...actually, this ogre was very nice and good to all.

At least that's what they say.

(Lucy as a fairy "NOT Tinkerbell", Kandus as a random princess, Deac as the ogre)

(Story first thought out by Kandus)

Questions of the day...

Kandus: Mom and Dad, a boy told me that a mosquito got in his ear but it couldn't get all the way to his ear drum because he had too much earwax. Kind of freaky huh?

Lucy: Would you rather get the mosquito out of your ear with a tiny knife or a little tree stick?

Hmmm? They both seem pretty painful.

(The conversation ends, unanswered, with both Damon and Annie nearly laughing tears.)

This last "question of the day" is dedicated to my one and only husband, and to our FIFTEENTH cherished year together. (Usually we celebrate on or around each leap year, whatever day I like. So I guess today is good...oh, and last Friday). I am so happy that I have you dae.

Deacon: Mom, someday will you be a grandma?

Annie: Yes, someday I will, but not for a long time.

Deacon: When you get married?

Annie: I already am married. Who did I marry Deac?

Deacon: aaaa.......Heavenly Father?

Annie: No, dad. You silly.

Deacon: And did he have a wand?

Every.

Question of the day...

Where would we all be without our families?

Where would I be?

This very question comes to my mind at times when I find myself focusing on mere unimportant concerns and I neglect what is most important to me.

Through the bustle and the worries of life, at times I loose sight.

Then I remember.

I remember how much I need them. How much I love them. I remember how they are my world.

~~~~~~~

Let us all be thankful for each and every breath.

Every crucial heart beat.

Every conversation.

Every sweet laugh.

Every frustrated day.

Every joy.

Every teaching moment.

Every humbling moment.

Every hope of a forever.

Every life experience.

Every feeling.

Every thing.

Lexi and helmet hair.

The girls yesterday with their cousin Lexi.

little feet.

Something to smile about...

The other night the kids and I watched the new Alice in Wonderland movie. It was our second night in a row.

As it went.....

The heroic Alice was preparing to go head to head against the bloodthirsty, evil Jabberwocky. Alice was dressed in armor, completely except for her head. She wasn't wearing anything to protect her long and absolutely flawless blonde curls.

Kandus mentioned out loud for the 2nd time, "Why is she not wearing a helmet?!! That is so dangerous!"

No one answered, so she asked it again.

Lucy had the perfect answer to Kandus' perplexity, "Girls don't wear helmets. Only boys. Can you imagine what that would look like?"

So it goes....beauty wins over loosing your head.

Question of the Day

Here is another completely random question for you to ponder upon...

Lucy: Are you imagining Santa in a white heaven dress?

Well...Are you?

Portraits and Question of the Day

To the winners who guessed that the picture was me. Thanks everyone for playing our game! The winners were my sister in law Ashley and my sister Shelly.

Here are your portraits colored by Lucy.

Question of the day by Deacon...

It was a regular night as Deac went to bed in the regular way. I kissed his face and tucked his favorite car blanket in around him.

I didn't feel rushed...at all.

His little world was mine for a few moments.

I looked in his amazing eyes, kissed his forehead again and whispered to him...

Me: I love you Deac. You are my sweet boy.

We smiled at each other.

Deac: Mom, know what?(His low voice was adorable. He was going to whisper sweet nothings to me, I just knew it.)

Me: What?

Deac: Could you go out?

Photo Shoots on Lucy's Bed.

A series of photo shoots we did last week.

We took turns setting the hands free feature on the camera and then leaping onto the bed before it was too late. It was so funny!

Question of the Day by Kandus...

Kandus: Would you rather have a strawberry tree or a watermelon tree? One of these might be fake.

Me: Strawberry, because I wouldn't want watermelons falling on my head.

Kandus: Yah, I don't think there is such thing as watermelon trees.

Meager Excitement and Our Week

You could say that the Hullinger family has got cabin fever real bad, but I'm sure everyone does. Nie Nie calls it the "coups"(feeling couped up) and it has rubbed off on me, so that's what I call it now. Any meager excitement at all will do when you've got the "coups".

This weeks excitement as it was...

An average evening at our house around dinner time...

Deacon playing whack-a-mole on the kitchen floor with all the measuring cups and assorted kitchen things, with Lucy as his accomplice.

Deac about to whack. He really does get into it.

After fighting it out, Lucy and Deacon both got a turn holding the somewhat colorful smiley face receipt we got from our Costco shopping trip. That's always exciting.

She lost another tooth. I think she looks adorable.

The whole family searched on hands and knees for the missing tooth that went flying when Dae gave a little tug.

Kandus was pretty sure she didn't swallow it.

We did end up finding it 4 days later all the way across the room. The tooth fairy still came anyway though.

There was some excitement Sunday too when one of the children(I won't say who)upchucked all up the stairs, on top of the toilet seat, and on the bathroom floor. We love our kids!

Deacon did his first "job" in the toilet today. He was pretty proud of himself.

Now for the question of the day...

Lucy: Kandus, would you rather eat purple medicine or die?

Kandus: Lucy, everyone would choose purple medicine.

Lucy: I know. Okay...Would you rather DIE!!! or........be FRIGHTENED!!!?

That's all folks!

Spring we need you. Please come soon!

Question of the Day

We had a dear friend and neighbor boy who has recently moved away. His name was Shane. Now here's the question...

Lucy: Kandus, if you were me, would you miss Shane, if I was Shane?

Kandus: Mm hmm.

Lucy: Me too.

Huh? Did you get that?

Dinner Conversations

Dae: Who's the coolest dad in the family?
Kandus: You are the only dad.
Dae: I know, but who's the coolest dad in the family?
Kandus: But you are the only dad.
Dae: Who is the coolest 5 year old in the family?
Lucy: I'm not cool. I'm cute. So is Kandus and so is Deacon.
Dae: Who is the coolest mom in the family?
End of conversation.


Kandus: Mom, if I was a carrot how skinny would I be?
Me: Ummm, this big.(random skinny carrot answer)
Kandus: Really? I think I would look like this one.(she held up a slightly chubby carrot)


Lucy: Mom, if you were water...would you rather be in your home left in the sink or drinked in the body?
Me: I would rather someone drink me.
Lucy: Why? That would be scary.
Lucy: If you were a carrot, would you rather be eaten or left alone?
Me: Eaten.
Lucy: Why? That's scary.
Me: Because I wouldn't want to get rotten.


Brief silence...
Lucy: Mom, If you were....