Moonlight Maddness

I had this splendid idea (which I stole from Bennions/Blalocks) to have a moonlight egg hunt with flashlights. It was risky but everyone seemed to be on board and pretty stoked about it. It was so big this year, that we went to the school park. It was a team effort, the kind of events I like best. Michelle pulled it off as a whole event though. She planned a potluck dinner and suggested a Lil' Egg Hunt for the wee ones at dusk. It was such a blast for the kids and however much they may deny it, the adults got a little carried away themselves. In attendance: Kleins, Chandlers, Moss, Lindseys, Smiths, Wheelers, Wolfleys, Pavias, Sullivans, and our new friends the Cantus and the Rubios - Ahh, thanks for making it fun.

Marin and Santi with gal pals Kaitlyn, Aly, Marisa, and Andrea.

The Lil' Egg Hunt was a perfect fit for the tiny tots. The big kids played on the playground while the toddlers secured and then compared their treasure. It was fun to see Abram finally figure out this whole eggs in the basket thing. Yet again, he was plenty pleased with one egg. Thanks to his buddy Abram (yes, two Abrams. pictured in the top right), he brought home two eggs. What a guy!
And just as the biggies got restless waiting for the little ones, lo and behold, out of nowhere, Jill pulled out a dozen eggs for an egg toss. Blake and Nakona on top right were the victors, while the girls preferred defeat over breaking their eggs. From the pictures you can see that all involved didn't seem to mind the mess so much. I hope the school can't trace it to us. Yikes!
So the egg toss was winding down and we started hiding eggs a little too soon before dark. Uh-oh. Let me just preface: The best laid schemes of mice and men, gang aft agley.
And the plot unfolded like so: We're all trying to figure out how to keep the kids from running off and finding eggs. Someone, somewhere pulled out confetti eggs. I'm thinking, Phew! that'll hold 'em. Which it did for like 5 minutes. We had to buy more time. Michelle and I were looking at each other like, "You better think of something fast." This might be the moment when it might have been good to have something formal, like a committee chair to run to, fleeing from the fanatic mob that is our children. But we weren't that prepared. So Michelle started a game of Simon Says. They totally bought it and only once did their little heads wander. The sun was just out of sight and we're just about there. And you will not believe it, the sprinklers came on. WHAT? The SPRINKLERS!!! Then all the parents looked at us like, "Um, now what?" And Michelle started yelling something to the kids and I think she's saying, "Go, Go!" So while waving off the kids, I said emphatically with all my little girl heart, "GO! GO!" And they're off! It just occurred to me last night that Michelle was quite possibly saying, "NO," as in "Wait for the sprinklers to go off." Hmmmm...Oops! Fortunately, all of our friends are pretty laid back and didn't mind the waterworks. I happen to think that it rather enhanced the fun of the evening. Note to self: next year, check sprinkler schedule at venue of choice.
The top picture is Michelle, the Master Simon Says. Sheri Moss held up kids to get eggs out of the tree while herself getting fired upon. Now that's a super mom! The third picture shows the sprinklers drenching the kids while in hot pursuit of their eggs.
I HAD to include these pictures to show that this is an activity where fun can be had by all ages. Here 16-year-old Casey (pictured in the middle) boasts of his winnings. We might have to take into account that his competition was the likes of these eight-year-old girls pictured here. I'm sure Tristan and Chelsea gave him a good run for his money.

And the finale? Kleins brought a bunch of Pea Shooters and marshmallows. What ensued was pretty much a bunch of adults waging marshmallow war on a mass of unarmed children. In the dark. We're totally going to get some.
Abram had his fill. Watching his parents run around like animals was what most likely did it. He was a good boy and our family had such a great time. I love the friends we've made here. They are always willing to do something fun. They've helped make so much of our experience here worth while and memorable.

Icing

What a cool group of people! Last night Bri and I were invited by the Solis family to enjoy box seats at the Killer Bees Hockey game (our Rio Grande Valley CHL team). We had such a good time, which may have had something to do with the fact that I haven't been out in a while, but more to do with the who and the where. It must have showed that I was wrapped up in the excitement of the evening because our friend Sam said, "Ok, who gave Xochi sugar?" And sadly, I hadn't had any (almost unbelievable, but true). I am a person who, however unfortunate you may find it based on your personal discretion, is almost without shame. I can't help myself. I get carried away at sporting events or if there is even a hint of gameplay (get geeked, get fired up). I tell myself that it is this quality that endears me to my close friends. Either that or they are racking up tolerance points. Bri insisted I wasn't too obnoxious. In my defence, those events are so loud, casual converstaion becomes a shouting match with the person right next to you. Who can hear over the announcer, "Whooooooooo Waaaaaaants A TeeeeeeeeeeShiiiiiiiiiirt?"

The Mascot broom hockey scrimage pictured here was hilarious. Just the sight of it killed me. But there was some altercation between those two parrot types and the Killer Bee which ended abruptly with Killer Bee stomping off the ice in a huff, in the middle of the game. I don't think it was an act, which made it all the more delicious. Oh, and for clarification, that weird brown shopping bag thing is the mascot of our local grocery store HEB. He's the H.E.Buddy. His cosutme obviously not ideal for skating.
Some of the best fun is what happens off the ice. I definately will not complain about the tasty snacks at our fingertips. I've never sat in box seats before, but I remember when we lived in Orange County, Bri went with Big Finn to a Laker's game in box seats. He came back with endless stories of gourmet food. And I was like, "Wow, that sounds great! Me? I had frozen corndogs for dinner."
Our friends Bethany and Serg. Poor Serg was shaking his hand clapper when the middle hand broke clean off and hit him straight in the forehead. It was hilarious that before the night was over, we had all broken our clappers and were left with the philosophical question, "What's the sound of one hand clapping?" But we did see ourselves on the big screen. It took us all about five seconds of asking each other while staring at the screen, "Is that us? I think that's us. Hey, Woohoo, that's us!"
And quite possibly my favorite part of the evening? Meeting this lovely set of twins, Jock and Jill. This little flitter of fun may not be surpassed for quite some time. What could be better than a couple of bearded dudes in scantily clad inflatable fat suits? At a hockey game? Seriously, what could be better?

Maybe this... I apparently without any cunning on my part was about to get some action from Jock. Or maybe it was Jill. Either way, this has got to be the best photo of the night.











Nope, outdone again. This is definately the icing on the cake! Who was it we said has no shame? I can't even believe it. To be fair, I'm not jealous that Bri is cozying up to Jill/Jock. And he wasn't the initiator. Sometimes we're in situations where we're egged on to do something we wouldn't normally do. So in a manner of speaking, you could say that Brian was sort of seduced by Jill/Jock. I'm sure it won't happen again. And positively not on camera. But you better believe I'm tucking away this little beauty for another time.

FYI, this is NOT going on the church bulletin board.

The Get

Here's our little man at his first easter egg hunt. He snatched this yellow easter egg and surprisingly, didn't let it go the rest of the morning. So it was a good get. It kept him occupied the entire primary activity -- I know, a single plastic egg.
The collage below is for the church bulletin board, so I decided to post it here too. You can see our "baby church" in one of those photos. Also, you can't miss a classic Abram face, his Royal Scrunchiness. I love it when he makes that face. It's so Hulse! (And there is no arguing that one Big Finn, because there are photos to prove it!)
The girls also had a lot of fun. That's a picture of Santi in the top left of the collage. She made a mad dash for her spoils. Cookies and punch topped it off. Abram had his first sugar cookie, but we couldn't convince him it was very good. Alas! The trait of foregoing sweets, he certainly did not get from me. I don't mind, I'll just eat his share too. It's a win-win.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Elders. Lots of Elders (and two sister missionaries. but again, they bailed early before photos. So we're not counting them. What is the deal?). Last Tuesday was the second time we had all the missionaries assigned to our ward over for dinner. You might be thinking, "Are you nuts woman? Isn't it enough just to have two?" Well, yes, I am nuts and there is something to be said about the feeling the missionaries bring. So I figure I'm totally raking in the blessings, right? I mean, we're blessed when we serve the missionaries, so just multiply that and you get 5 sets of missionaries at your door. It's apparently going to become a regular occasion. We're going to have them all over either right before or after transfers every six weeks.
I'm really surprised at how young they seem. Bri hung his head when I said, "I think all the kids had a great time tonight." Kids? Kids!?! Are we that old that I now refer to missionaries as Kids? As in, "Oh, yes, that's what the kids are doing these days." "All the kids are wearing these." I couldn't quite believe it myself. It kinda reminds me of when Squirts (Bri's sister) asked me about a song and it wasn't familiar to me so she responded with tender sympathy, "You guys don't really know who anyone is anymore, huh?" I guess not.
And we most assuredly pound a new nail into our coffins when we say things like, "I served my mission in Santiago South, but that was 12 years ago, and that mission no longer exists" or "Yah, I was baptized in '94 when I was a senior in High School" and a missionary responds, "1994? Me too, except I was 8." These kids are so harmless. They certainly don't mean to offend when they say, "How old were you guys in these pictures?" and the follow up, "yikes!"
So why do I subject myself to being in a room filled with late teen early twenty-something boys (remember, we're not counting the sisters)? Well I wasn't kidding about the spirit the missionaries bring. Our area is on fire and we want to be a part of it. Plus, it is so nice to see all of them relax and talk, they are kids afterall. The selfish reason is that the missionaries get to have the Bishop's attention for a few hours which, I hope, will keep my husband out of more meetings. And the reason I will ALWAYS have missionaries over for dinner, regardless the number, is because my husband served his mission valiantly despite many times being cold and hungry. I'm sure many do. But I shudder to think of my Brian in such circumstances. And I don't know if I have the faith to send my children into a similar situation. So in the meantime, I'm feeding the missionaries. Hopefully it will be good enough for them to come back.

Fortune Cookie Say...

For Abram's birthday I made an Asian inspired meal, which was quite good if I do say so myself. And I do. We had a yummy chicken salad and wonton soup. And a big thanks to my mom who actually wrapped the wontons while I experimented with the soup broth. And even more appreciation to my grandparents, children, and husband who ate the delectable lunch. But what would such a meal be without downright authentic fortune cookies from the minds of (who else but) LaChoy.
A tradition we picked up from Aunt Squirts (AKA Amy Hulse, Brian's sister), is to add the phrase, "on the toilet" after reading each person's fortune aloud. It is really fun and with our family it usually is the precursor to fart noises and other potty humor (you know, all things Hulse) at the table. So that's the disclaimer if you're ever invited to dine with us over an Asian inspired meal, whether at home or in a restaurant, we certainly cannot control ourselves. Sorry.
And now without further adieu...
(Don't forget to add the special ending, "on the toilet" to each!)

Cherish your dreams and they will come true…

Happiness awaits those who seek it…

To profit from good advice requires more wisdom than to give it…

The key to success is belief in one’s self…

Hearts beat with life, hearts beat with love, you will receive happiness from heaven above…

Doing what you love is freedom. Loving what you do is happiness…

And my most favorite ones from the day:

Doing little things well is a step towards doing big things better…

You have strong spiritual powers. You should choose to develop them…

Little Abram had such a great time for his birthday. I'm pretty sure my grandparents did too. Who wouldn't enjoy themselves over good food, good fortune, and good people who make up the best table conversation EVER!?!

Big Boy!

Our little boy turned One Big Fat Year Old March 7th. That's it, he's numbered now, and he'll never again be anything less. "Baby's First Year" calendar is all filled in. Gone are the days where we tallied his age by months. Big Boy time.
Somewhere there is a picture of my first birthday. The quintessential first birthday shot, with a big cake adorned with a single candle placed before me and a quizzical look on my face. "Are you SURE this is OK? I think I'm gonna go for it." What I love most is that in this old photo my mom is behind me, peering over to see my reaction to my first sweet surprise. She is sort of a shadow of the mother I know today. She is so young and beautiful with long dark hair and a tender smile. (Do you ever wish you could travel back in time and meet your mother when she was young and get a better idea of who she was before her life was completely taken over by YOU?) When I found that picture, I wanted to make sure I had a similar photo with my own babies. I forget that birthdays are as big of a deal (if not more so) for the mommies as they are for their children. I can easily remember each of my children's birth days with every passing year. It is true that the pain fades, but our hearts are marked forever. And for that, I will always be grateful. Always and every year.

(And if any one of my kids says, "Mom, look at this picture when you were young! What happened to you?"... I'm crackin' skulls)

As you can see from the slides above, Abram got quite a lot of attention (as usual) and some really nice gifts for his birthday. Finner and Lainie sent two boxes that remarkably remained unopened until his birthday. His sisters, who both have openitis (which I'm quite certain they've inherited from their aunt Alli) tried so hard to look and not touch until the big day. Nana bought him little tonka cars that he can take to church and hopefully stay somewhat out of the aisle. A ride along tractor came from Lito of course, although he did allow Lita to share in the credit. The girls made him a blanket which they hope will quickly become his favorite for cuddling. Me too. And he got a few other things that I'm sure he hopes will help pass the long hours he spends at home alone with his old Ma.
For his birthday we took Abram to Garmendias to take photos. I had a special cake made up to capture the messy cake scenario that was sure to happen, and wouldn't you know it, he was witholding. Can you believe it? Well, he made up for it when we had cake at home (also portrayed in the slideshow).

Hulse Got Talent

Last night was our ward talent show. Besides our Christmas party, it was the first activity we had as a new ward. We were hoping (and praying) that there would be a good turnout. The activities committee did a great job and somehow turned our tiny chapel into a concert hall. It was fun. Marin gave an outstanding comedy routine accompanied by her parents and baby brother. Bri did the drums (ba-dum) and I helped Abram with the cymbals (chishhh) after each joke. Abram also drew a few applause as he yelled "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh" before a few of Marin's punchlines. But she handled all that in stride and just said, "Well, that was very unexpected." She's such a little mother sometimes. And Santi? Although Santi has various performing talents, she chose to opt out this time. She also said she thought the comedy routine was a little too silly. I couldn't agree more, but that's the way we roll.
Abram nearly stole the show again when a little girl Ivette and her brother gave their rendition of High School Musical's "Bop to the Top." Abram was dancing and toe-tappin' and believe it or not saying, "Bop, bop, bop, bop." It was just too much. You can see in the picture just how small our chapel is. It has been a little humbling to be such a small and at times, struggling ward, but I no longer take having a building for granted. This has been a refining experience for our family and I know it is a time our children will never forget.
Besides her tried and true jokes (the monolingual American and the piano/tuna fish), Marin tried out a few new ones:

Why did Mozart sell his chickens?
Because they kept saying, “Bach, Bach, Bach.”

Why is it too hard to play cards in the jungle?
Because there are too many cheetahs.

Why did the sea monster eat 5 ships that were carrying potatoes?
Because no one can eat just one potato ship.

And these are brought exclusively to you from the mind of Marin Hulse:

Knock, Knock?
Who’s there?
Alma.
Alma who?
Alma the Younger.

What bird shoots out ink?
A penguin!

I questioned Marin a little further about that last one, "What do you mean shoots out ink?" hoping the uncanny Hulse trait of potty humor was not in play here. She said, "It just shoots it out, I don't know why" as if to denote, "Does it matter? Why would I know such an insignificant detail?" We're expecting Comedy Central to call with an offer for an hour-long special any day now. We'll keep you posted.