You know when

You know you're in Utah County when you're asked how many kids you have and after you say "none" the next question is, "Oh, are you newly-weds?"

You know its been freezing cold when the temperatures that made you shiver six months ago now make you contemplate wearing capris.

You know your car is dirty when it makes you giddy to wash it.

You know you go to the local hamburger joint too often when the owner recognizes you and asks what happened to your husband's splinted ankle.

You know it is winter when the best pictures you've taken on your new camera are of fire hydrants because they're the only things outside that aren't brown.

You know you've had a great weekend when you post about it on your blog.  We hope you had a great weekend, too.

Edit, Undo

The other day at work I was flipping through a pile of papers.  There were different sections within the pile, each section paper-clipped together.  As I rifled through the papers, one of the paper clips popped off. The first thought to enter my mind?  "Edit, undo."

Wow.

I think I spend too much time in front of the computer.

I have this thought from time to time.  If I'm carrying too many groceries in at one time and drop them, "edit, undo."

If I'm making a meal and add to much salt, "edit, undo."

If I'm climbing up on the counter, fall, and rip a hole in my pants, "edit, undo."

This thought comes to my mind subconsciously.  It's not me being funny to myself.  It is my true reaction.  And it always seems to happen when I'm doing something rather careless.  Something I could have prevented if I just paid a little more attention or thought things through before I acted.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could really just click a button and rewind?  Go back BEFORE we made the mistakes and correct them with no one the wiser?  Yes, that would be nice.  I could get used to that.

Photography Lessons

I've been wanting to take a photography class for quite a while.  I love looking at pictures on other blogs and websites.  The pictures are in focus and the colors are great.  On the flip side, most of my pictures end up looking like this:

Brad's Homecoming.
Unfortunately, I was the only one with a camera.

Well, most of my pictures aren't as bad as the one above but they could definitely be better.

A few weeks ago I registered to take an introduction to photography class through our school district's community learning program.  The class description states, "This class will cover basic techniques that will help take your photography to the next level.  Learn composition, lighting, exposure, camera controls, image editing, and more."

Lighting and exposure?  Sounds just like what I need.


Nate has a nice SLR camera he bought when we were in high school and so it uses film.  Last night he walked me through the basics on the camera so I would  at least look like I knew what I was doing when I got to class tonight.

"To focus on an object, you turn this," he said, turning a ring on the lense.

"If you want to make the flash pop up, you click this button," again demonstrating.

Nate also explained the mechanics of how the camera works.  "You see," he said as he removed the lens so I could look into the inner workings of the camera, "there is a mirror behind the lens.  The mirror reflects the image through a prism and then up into the view finder for you to see.

"Now, when you take a picture, the mirror lifts up and if there were film in the camera, it would be exposed, thus capturing the image."  He demonstrated by clicking the release.

I looked at him in shock.

"You mean there's no film in the camera?" I said, worry evident in my voice.

He laughed nervously.  "No."

"But I've been taking pictures with it!"

That's right, folks.  I've been taking pictures of decorated cakes, art projects, and delicious meals all with a camera that did not have film.  Nate bought me film a few months ago so I could start tinkering with the camera.  I assumed he loaded the film in for me.  Oops.

I need one more basic technique to be covered in this class: how to recognize when a camera does or does not have film.

Differences

Today the difference between men and women was reaffirmed to me.  To be honest, this difference is reaffirmed to me on a daily basis, but this situation takes the prize for the week.  (But Dad's mammogram story takes the cake...however, that is a different story for a different time.)

Last week I worked offsite reviewing year-end calculations for my company.  I spent three days, January  12 - 14, at one location with the same group of people.  I've been to this site several times and I know the people fairly well.

One of the individuals who works at this office is in his 50s and single.  If you don't know, to be a 50 year-old-man and single in the LDS culture is a little unheard of, especially if you've always been a bachelor.

Well, the bachelor got engaged on January 7.

DIFFERENCE #1:  He decided it would be cool to see how long it would take the rumor mill to spread the word...so he didn't tell anyone at work.

Hello.  I got engaged at work.  Literally.  But you can sure as heck bet that would have been the first thing I said to anyone the next day had I not gotten engaged there the night before!  I have yet to meet any girl who isn't bursting at the seams to shout from the rooftops that she is engaged.

So, said bachelor goes to work all week and doesn't tell anyone.  Well, let me amend that statement.  On Wednesday he told our boss.  But when you swear someone to secrecy, it doesn't count.  (It also doesn't help the rumor mill get going...)

On Thursday, some of his friends or relations talked with a fellow co-worker, as they all happen to be in the MoTab and were at rehearsal.  And thus the beans were spilled.

On Friday I finished up my last day at the site.  Apparently word had gotten around about the engagement.

DIFFERENCE #2:  I didn't find out.

Now, if a woman had gotten engaged, you can bet her girlfriends would have taken it upon themselves to make sure everyone was aware.

At noon a group of us went to Subway to grab lunch.  I was the only woman in the group. (When you are an accountant in Utah, you start to get used to this lopsided ratio.)  The bachelor had a lunch appointment and did not join us.

DIFFERENCE #3:  No one mentioned the engagement.

I don't know about you, but whenever a friend of mine gets engaged, that is going to come up at some point during the lunch conversation whether or not the friend is present!  It's not gossip, it is sharing information.

I did not find out until today, January 17, when my boss, (who is a woman) asked me what everyone's response was at the other site to news of the engagement.

"What?  He's engaged?" I said.  I guess that was answer enough about the response to his engagement!

Party Animals

New Year's Eve, Rohbock style:

6:00 PM Eat Pizza.

Playing Apples to Apples

7:00 PM Play games, take pictures.   

8:30 PM Watch a movie.

10:30 PM Send the pregnant sister and her husband home.

10:35 PM Send the exhausted husband to bed since he is sleeping on the couch but insisting "I'm awake."

10:40 PM Watch an episode of the Cosby show with 12-year-old sister.

11:05 PM Watch another episode of the Cosby show with same sister.

11:35 PM Wake up to the music of the Cosby show DVD menu.  Set alarm on cell phone for 10 minutes.  Take a nap.

11:45 PM Turn off the alarm.  Get sister ready for bed.

11:59 PM Find countdown online.  Count down the seconds - 10, 9, 8...

12:00 AM Shout "Happy New Year."  Blow kazoos.  Take pictures.  

12:01 AM Put same sister to bed.

12:05 AM Go to sleep.

Happy New Year!

Sarah looks a little frightened of 2011

Growing Up is Hard to Do

We started taking our nursery kids to Primary singing time two weeks ago.  The primary leaders are hoping to acclimate our little kids to primary before next week when the leave nursery and venture into Sunbeams.  It reminds me of Wendy when she explained to Peter Pan, “I have to grow up tomorrow.”  But our little babies don’t understand what is going on.

The first week we took them to primary they were overwhelmed.  One little boy sat in my lap the entire time and whenever the pianist began playing, he covered his ears to block out the noise.  Another little boy sat in Nate’s lap and after five minutes turned to Nate and said, “I want to go back to my class.”  After 10 minutes of primary the kids had about as much as they could handle so we told them it was time to leave. They literally ran down the hall back to the comfort and safety of nursery.

Last Sunday we tried again.  We had eleven - yes, ELEVEN - kids and only 3 adults.  We miraculously got them in a line in the nursery room and started walking them down the hall.  Obviously, the line did not last long.  When we got to primary they sat down in the back two rows of the room and behaved remarkably well.  I think their senses were overloaded and so they sat in stunned silence.

After about 2 minutes they began wiggling and some of the kids became weepy.  At one point I had three 3-year-olds in my lap at once.  That is something I’ve never accomplished before and quite honestly didn’t think was possible.  All I can say is 3-year-olds are persistent.

We lasted maybe ten minutes before none of the 11 bodies were sitting in their chairs any more.  The singing was completely lost on them- if they’re not singing “Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam,” “Once there was a Snowman,” “I love to see the Temple,” or “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man” they don’t respond at all.  So we whispered to them that it was time to go back to nursery.  Those were the magic words.  The kids were so excited to leave.  One of the little girls left us when we got into primary to sit with her mom, so I went to get her.  When I turned around, the other 10 kids were gone.  I stepped out into the hall and they’d already made it back to nursery after a mad dash down the hall, same as last week.

Poor kids.  They don’t know what’s in for them next month.  And we’ll miss them once they “grow up” and graduate from nursery.  Sometimes I wish there was a never-never land.

Twins

Rachel and Katie, 1988

My sister and I go to the same doctor.  I had an appointment a few days ago, and the nurses started talking about us behind the check-in desk.  I guess they must think it is sound-proof back there but since the desk is not an entirely separate room with a door and Plexiglas divider, I heard every word.  And this is what they were saying:

"That is Katherine.  Her sister Rachel comes here too.  They look exactly alike."

This is not the first time Rachel and I have heard we look exactly alike.

First time:  2003 YW basketball.  I was 18 and Rachel was 14 almost 15.  I had four fouls and so I was beginning to play a little more cautiously so I wouldn't foul out.  She and I were both on the court and the other team took possession of the ball and ran it down the court to their basket.  Just as the girl was making a lay-up, Rachel jumped in and blocked the ball by hitting the girl's arm.  A clear foul.  She ran out of the way just as I ran up to grab the rebound.  The ref's whistle blew.  "FOUL on 24!"  I looked down.  I was 24!  But I'd been no where near the shooter at the time of the foul.  My entire ward was shouting to the ref that she had the wrong sister, but she refused to relent.  I was fouled out of the game on my sister's foul.  Not a happy day.

Not 2003.  2008 at BYU.  Matching Socks!

Second time:  2003 YW basketball (again). The week after above-said basketball game.  Rachel and I intentionally wore our hair differently and wore different colored shorts so the refs would not make the same mistake again.  During one of the time-outs a girl from the other team came up to me and said, "Are you two twins?"  Later in the game Rachel was fouled and so she lined up to take foul shot.  The ref stopped her before she could - "Wasn't it her?" she said, pointing to me.  Irritated, Rachel said, "NO!" and gestured to her shorts to show that we were not even dressed the same.

Third time:  2008 EY.  Shortly after Rachel was married, I brought in this picture to put on my desk at work:

A coworker (who, I will admit, did not know me well) saw the picture and asked me how long I'd been married.  

Please look at the picture again, and note that Rachel and I have our faces right next to each other and she is most definitely the one in the white dress.

Fourth time:  2010 Dr.'s Office.  I had an appointment and the nurse came out to call me back from the waiting room so she could check my vitals.

Nurse:"You look so much better!"  Whoa.  I'm not usually greeted this way.
Me: "Um, what do you mean?"
Nurse:  "Well, you were so sick last week, you looked pretty bad."
Me:  "I wasn't sick last week."
Nurse:  "Yes you were.  Didn't you come in?"

Stirling Family Reunion, 2010

Then it dawned on me.  Rachel had been very sick the week before with the flu or something miserable like that.

Me:  "Oh, that was my sister!"
Nurse:  "Whoa.  You two look so much alike!"

I always thought a twin sister would be cool and I can't think of anyone I'd rather be twins with than Rachel.  The thing is, our family cannot see the "remarkable" resemblance at all.  Sure, we're both tall and have dark hair but other than that, we don't think we look too much alike.  It does provide us with a lot of amusement, though, when we're mistaken for each other.  I'm sure we'll both continue to collect stories!