Go Lady Conks!

If anyone is anywhere near the Tacoma Dome this weekend, you should stop in to check out our niece Lindsey Moore. She's playing in the girls' 4A state bball tourney starting on Weds. (@3:30P to be exact=Kentwood vs. Skyview from Vancouver). She's a 5'10" guard who already has 10+ binders of college recruiting letters & she's only a jr.! So far she's rec'd offers from Nebraska, Kansas, Gonzaga & UW-whoo hoo! WSU tried, but she rarely even lists them with the others-hahaha! We're determined to see her in purple & gold of course, but here's the scoop from the Seattle Times in the meantime: "Moore, one of the area's most well-rounded players, averages 17.8 points, 7.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 steals. She is the key reason the Covington school is returning to the Class 4A state tournament after last year's third-place finish. The MVP of the South Puget Sound League 4A North Division is considered one of the state's top 2009 recruits." Credit for cool pics goes to Seattle Times (she made "Star Times" basically All-Area team) in today's paper & The News Tribune from Dist. Tourney that they won last Sat. night-the shot below was taken after she drove the length of the court & made a lay-in, then stole it a second time via the inbounds pass...only to make another bucket AND 1:) Can you tell we're a lil' proud of her?

Oh Mr. Moon...moon...bright & shiny moon...Won't ya please shine down on me?!

Cole's preschool teacher informed us all of tonight's lunar eclipse, which was nice 'cuz I'm not the most up-to-date on current events. Chris & I awakened bright & early with a few of our neighbors to view the one last Aug., but this was a much easier hour to give the boys a science lesson. I'm not an astronomer, but ya gotta appreciate the wonder of the universe during a rare moment like this:) Apparently we won't have the pleasure of observing another until 2010. Hope you got to see for yourself, but if not, you can check out view from our driveway...

Happy B-day George & Abe!

Started off Presidents' Day with a.m. yoga (yeah, doesn't sound like me, but sad to admit not doin' much exercise on my own these days...so bonded with some ladies @ Enrichment group:) & I'm not gonna lie, I felt it the morning afterward in my neck/shoulders of all places?!). Then I pretty much consigned myself to a mellow holiday cleaning up the house & other odds & ends to start a new week=your basic Mon. Made a couple of phone calls & in walks my husband ready to play for rest of day!?! He'd gone to work @ 3A (typical, but usually doesn't return until after dinner-ugh!), but this time he wanted to surprise us with afternoon off! Kinda caught me off guard, but not hard decision between laundry vs. spending money while having a party with my boys. So we got outta our jammies & celebrated the b-days of our dear former U.S. presidents @ the Family Fun Center! Since we had rare sighting of the sun, decided to take advantage of remainder of afternoon with miniature golf (boys' first real attempt outside of their computer game)! Here are our lil' Tiger & Nicklaus in action...











Still working on their technique not to mention focus...Dane gave up on any that you had to hit into tunnel prior to the hole & resorted to just throwing inside:)
As you can see, 18 holes was plenty for these amateurs! But Chris thinks they'll be ready for the U.S. Open @ Chambers Bay in 2015:) So onto go carts! They thought this was a pretty cool ride as well...As close to NASCAR as we'll ever get:)












As the sun went down & we realized it was still winter, we moved indoors. We also decided to divide & conquer...Cole chose to satisfy his Chuck E. Cheese tendencies with tickets from games redeemable toward VALUABLE (to a 3 & 5 yr. old, respectively) prizes & Dane wanted to go crazy in Kidopolis=3 McD playlands stacked on top of each other:). Chris went with arcade boy & I got a workout trying to follow my youngest super hero for the last hour. It was quite the birthday party:)

Valentines Road Rally

Yes, this is a bit belated; I wrote the draft a few weeks ago then forgot about it 'cuz I had to wait for Chris to download the pics-ugh! So I'm posting anyway even if it is closer to Easter than Valentines:)
We thought we had a good tradition goin' with the Newlywed game @ the annual Valentines party together with couples from our Puyallup ward (yes, kinda cool 'cuz it's not endorsed by the ward, but the whole bishopric attends:)). However, we were fully aware that the husbands were tiring of our questions as we drug them back into the room following typical segregated conversations. My own dear husband says that he wants no part of the female discussion re: pregnancy/labor/delivery, children & flaws of men?! Ok, that's not all we talk about, but I must admit it's odd how it tends to go full circle:) Anyway, we decided to get creative & change the competition to a timed scavenger hunt! I figured that way we could enjoy quality bonding solo with our spouse & then still together as a group-Plus it reminded me of the good ole' days when a date took a little more thought than dinner & a movie. Two other couples offered their homes, so Chris had no pressure but to come in first place:) I had the pleasure of writing the clues, which definitely gave us an advantage...but someone had to do it?! So here goes:
While none of us would admit a past visit or be caught dead shopping inside,
Take a picture by sign @ store where some lovers go to keep romance alive!
Kasey & Brittany Kanekoa blocked us with their car in the parking lot, so they got to be in the pic. too:) For the record, we still beat 'em by half hour:)Sorry there's not time to hang @ mall like teen lovebirds or catch a movie closeby,
Jot down what's on big screen so you can catch a flick later with favorite girl/guy.
This was cause for contention within Team Parker 'cuz heaven forbid I turn the car around in front o' the theater without Chris getting mad @ me for driving while he was trying to write?! Duh! The whole idea is to be on the move!

Ok, you can't be this close to a candy store & not stop for a sec,
No doubt they'll give you a sample too-try to enjoy the chocolate without a wreck:)
Like I said, we were in the lead:) so didn't have any problems @ See's. Another couple toward the end said the lady was totally mad & thought our childish ways were ridiculous so her husband bought a pound of chocolate to pacify the company:) Oops, sorry Marshalls had to feel the brunt of that! Does it count that I asked about the seasonal Irish potato & found out they were $3 apiece?

How do I love thee? Service, time, touch, gifts or words...let me count the ways!
Find the author of love languages book here & don't forget to use each day!
Just thought you should all know it's a fab book by Gary Chapman. The trick for Team Parker now that we know each other's respective language is to speak it, but we'll save that for another post:)

It's a great night for ice cream, so stop here to share a sweet sample!
Be sure to snuggle if in line to make your heart melt where cold stuff is ample!
I thought we could divide up the traffic between B&R & Coldstone; however, that same aforementioned couple said that they weren't amused @ B&R by the time the last couples strolled in & only wanted a taster spoon of their product. I know @ least the Kerrs bought a cone for the road too:)

Time for a little bubbly (LDS-approved variety)-be careful not to drink & drive!
Just pick up a bottle @ the store to savor after victory is cried!

While you're near the floral section, take advantage of this tender scene,
Ask someone to capture moment with favorite bouquet in hand & hubby on bended knee:)On Valentines' Day we tend to include sentiments for all of our loved ones dear,
So check in @ home to give hug & take pic. with kiddies (4-legged kind count) near!Pick a park & stroll arm-in-arm like the good ole' days,
Just so we know you've walked the walk write down the memorial on the way!
Even though we don't have much of a yard, we're lucky to have a sports complex (with baseball/soccer fields) as well as fun park with nice trail down the street. The trail is named after Army Sgt. Nathan Chapman who was the first American to die by fire in Afghanistan-only our age & leaving 2 small children with his wife...really puts things into perspective!

Another picture is in order & we know just the spot near the java,
Where you can find a fountain ever flowing & feel the heat without the lava!This was kinda tricky 'cuz Puyallup isn't known for picturesque locales in the dark, so I just liked the fountain on this corner of Meridian & 152nd. Still waiting to hear a better idea, but some of the men were confused?!

Last but not least, couples got bonus points if they brought a recording of their song, a picture during courtship (Chris & I had a whole collection:)) &/or wrote down the song playing @ certain time on WARM106.9:) We also heard some great proposal stories...We gave a grand prize of $20 gift certif. to Blockbuster to winning couple (we deferred to 3rd place 'cuz organizers came in 1st & 2nd, respectively). The last prize was the love dice passed on for 4 years now. I wasn't sure of their whereabouts, so added a "Spin the Bottle" game (don't worry, it was tasteful:)) to maintain youthful theme. Not sure if husbands' overall response to our festivities was any more favorable since the wives generated the party plans, but hey! We can @ least say we did our annual part to keep the social aspect of SoHill Ward alive & well:)

Cupid got a Bull's Eye!

Literally-we now have a sweet n' sassy addition to our family whose "love for us burns like the heat of a million hot jalapenos" to remind us of how much the boys are loved by Grandma Neecy & Aunt Cait:) We've all memorized his spicy sentiments! The boys could hardly wait for their Valentines from Mom & Dad! Cupid gave Santa some competition....Dane is in love with his Batman lego set! Since Cole is always ready to give Transformers some affection, he got a big Ratchet to join the action & will continue to wow the ladies with his coordinating t-shirt (Transformer style not the Lover Boy one although we're glad we got an extra year outta that one too!) Contrary to popular belief, we did not force Dane strip down to his choneys for added appeal in the Valentines pic...It was his idea & a look that he frequently fancies around the house! He's particularly fond of those heart boxers & would wear every day if I let him!












Left our lil' sweethearts with their loving grandparents then headed to Stanley & Seaforts for a romantic conclusion to our Valentines' Day...Although Chris was a bit grumpy/sleepy from long week @ work, he still stopped to grab some gorgeous roses for yours truly & we didn't let a lack o' reservation hold us back from tasty steak dinner! We just had to wait strategically for open seating near the bar:) Ironically we shared the love of fine dining with a guy from high school & his wife:) To make matters sweeter, I was able to pull out our last remaining Christmas gift certificate from my new Coach wallet that perfectly matches my purse-Thanks Chris! I was quite proud of myself @ his reaction to the bag o' treats he opened en route to the restaurant too! I should probably explain so I don't leave you wondering re: contents:) I finally succumbed to his desire to have a professional massage since that I'll be the first to admit that was never in our pre-nuptial agreement & he does spend many a well-deserving hour in a crouched position constructing flawless crowns & bridges to provide for our family! Now the trick will be to reschedule the appt. he already had to cancel; I'll leave it up to him re: posting of play-by-play with Svitlana:)?! He was pleasantly surprised by the Michael Jackson 25th Anniv. CD from the boys as well!

All in all, love was in the air for the Parkers on Valentines' Day!! Might we add that we love you all & hope 2/14 was fabulous for each of you too...

Happy Hearts @ the Zoo

Perhaps it was an odd choice to venture to Pt. Defiance Zoo/Aquarium on Valentines' Day; however, t'was definitely unique to brave the elements in Feb. (although in WA's defense, we did catch some very definite glimpses of the sun & gorgeous Puget Sound) & show some love to the animals. In case you're inspired to do the same, don't go on a Thurs. in the off-season 'cuz lame schedule or lack thereof meant the boys didn't get to see any shows-oh well! The adventure began before we even paid admission as you can see-

Our first stop was oddly enough in the food court where some friends brought a picnic lunch (since they're earlier risers than we:) who had actually just consumed breakfast & practically had to set our alarm to get there by 11A-For the record, it took a while to cut out & bake the cookies that didn't get finished the previous night)! I didn't take into account that the boys would be a bit distracted by the other attractions @ the zoo & could've cared less about traditional & shall I say, girly holiday observance to which I adhered!! Don't get me wrong, they love to help in the kitchen @ home; Cole's egg-cracking skills put me to shame! They humored me, but were just anxious to move on to bigger & better things in the great outdoors...LtoR: Connor Hill, Coley, Daners, Max & Maggie Christensen, Beth & Tyler Hill-we already bid farewell to the Kanekoas who had to get Kole to p.m. kindergarten:)


On to the aquarium where all of the kids thought the sharks were the coolest! Dane was glad that glass separated him from the nurse variety who were bonding @ the bottom! Random for me to take a pic. that doesn't include my boys, but check out the brave "dentist" fish (named such by them & their buddies) cleaning off the shark's sweet tooth:)-must've already rec'd his box o' chocolates from his Valentine:) Better to have them in that position than us?!


It was here that Cole tried out his beginning photography skills...In fact, all of the kids ended up taking a turn! Thus you see a pretty clear shot of me & my good friend Kristie Marcotte; Cole & her son Seth are in preschool together. Cole also snapped several somewhat fuzzy pics. (his dad needs to teach him a lesson or two!) of the same tank! Gotta love digital style o' camera-












The tiger basking on his heated rock was more visible than on past visits, but not too interested in us despite our efforts to growl for his attention! Oops! Looks like I forgot to capture the elephants on film-sorry, not a proper documentary without featuring some of our favs! I'd have to say the walruses stole the show with their affection appropriately enough on day o' romance :) It got to the point where we had to whisk the wide-eyed children away from such a passionate scene...nice to be water-resistant:) While encouraging the brotherly love, I had to correct Cole that "kissing on the lips" was reserved for his future wife & not to be done haphazardly just 'cuz he was in the mood on Valentines' Day-ugh!
After 4 hours & some sugar in their systems, the kids became a bit wild albeit one with nature! So Cole & Seth imitated the Oomingmaks (awesome name, eh?) a.k.a. Muskoxen in the background & Krista packed her kids up the hill (no pun intended!) What a woman...who needs super heroes when you've got "some mothers:)"

Somehow my boys & Seth salvaged enough energy to act like monkeys themselves & enjoy the otter slide despite construction in the Kids' Zone. Oh, & we almost left without acknowledging that one can't go to a zoo without petting a goat too! Thanks Kristie for being kinder than this mom to let my boys feed 'em as well as donate to the well-being of the whales:)

1...2...3...Not It!

I must admit, I read others' tagged info. with a great deal of interest; however, not sure my life or @ least writing will be quite as provocative now that it's my turn thanks to a friend from high school:) I highly doubt it will be nearly as fascinating as the Transformer tag that my boys & I played @ the park yesterday, but here goes:

10 YEARS AGO I WAS...a sister missionary in Warsaw, Poland bidding farewell to my trainer & thinking of Elder Parker's return to WA!

5 THINGS ON MY "TO DO LIST"...just 5? Hmmm...before I go to bed since it's now 10P, I still hope to 1) fold 3 loads of laundry, 2) watch American Idol (don't worry! I recorded so Chris & I could watch uninterrupted when he gets home from work), 3) roll out & bake 5 doz. Valentines cookies (to decorate with my boys & their buddies after an outing to the zoo tomorrow a.m.), 4) figure out how much $ is left in our acct. (with respect to certain bills being sent today) & last but not least, 5) figure out some drastic way to keep my boys in bed vs. roaming freely (if I could remember verbatim, I'd elaborate on Chris' soliloquy the other night an hour after bedtime: basically this is not a circus & most of your little friends went to bed over 2 hrs. ago, we already read books, you had a drink, we took turns lying with you, even played Mariners monopoly for crap's sake & now we love you, but don't want to see you again until the morning. They didn't think it was very funny, but I was very amused:)).

THINGS I WOULD DO IF I BECAME A BILLIONAIRE: Make sure the ole' missionary funds/college savings were nice & full 'cuz we're nowhere near where we should be now in all honesty! Landscape our backyard (currently greenbelt, which I realize each spring has not been done yet after ignoring all winter while hibernating:)). Attempt to pay back my parents' for the 30+ years of loans they've so generously donated:) Divvy out fair amounts to my sisters & in-laws so they could share the wealth. Take a vacation @ least monthly! I'm sure there's something else philanthropic I could think of...

3 OF MY BAD HABITS...just 3? Where do I begin? I'm not the most punctual gal in town, not for lack of trying, just attempting to do too much in too little time:)! Depends on severity of my OCD for the day...definitely have a tendency to overdo things or dwell on things that are out of my control(I know that's vague, but not to my advantage in several situations)! Chris would say picking @ things i.e. the blemishes on my face or food. Let's move on to more uplifting topic...

5 PLACES I'VE LIVED:
1) Canada (don't remember when my dad played football there since only 2 y.o., but @ least it's in another country:)
2) Seattle, WA (U Dist. while my dad was in dental school)
3) Provo, UT
4) Poland (Warsaw, Lodz & Gdansk to be exact)
5) Puyallup, WA

5 JOBS I'VE HAD:
1) Beautification Engineer/Asst. for Bridgeport Dental Arts (thanks Dad for great paychecks through high school & summer opportunities:))
2) Asst. Manager @ Afterthoughts (jewelry store in the mall-Chris makes fun of it, but I liked it:))
3) Waitress @ Johnny B's Comedy Club with Emily Cragun:)
4) Publicity Writer for Performing Arts Mgmt. @ BYU
5) Operations Asst. @ UW Athletic Dept./Seattle Sports & Events Council (who facilitated first Seattle bowl football game)

THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME...that's probably for a reason:) Now you'll all know just how many quirks I have-ugh!
1) Well, I think it's very liberating to fill a grocery cart online or watch items on E-bay that I have no intention or basically can't afford to purchase. You should try it sometime! It feels like you've just gone on a shopping spree, but without the buyer's remorse:) I've done it lately @ Gap, Gymboree & Pottery Barn!
2) I guess another thing that goes along with this fetish is my boys & I wear the same color scheme every day & have done so for 5 1/2 yrs.. Not necessarily the exact same thing like twinners but coordinating apparel.
3) I sell candles for Gold Canyon Candle Co. I'm not a die-hard saleswoman & will never put pressure on anyone to buy or even host a party, but I personally like to have the access/discount & for some reason think a good-smelling house disguises the clutter:) So now that it's public knowledge...let me know if you want 'em:)
4) I refuse to shower every day & even then, haven't washed my face with any sort of routine for my entire life:) Sorry if you find that to be gross like my husband! I feel that I still have good hygiene & am just low-maintenance that way...efficient or lazy?! TBD-
5) I have a thing with #s. For example, I eat things in even increments & have to leave even amount (except 3 or 5 are okay?!). I have to get up @ time like 9:05 or 9:15 & start/finish things like nursing a baby or reading my scriptures @ similar time OR increments like a whole chapter. Hard to explain, but pretty deliberate & sad to say, second nature now!

I'M ADDING A SECTION...CAN YOU DO THAT?! 5 HUMOROUS THINGS YOUR CHILDREN/SPOUSE HAVE SAID/DONE TODAY OR THIS WEEK (I'm doing this section for selfish reasons 'cuz I need to write 'em down more often; I could probably come up with 5 apiece for each of my 3 boys:)):
1) Cole saw a police car when we were driving to preschool & asked "Do policemen always protect us from bad people or do they sometimes have to arrest/give a ticket to good people who just made a mistake?"
2) Cole & Dane were "camping" with some friends in their playhut. I was concerned & watching closely for the sleeping sit. 'cuz Cole was the dad & a girl friend was the mom?! I encouraged the mom to go & check on the sons in the different rooms of the hut to make sure they weren't scared of the outdoors. Cole said "Yeah, you go comfort Dane & I'll just stay here & go to sleep right away"
3) Dane was very thoughtful when considering to whom he should give Valentines since he doesn't have a preschool class. In addition to good friends, uncles & cousins, he decided all by himself to make one for both of the elders (we see 'em every Weds. 'cuz teaching a good friend who's getting baptized next week) & the son of my niece's high-school basketball coaches:) He's got a broad circle of friends even if he's alienated a few as Batman when he thinks they don't recognize him & says in a low voice "They don't know who I am:)"
4) Cole sounded just like Chris this evening when I spilled a whole cup of juice on the hardwood floor & said "Who did that? You did that! Great! Now our whole house is going to be ruined..."
5) No exact quotes, but my boys were quite proud of their new skills @ cleaning the bathroom:) They volunteered & proceeded to do the tub, 2 sinks & the mirrors...I didn't want 'em to mess with the toilets any more than they already do when they use 'em!

PEOPLE WHO HAVE A TURN NOW TO FEEL THE SAME JOY OF BEING TAGGED:):
1) BRITT
2) RACH
3) GINGER (looking forward to your site being back in commission soon:))
4) KRISTA (even though you share with the fam, I'm sure they'd be interested in any deep thoughts you have to offer:))
5) JENN McCRAY

Yet Another Tribute to our Beloved Prophet

Sat. was rough for me...I was glued to the TV (we subscribed to KBYU until Gen. Conf. so we could watch from comforts of own home) & I recorded so as not to miss anything-soaked it all in & cried it all out! Then went to a funeral of family friends' grandma for extra measure that afternoon. Last but not least, the day commemorated 29th anniversary of my brother's death @ only 2 wks. old. How grateful I am that our Heavenly Father has designed a plan for us to be reunited with our loved ones & that families are forever! Plus I keep thinking that I've been forwarded the best tribute thus far & then I hear/see another good one! Since I'm not talented enough to create my own, I'll just echo the sentiments of this montage:) Heard a press conference announcing new first presidency might be sooner than we think & while I'll miss Pres. Hinckley forever, I'm grateful for the divine order of the Church & opportunity to gain personal witness of newly ordained prophet in near future...

Here's to you Mrs. Cole Parker!

Check out Cole! He has now vacuumed our whole house twice! He takes it so seriously & does a great job! I guess that it's time to give him more responsibility...all with his future wife in mind! She will be set:) Shouldn't surprise me 'cuz he used to sit by the closet & cry for me to get out the vacuum when he was only 1 y.o. Hey girlies, not only does he clean; he smells great too! This handsome boy won't leave the house without kid cologne (stocking stuffer from Nordstrom=All Star Sport)-especially yesterday 'cuz there was a new girl @ preschool:) Oh, wait! There's more...he gave me a hug the other day & said "You'll be getting a lot more of these on Valentines Day!" I tried to forget the part that his real motivation is the anticipation of receiving yet another new Transformer for the upcoming holiday! But I know he'll always be mine 'cuz he swore that he won't ever have a girlfriend again:) I told him I'll remind him of that in 10 yrs. Last but not least, he wrapped his arms around me toward the end of Pres. Hinckley's funeral & said "It's sad, but you should just be happy that you have 2 little boys who love you!" As far as I'm concerned, who needs Cupid? Some lucky lady will easily fall in love with this sweet talker-especially if her love language is spoken by acts of service.

New meaning to Power Naps

This was the scene I had to capture just prior to one of our bi-weekly treks to YMCA for swim lessons. I ended up putting him in the car decked out with full costume & he remained comatose during first half hour there=Cole's TaeKwonDo. I wanted to point out the sound effects on the gloves to some of the other little brothers who were waiting beside us. It was hilarious 'cuz it was as if I'd turned Dane's power on. He popped up from my shoulder, made a few active arm motions & then crashed again. He finally perked up when it was time to switch into his swim shorts:) but only because it was his class's turn to have free time in shallow play pool. Perhaps I cut off his naps a bit too soon?!

Winter Wonderland

Had I known the snow would've only lasted one day, I would've posted these pics a lot sooner...For the record, this was last Mon. a.m. We don't get to see it very often in the NoWest, so the boys were in a hurry to take advantage of its extraordinary packing capability & pristine tasting condition=natural snow cones?! They didn't even give me a chance to put on their heaviest & somewhat waterproof outer layer-never mind that I took my sweet time & it was around 11:30A, which only gave us a half hour before we had to get ready for preschool (that wasn't cancelled 'cuz his teacher is die-hard regardless of weather).


Dane's enthusiasm was dampened literally by the flakes that made their way onto his skin. Could've been the fact that he kept taking his gloves off 'cuz they were wet?! Hmmm...gotta love 3 y.o. logic?! We did convince him to make one snow angel before he decided he preferred the indoor climate-He got cold quickly & watched rest of snow-woman assembly from the bedroom:) Please disregard the electric icicles that have yet to be dismantled despite month beyond Christmas-ugh!

Meet Mother Nature! Don't worry if I underestimated the power necessary to hoist the upper body to its proper place:) Cole took that pic. of heaving action:) Be sure to notice the natural finishing touches as well:)