The stories of a Census worker

Yesterday was my last day of going door to door to drop off Census questionnaires. I will start up again, in a few weeks, with the follow up program of contacting those who didn't fill out the questionnaires. I have really enjoyed this job. I can only hope that the next stage will be as entertaining. I thought I would share some of my favorite "entertaining" moments of the last few weeks.

-Not until this job did I ever realize just how many dogs have to exist on this planet. I have seen huge, small, loud, quiet...every dog imaginable. Some have scared me into keeping mace very close to me at all times while others have hurt my heart. I've seen dogs missing eyes and limbs...talk about breaking your heart. My favorite would have to be the pet goat that I met not to long ago that thought he was a dog. That goat was almost as tall as I was and the biggest one I had ever seen (he was very well fed!). He came up to me with the other dogs...I think expecting me to pet him. I'm sure he was the nicest thing in the world but I couldn't seem to break eye contact with his horns! But my favorite animal story would have to involve a bunch of hungry cows. Usually we go out by ourselves but on this particular day we were sent out in twos to very remote places. I think they were a little worried about our safety because of some other experiences some of us encountered in places farther away from most civilization. But as life often does, this area (the outskirts of Nowata, Oklahoma) proved to be just the opposite: one of the most friendliest areas I had been to. Anyways, Megan and I were trying to get out to a house that was surrounded by cows and fences. We obviously could not get in so we decided to put a questionnaire in a bag and tie it on the gate. I get out of her truck to try to hurry up and get this bag attached to this gate with a rubber band when I realize that these cows, from a distance, are eyeing me. Before I know it these cows are running towards me! I can hear Megan laughing from the truck as I'm yelling at myself, "Alisa, hurry up!" I hurry up to the truck to find a laughing Megan and cows mooing at me (very loudly, by the way) at the gate because I hadn't fed them! They were ticked!

-I got to see sides of men that well.....

I would knock on doors and get replies like, "Hold on! I'm putting on my pants!" or my favorite, a hairy man opening up the door and trying to hide behind it with only his underwear on! After asking him a few questions he replies, "Maybe I should get on some pants." You think! But a teenager I ran across that didn't know his address probably topped it all. He went inside to ask "Sherri". He opens the door, yells at her, and then turns around to spit his nasty remains of his saliva from chewing. Ok, so that is gross in its own but I was standing right behind him at the bottom of the stairs. No joke, that nasty stuff shot past me maybe a foot from my face! He didn't even apologize!

-I have ran across some of the most uninhabitable places that you could think of....just to find out that they are not uninhabited at all! Trailers stuck side by side with makeshift connections that were falling apart, tents (yes, tents), roads that I had to put the truck into 4 wheel drive because there was no way I could get down and up these crazy very rocky roads other wise, and people who live in those campers that you see that are put on the bed of a truck. I can't tell you how many times I wished that I had my camera on me.

I actually loved coming home and telling my crazy stories and am sad that it ended so soon. There are some very interesting people around these here parts! But seriously, I met some of the sweetest old men. Some had me in tears as they told me of the wives that they lost or strokes that they had had and how they were dealing with the frustration of not remembering things like their address. Many times, in these last weeks, I have felt that I was very blessed. I am so grateful that my spouse is alive. I am so grateful that I don't have MS and forced to be in a wheel chair. I am so grateful that my house, which may be tiny, is not falling apart. I'm really grateful for this job.

Happy Birthday to me

Grandma asked me how old I was today and I said something like, "33, I think." Someone corrected me and told me I was 32 and mom started laughing at me. I knew what she was thinking right away. I have come to that age where it doesn't matter anymore. For as long as I can remember when someone asked mom how old she was she would say something like, "I don't know....Alisa, how old am I?" I never could understand why she didn't know how old she was. I think I started this same thing right before I turned 30. I'd always get it mixed up how old I was. I just teased that it was because I didn't want to turn 30, I guess. Well, I'm past 30 now and I'm making myself older than I actually am so I guess that is not is. I guess it really is that we don't care so much about our age and birthdays after a while.

Yesterday I worked until around 5:30 p.m. As I was coming home, David had just pulled up into the drive. I knew he had gotten a babysitter for the boys but that was all I knew. I went inside to put all my work stuff away and saw a VERY clean house. That was my first present! It only got better as I got in the truck and he had a Miley Cyrus c.d. waiting for me. Yes, I'm a middle schooler at heart! We took off for Joplin, MO but stopped along the way to help a couple who was stopped on the side of the road. They had run out of gas. This is what I love about my husband. He never passes up someone who is stranded on the side of the road. He asked first, but I could never tell him no. The guy ended up staying with his vehicle while we drove her, Brittany, to the gas station. She must have been on some kind of drug because she was the most jittered person I'd ever seen. But as always, you can't treat people poorly by what they do in their lives because she was so nice and we actually really liked her. She had David laughing quite a bit! Anyways, after we got her back and them off on the road, we headed back off for Joplin. We got there and David let me in on the surprise. He had rented a hotel room for us (he snuck in our luggage into the back of the truck when I was inside the house) and was going to take me to Red Lobster. I love sea food! It was wonderful and so yummy and the hotel room was nice and comfy. He wanted to take me to a movie or what ever I wanted but since it was my pick I just wanted to go back to the hotel room. I'm weird like that. Having alone time with David is such a rarity (though we have it much more now that we live by family) that I am perfectly happy with just hanging out in a hotel room. Give me a deck of cards or nothing at all and there is always all kinds of things to talk about that you just never really get to with little ones all around you. But not only do I really like just hanging out in a hotel room, I had been feeling pretty sick. I think we ended up going to bed not to long after 9:00 p.m. The night before I was running a 101.8 temperature and had diarrhea. The worst was the chills. I had our heating blanket cranked up as high as it would go and I was still shaking so badly that once the fever broke, my muscles were sore! Anyways, Friday night I didn't have the fever but my body still felt a little yucky. But I woke up this morning, my actual birthday, and felt a little better. We had room service brought up and just lounged around....probably my favorite part! Anyone with children knows that sleeping in is not an option. We finally left the hotel around 11:00 a.m. and this is what I found waiting for me when I got home!
For someone who can't remember how old she is, I think I'll remember this birthday for a while.
David said to me right before we pulled up into the drive way to our house, "I was thinking, I bet you felt abandoned when you were going through all that you went through last year with your depression. I hope you feel that you have friends now." I surely felt that today. Not just with being surrounded by family and friends today. But also looking back at last year and all those who tried their very hardest to stand by me as I tried to get it together. All those who didn't give up on their friendship with me even when I didn't want to be near anyone. Once again, I feel very blessed.

Just a little update

I stopped working just before Levi was born, over 7 years ago, and have stayed home with my children up until last year. I helped out at a flower/gift shop (Annie's Garden Gate) here in Grove off and on for the past year during busy holidays and when ever Robin needed my help. You wouldn't believe how nervous I was that first week I helped before Mother's Day last year. But working off and on during this past year got me ready for a longer lasting job that I actually wasn't nervous about! I work for the US Census Bureau. I love my job! I love getting out and talking to people all day long. I love that I'm getting out of the house. I love that it is making me fix my hair and put on makeup. I love that I have more energy. I love that I feel good about myself working. I love that I know Hyrum will be just fine without Mommy home all the time and most importantly I love that I don't feel guilty about not being home with him all the time like I was able to do with the other boys. Probably not much to most people but for me -someone who tends to feel guilty about not only big things but silly, remote things as well- this is important to me. I feel so very strongly about my staying home with my children when I did. I needed it, they needed it, and I think David even needed it. It was right. But I feel that at this moment in time, it is very good for me to be working.

Here is Hyrum and I on my first day out. He got a little emotional as I was leaving so I decided to have him come out and take a picture with me. It is so rewarding to me to come home and have him so excited to see me. He sticks to my side and tries to get me to sit down with him for the rest of the evening.
Here is David and I just before heading off to the temple this Friday. I was so hyper, for some reason, as we were leaving so here is us trying to stage a picture of him being annoyed with me. It didn't work.....he just looks cute! Since the temple is 3 hours away when we go we stay the night up there and try to get in 2 days worth of temple time. Anyways, we had the best time. I was wondering if I would really enjoy my time in Oklahoma City. I have been away from home a lot for the past month, with helping at the flower shop for Valentine's week and training for my Enumerator job, and I was afraid that this weekend might do it in for me. But I was ok with the boys being with my family and I just enjoyed my husband and the temple.

O.....possum

Dearest Marie.....I thought of you the whole time while this happened......

David was out with the missionaries tonight visiting families in our branch (church) as well as the doctor....and harassing opossums! Ok, before I tell you about these boys - and I'm putting my husband in this same category as these 19-20 year old missionaries- playing they did get much done tonight. David was very grateful for their help tonight. They even assisted in a blessing for Hyrum before going with David to take Hyrum to the Rapid Remedy just a few blocks from our house. After finding out that Hryum has an ear infection and coming back from Walgreen's to get medicine, the missionaries waited outside while David came in to tell me all that I needed to know about Hyrum. David opens the door outside and one the Elders informs him that there is an opossum in our trash can! Of course I had to run and get the camera! Just the other night I heard something outside and figured it was a dog or cat getting into our trash cans (unfortunately, we have all kinds of animals digging in our trash.....during the summer we get to add skunks and groundhogs to the mix) so I opened up the door to scare it away and noticed it was an opossum. He wasn't scared one bit and just kept going on digging in the trash he has knocked over. So I turned on the porch light hoping that would do the trick and....nothing. I was starting to think that the thing was blind and decided to bang on the side of our house to get it to run when it finally stopped and kind of hobbled away. It was so slow and didn't act like he was scared of me one bit! After he left I actually hoped he would come back so I could get a picture and send it to Marie (that is a whole other story of it's own!). He never did come back so I was on that camera in no time tonight to get the perfect picture.

I learned a lot about opossums tonight. This guy definitely did the "playing dead" thing that they are very well know for. For as many times as David and Elder Sattler messed with that trash can, the opossum didn't budge. Elder Sattler was hilarious with his being very willing to kill the thing for us! I, of course, was not going to have any of that!Here is Elder Sattler keeping his stance just in case that thing jumped out or something and Elder Morrison looking on from higher ground....I'm still not sure if he was getting a better view or keeping a safe distance :)

Ok Grandma, if you are reading this post you might not want to look at these coming up pictures.
Ok, so I wanted a picture-yes-but that was as close as I wanted any of us getting to the opossum. Of course, I imagined that thing jumping up and attacking us and the latter complication of rabies! But before I know it David is using a stick to poke the thing to get a better look at it's face! After trying to get him to leave the thing alone and to go back out with the missionaries to visit families in our branch I finally gave up. If he was going to mess around then at least I was going to get a good picture of the thing!

I'm looking at these pictures now and thinking of how stupid we are getting this close to the darn thing!

I finally convinced David to leave with the missionaries and sometime in between them leaving and David returning the opossum got out of the trash and left us. Hopefully, he had a big enough scare and won't come back.

I have to say that the nasty guy made me wonder though. I looked up opossum on the Internet and thought I'd share a few things with you.

-they are immune to most snake venom

- female opossum have pouches that they keep their little ones in until the young are weaned

-I always thought that opossums played dead to trick us and its predators but they actually can't help it! The "playing dead" response is actually involuntary and can actually take up to an hour for them to become conscious again.

-And my favorite fact is that of roadkill. Around here, if you see roadkill it is a good chance that it is an opossum. I find that humorous considering that I learned tonight that the reason they are roadkill is because of their diet and pretty much, laziness. They seek out trash cans and roadkill (easy food) and thus become roadkill themselves!

Now that you all are very educated on the likes of opossums; try having sweet dreams tonight after seeing that last picture I posted!

Pinewood Derby

Saturday was Levi's first Pinewood Derby. Throughout the week, prior to Saturday, David and Levi had been working on his skateboard...yes, I said skateboard. Before they started, David got online and let Levi pick out the style of his car. Well, that is what he thought would happen but out of all the cars there had to be one skateboard and of course that was what Levi picked! Earlier that week, David used a friend's scroll saw (THANK YOU Alex Andrasko!) to get the block of wood the shape that it needed to be and Levi did the rest....well, with the help of Daddy guiding him along the way. Look at those dirty boy nails!

I didn't get that "final look" picture but his is the first one in the box (the gold one....and only skateboard!)
I have to say that I was very proud of Levi on Saturday. First, he was in the running for "The best of Show" award. He didn't win and after what happened to the poor kid while the actual racing started, I really wish that he would have. But this is where I was proud of him. I'm sure he was embarrassed and was confused but he made it through it without getting mad or sad....though, maybe he was sad in his heart and just didn't show it. He went up to the top of the track to race his car with his opponent and one of his wheels fell off before they even started the race! To make it worse, when they got the wheel back, they realized that the wood had chipped away from where the nail and wheel would go! As you can imagine, it pretty much made it impossible for him to race. Each time he tried, his skateboard just fell off the track....each time in front of everyone. But everyone was gracious about it; even the little boy racing him. That boy could have made a big deal out of winning against Levi but he didn't. This picture below is of Marcy (Levi's Den leader), Levi, David, and Laramie trying to hurry to get it fixed before the "loser's round" began. Laramie is the son of a good friend of mine, Robin. Just like my friend, Laramie is a good example of wanting to help and doing what is right. I was proud of Laramie as he tried to hurry and help David even without being asked.

So, it came time for Levi to race once more time but it didn't even make it to the end of the track. But like our ever-so-positive den leader said, "Hey, at least it stayed together this time!" (as she yelled cheers for him) we finally found some success! However, Levi was ready to leave after that. Poor kid....and poor Daddy. I don't know who felt worse. He felt bad about it breaking in front of everyone. Not bad for himself, he felt bad for Levi. But we dusted off the yucky feelings and let Levi pick where he wanted to eat for lunch after the derby and let him play his little heart out on the PlayStation!

I kept thinking throughout the day, after the derby, about how many times I will see things like this happen throughout my experience as a parent. How many times will I want to swoop in and take my children out of certain situations? Will I be wise enough to NOT swoop in and let them learn from their own experiences and consequences or will I not be able to take it and jump right in and bandage up the wounds? Either one is not an easy choice, I guess.

Role play

I love my children. They are not perfect, but I love my children. Yes, they argue with each other but I'm happy to say that I'm not one of those parents that say things like, "My children are always fighting with each other!" Maybe they are not old enough to be at that stage yet but I'm hoping that it just means that they are special boys.

Last night I watched as Brigham and Levi were role playing. I had just gotten out of the shower, so I couldn't tell you how this all started but what I walked in on was Brigham pretending to be Jesus. David pointed it out to me pretty much the second I walked into the living room. It took all that I had not to let them see that I was watching them. I didn't want them to stop and I didn't want them to say or do certain things just because I was watching them. It also was hard for me not to grab them up and give them big fat kisses! These are some of the phrases I heard them saying:

Brigham - "Pretend I was over here and I died and I flew over here to be with my family (he is the one playing Jesus).

Brigham - "Pretend I have holes in my hands."

Brigham - "May I take your order?"

Levi - "I would like a thousands bread!"

This is a picture of Brigham "reading" to Hyrum. He told me that he was reading to Hyrum "because I was Jesus." I said, "Oh yeah? Is that what Jesus would do?" Brigham tells me, "Yeah, because He is nice."

Once again, I really love my boys!

Sisters night out....with a side of Glenn

So, April called me last night and told me that she was going to take me out for an early birthday present tonight. She wouldn't tell me what we were going to be doing other than that we were going to Joplin, MO. I have to admit that for just a little bit last night I was a little, I guess, not looking forward to it. For someone who used to be so ready for a laugh pretty much anytime, it still catches me off guard how I've changed so much. These last few years I have watched myself change into someone I've barely recognized and for a second last night when April called I worried. I worried about the "surprise." But I'm happy to say that all day today I was excited for my sister to come and take me away somewhere fun! I love this change in me. I'm still not that same person that I was growing up and I suspect I never will be but I think I just may be finding that "happy medium." I am a true believer that there is a positive and a negative to everything. EVERYTHING. And like this new me, I positively love that I don't care about things so much anymore. I don't stress about looking perfect, being perfect and so on ...but on the negative side.....I don't really care about what I look like anymore. April knows me way to well and so part of my present was for her to come over early and fix my hair for me. She knows that otherwise it would be up in a ponytail! I love that my sister would serve me in this way. So after my hair was fixed and I graced her with makeup (another oddity! So sad, huh?! But growing up, I wouldn't leave the house without makeup on and I'm not sure I knew what I ponytail holder was until I got my first real job and had to pull up my hair!) off we went to Joplin. The trip was full of laughter and never finishing a single story! I felt like a silly girl laughing at us and our constant change of stories. First she took me to Johnny Carinos...oh so yummy. Then she took me to a movie......to see the Glenn Beck/Bill O'Reilly Bold and Fresh Tour! Yes, I am a nerd and was soooooooooooo excited! Ok, so they were not there in person but who cares! Once again, I am a nerd but I LOVE GLENN BECK! Here I am "kissing" my Glenn Beck ticket! On the way home we had calmed down just a bit....so that we could actually finish some of our stories. I had such a wonderful early birthday present, Apeeee. I love you!