A Tale of Two...Cup Sizes?????

You have to read this hilarious story...this hilarious TRUE story. Not that I'd ever buy an inflatable bra, and my mother definitely would never have given me one, but if I did ever wear one, I could totally see this happening to me! Betty, you rock, even if your boobs aren't the same size when you fly commercially!


A Bra's Tale:
Detour On A Daughter's Trip Abroad
As a young woman, Betty Jenkins received a gift from her mother that was meant to attract the attention of young men. But as Jenkins, who is now 94, tells her niece, the attention she got wasn't the kind she was expecting.

"Back then I was very skinny, and I didn't have any curves. I guess my mother got kind of worried, because she didn't think I had enough boyfriends," Jenkins said.

The gift was an inflatable bra that was designed to enhance its wearer's figure. A straw-like tube was used to inflate pads in the cups.

"I was real excited, so I blew and blew to about [size] 32," Jenkins said.

But things didn't go smoothly during a plane trip in South America. The plane was flying near the Andes Mountains when Jenkins began to feel pressure and sensed there was a problem.

It turned out the cabin was not pressurized, and the bra was expanding. [Is this what people mean when they say their "cup runneth over"???]

"As the thing got bigger, I tried to stand up," Jenkins said, "and I couldn't see my feet."

The instructions said that the bra's pads could be inflated up to a size 48.

"I thought, 'What would happen if it goes beyond 48?'" Jenkins recalled.
"I found out what happened," she said. "It blew out."

Only one of the cups burst, Jenkins said. But the noise was loud enough to seize the attention of everyone on the plane.

"The co-pilot came into the cabin with a gun, wondering what had happened. The men all pointed to me."

Jenkins then tried to explain in Spanish what she could hardly explain in English, "that part of your anatomy just blew up."

The plane made an emergency landing, and Jenkins was handed over to the police. She was ordered to strip, as the officers looked for what they assumed could only be a bomb.

After she showed the officers the hole in her bra, Jenkins was allowed back on the plane and her trip continued.

"A month later, I got a bill from the airline for $400," Jenkins said, "for an unscheduled stop."
Her mother enjoyed the story so much that she kept the broken bra. Her mother died in 1967. As for the bra, Jenkins says she no longer has it.
Produced for Morning Edition by Nadia Reiman. The senior producer for StoryCorps is Michael Garofalo. NPR stories
Read the actual article or even better LISTEN to Betty tell the story here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91943477&sc=emaf

How many are you, Grandpa?

August is a very celebratory month in our family. We've got Brett, Wyatt, Dixie, of course, but we also like to throw in a special birthday bash for Grandma and Grandpa Bauerle (you might call Grandpa's a bit of "Pre-BDay" fun).

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And how "many" might they be (as Wyatt asked Grandpa)? To answer your question, this year they are ONLY EIGHTY-SIX & NINETY-SIX YEARS YOUNG.

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Here are some pictures of the Bauerle clan--I really love this bunch. We don't get together often, but when we do we have a great time!

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"Blogs" have helped us stay in touch with Brett's Bauerle

cousins in a way that we hadn't before, and although it might sound weird, I really attribute blogger.com with making us closer to them and more aware of what's going on in their lives. We've always cared about them, naturally, but I'm ashamed to say we didn't make "staying in touch" a priority before, so for several years the only time we saw them was at the annual Christmas party, mission farewells/homecomings, and birthday parties like this. I don't know if other B. family members ever felt this way, but it's hard to feel overly "warm and fuzzy" with someone when you have the same conversation with them each time you see them because so much time goes by since the last time you talked ("So how's work? School? The kids?"). Now we can "blog-stalk" their families and feel as though we are part of their day-to-day, reading about their children's milestones, commenting on their new houses being built, or viewing photos from their latest vacation. Now we earnestly look forward to any opportunity we might have to visit in person--Brett has friendly, interesting, funny, loving, sweet, wonderful cousins, aunts, & uncles and I've seen the blogs to prove it!

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In this picture of Halle & Grandma B., you'll note the "lone hole" in the top of her grin. This is on display on purpose, as she'd just lost her tooth earlier that day! Halle has such a fondness for her Great-Grandmother. LaRee has a way of making you feel like you are the most important person in the room. She's so good to Halle. Halle loves to "converse". Gab. Vocalize. She can go on and on (and on and on and on) about this or that, usually talking so fast that it's a wonder Grandma can even keep up. Yet Grandma is patient (more patient than I usually am, unfortunately) and really listens to Halle. She makes Halle feel as though what she has to say just might be life-altering. I'm not saying my daughter isn't interesting, mind you, but let's be honest. A 7-Year old's stories can, after a while, sometimes be a bit...what's the word? Lengthy? Exaggerated? Tiresome? Yes, all three at times. But I think Halle knows that when she's around Grandma she's definitely got someone who wants to hear what she has to say.

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Speaking of gabbing, I LOVED seeing Halle and Kristen's daughter, Morgan, chat it up. They are only about 18 months apart, but when you are younger, 18 months can be quite a gap developmentally. This time they found they had very common interests (anything Miley or Hannah Montana...ROCK ON!). It was cute to observe them off in the corner, visiting happily and moving their hands around as they spoke with excitement.

20 + 11 =...

Earlier this month we celebrated Brett's 31st birthday in a small family party. It was so fun to have Mom, Dad, Heidi, & Tanner over for dinner that Sunday. We had one of Brett's favorite meals (okay, mostly one of my favorite, but he loves them, too): Bleu Cheese Burgers (thanks again, Jayme, for the recipe...YUM!), delicious fresh watermelon (thanks, Dixie!), and his favorite pasta salad, Bowtie-Cashew-Craisin. I made a Tishamingo layered cake with Buttermilk Chocolate Frosting (yep, I said layered. Are you impressed??? It "only" took me two batches of batter to get 2 workable circles!).

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In true Taft fashion, in a way only they can deliver, "Happy Birthday To You" was once again unbelievably loud, monotone, and hilarious. LOVED IT. Pause my music and take a listen:

I've been teasing him saying he's practically FORTY,

since he's closer to that then he is to twenty!

"do not question authority. do not question authority. do not question..."

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/playgroundvideo3.swf

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I saw the trailer for this movie on another blog and it has me intrigued, to say the very least. To quote the blog I found it on, "It's an interesting analysis of our world of science today and how scientists that study and believe in Intelligent Design are being rejected to the point that they are thrown out of their research circles and fired from their jobs. The narrator and investigator (Ben Stein) makes an interesting point about free speech and how this seems to be one area where there is only one acceptable answer today, Darwinism... One scientist, siding with evolution, makes an interesting point, and says, 'They're distracting you from what's important.' I couldn't agree more, except for one detail... who is doing the distracting?"

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I can respect the work of all scientists and the intelligence and progress that they can offer. But as Ben Stein says in the trailer, "The more I thought about the situation, the more I wondered why we tolerate free speech in every other area of society, but not here. What makes this situation so different? In my experience, people that are confident in their ideas are not afraid of criticism, so that tells me the Darwins are afraid." Why is it so difficult to believe that we as humans have within us a spark of the Divine?

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I don't recall noticing this movie coming to a theatre near me last spring, so I plan on making a stop at Blockbuster to rent it. I'd be curious to know the thoughts of anyone that has already viewed it. Watch the trailer. Just that couple of minutes alone brings up some very, very interesting points.

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It makes me grateful to know that I don't have to rely on scientific evidence to tell me where I came from or how I was created. Just witnessing the bold colors of a sunset, or drawing in the crisp smell of the mountain air, or looking into the faces of my children, is all the proof I need that something, Someone had a hand in my life and the world around me.

boredom-buster bags!

What three words have I heard the most this summer? I'd like to say they were "I LOVE YOU", but alas, that fond expression was out-done by another set of words more common in my children's vocabularies.

MOM, I'M BORED!

After surfing the web, I gathered several ideas for premade activities my kids could whip out for a good fifteen minutes of entertainment. These "Boredom Bags" have been a lifesaver...and best of all, I feel like my kids are using their BRAINS as they sort, create with shapes, threading large noodles onto pipe cleaners, and read through flashcards!

Wyatt's favorite boredom bag is the felt shapes. I made two "mats" out of large rectangular pieces. Each mat has a different color on each side, black/green and white/brown. To help the large rectangles be more stiff and solid (easier to pick up when they want to show Mom their final creation) I used thin plastic cutting boards that I got at Wal-Mart, 3 for $2.

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Both kids love the flashcards and they are great to take in the car! Wyatt is more fond of the alphabet ones on the left and Halle likes the more complicated set on the right--it has things like "What do these three things have in common?", etc. I bought a pack of 4 flashcards at Wally's for just a couple bucks. BARGAIN!

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I bought a wide-range of assorted buttons (some even look like glass slippers and lady bugs and cars), "jewels", and sparkly fuzzy balls. Then I labelled two ice trays--one identifies colors and the other identifies an item's properties, such as "sparkles" or "soft" or "hard" or "round". It's been neat to watch them sort these little things into many different ways.

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(And yes, I know it is unacceptable, incredibly rude, and completely goes against "blog-etiquette" for me to not remember what websites or blogs I got these ideas from. I'd like to give you credit--there are 2-3 sites that inspired these boredom bags--so if you posted any of these crafty schmafty things on your blog or website first, I probably got it from you. Feel free to leave a comment taking credit...you deserve it!) I do know one of them at least...Marie at http://www.makeandtakes.com/about. She doesn't read my blog, but if she did, I'd say THANKS, MARIE for all her ingenious, and best of all: simple, ideas!

O Pioneers! 24th of July Parade

This was something we'd looked forward to all summer long:

HANDCART DAYS

GRAND PARADE

DOWN BOUNTIFUL'S MAIN STREET

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I love this parade. I think it rivals any parade seen on the Wasatch Front. In fact, a majority of floats seen in the Days of '47 Parade are seen here first. Our favorite place to watch it? Why, on the front lawn of Heritage Place with Grandma & Grandpa B., of course! The parade passes right on by, and early in the parade path, so we get to see the performers at their very best!

It's too difficult for Grandma's back to sit that long in a folding chair, so we took the chance to visit with her some during dinner prior to the parade. She treated us by buying tickets to Heritage Place's Pioneer Day dinner. It was actually quite delicious: hot dogs hot off the grill, homemade root beer (the best kind, right?!), chips, pickle, melon, and grapes. As you can see, Grandpa was ready to roll with his hat to keep the sun out of his eyes! He loves a good parade, especially the marching bands. Carson liked on his hot dog, too!

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The kids loved the parade! They made out like bandits on candy and even got a stuffed animal.

Here are some of the highlights:

This bike caught everyone's attention, although I couldn't help but wonder...

Did the circle in the air ever feel like a 3rd-Wheel???

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I'll give you one guess to decide who's favorite float this was...

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Grandpa has eagle-eyes when it came to candy...if the kids missed some that had been thrown, he'd poke Halle with his elbow and then use his cane to point to the unclaimed sugar.

(Thanks, Grandpa! I'll forward the dental bills to your address! LOVE YA!)

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Stuff like this in parades makes me cry. Like the ugly kind of cry. The kind of cry that makes you sheild your face from the crowd because it's so embarrassing.

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P.S. Our neighbor, Matt, is there, too, but like any good soldier he did not acknowledge our enthustiastic screams of "Brother Jensen! Brother Jensen!"

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This makes me cry, too. And reminds me of my mom because she loves bagpipes!

It also makes me think of Brett's MBA Graduation, which had bagpipes accompany him and his fellow graduates in the procession. I cried then, too. (It had been a long two years at ASU!)

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Once again, my eyes were leaking.

I love seeing Veterans.

Our Patriotic Boys!

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p.s. One thing I really missed seeing this year is the Air Force fly-over in Vernal.

That makes me cry the hardest of all.

Am I the only one that gets so emotional at parades???

fine dining in New York

I love the look on Wyatt's face here! What a cute little waiter!

And don't you love the

gold lame' fabric of Mrs. Rockefeller's skirt? Very chic!

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I look awful here, I know. I wanted to change into "fancy-nancy" clothes

like Halle but ended up not having time, so here I am in

my grubbies with my hair pulled back sloppily. Oh, well.

Good thing our "restaurant" had low-standards.

They even let me in despite the fact I was barefoot!

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On the eve of Brett's NYC trip, the kids and I prepared a farewell feast fit for...well, a Yankee Fan. I let the kids dress up and thought it was so cute when they said they wanted "fake names" to go with their Big Apple Alter-Egos. Wyatt was our waiter, Joe DiMaggio, and Halle was a "fancy-nancy" New York lady joining us for dinner. Her name was Aurora Rockefeller. We pulled out all the stops, using goblets filled with sparkling lemonade, white tablecloth, and even candles (although I was too nervous to put them in the center of the table for fear the kids would knock them over when they reached for something). Our menu paid tribute to New York with our "New York Steaks" and a side of Parmesan-Orzo (which I claimed was from Little Italy. I was stretching, I know.). For dessert, we dined on delectable New York Cheesecake. It was so fun getting ready, since it was a surprise. The kids even practiced what they were going to say. Wyatt opened the door for Brett when he arrived home from work and this is a run-down of the conversation between them:

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Wyatt: "Welcome to New York's finest restaurant, sir. Are you here to eat?"

Brett: "Yes, it smells delicious."

Wyatt: "Please follow me." (Wyatt then walked Brett into the kitchen and dramatically swept his arm out to show the table.)

Wyatt: "Will this be alright?"

Brett: "This is perfect. Thank you." Brett sat down.

Wyatt: "Your food will be ready in a minute."

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Then Halle said:

Halle: "Good evening. I am Aurora Rockefeller. May I share your table this evening?"

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It really was so cute! Nobody even cared that our NY Steaks were in real-life Petite Sirloins and that our NY Cheesecake were actually "Cheesecake Bites" from the freezer aisle (the budget was tight that week). It was just a fun way to commemorate a trip we've all looked forward to for a long time!