Desperate House Fryes

Sunset Mag

2009-05-05T14:15:00.001-07:00

Explaining Pictures I-IV

2009-01-31T01:21:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I can't just get the pictures to go side by side. Elizabeth? Anyone? Fix it for me. Sorry I haven't been updating this blog! I really need to stay on top of things. Right now my house is messy and I should be in bed, but I wanted to finally put the pictures from Jarem's cell phone on here....I haven't even tackled the ones from the real camera- that will take years. Well, I've been tired, and had no time to type, but I wanted to get the blog going again. Somewhere Elizabeth is cheering. Right now Jarem and I are finishing up the President Monson bio. Great documentary. We have been impressed recently to get our life in order, and be reading scriptures, praying on our knees night and morning, getting food storage, and ridding ourselves of debt. We have also been entrusted with a rather scary thing in the Amity Ward- the overwhelming realization that many less-actives will soon be needing us. Jarem was released as a counselor to the young men, and called as the ward mission leader last week. And he knew it was coming before the bishop opened his mouth. I suppose it's partially my fault. I've been pleading with the Lord in my prayers- I feel these people slipping away, and I wanted to know what we could do (without offending leaders etc). The bishop told us in the interview that only 1/3 of our members are active, 1/3 of those members pay tithing, and 1/3 of those have a temple recommend. What terrible numbers. That is so many people who are missing out on blessings and letting their children fall into darkness. Our little group of couples is amazing. We're all active and attending the temple, and we support each other. But there are too many others in misery to just relax. I love how President Monson said that he always wanted "to be on the Lord's errand", and that whatever God needed "Tom Monson would be there". I wish I could be like that. Oh, I have my moments of goodness, but then I get grouchy and stubborn, and everything goes. :)
Ari is such a little genius. Every day he comes up with the coolest new sentences, and makes us laugh and surprises us. The other day I was mad at Jarem for something, I don't remember what, and I was sitting in the bathroom thinking while Ari was taking a bath. I wasn't even paying attention to all his little ramblings and singing (he loves to make up songs and also sing Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday, and the Hallelujah chorus, plus count from 6 to 10), and suddenly he comes out with, "Daddy loves you", pause, "Ari loves you", pause, "Soap no loves you". haha, but what a sweetheart. He knew I was upset, and he told me something very valuable.
When we were driving in Utah we suddenly realized we were behind Jarem's parents in their van when Ari yelled out "Papa!" He calls his Frye grandparents Papa and Grandma, and Ogden grandparents Grandpa and Granny. Confusing, I know. But he LOVES his grandparents on both sides. I think he really eats up the attention- just for him. He likes the play time and the hugs. I think at home he feels supplanted by Jude, and when he's around extended family he gets to have Ari time. That is so important.
So I got up at 5 am today, trying to take Great-Granny's advice about getting up early and you can get more done before the kids get up. Haha, that didn't work. For some reason, whenever I want to get up early and clean and do bills, read scriptures, etc, my lovely children have a seventh sense, and they can tell I'm up, and they get up too. Then the rest of the day is h___ because they didn't get enough sleep and are grouchy. Isn't that awesome?! I think I'll just sleep in, and continue trying to get things done after they go to bed at night. I usually want to go to bed myself!
Hey, Ari is constantly sick now- any ideas people? We take him in to the doctor, I should say, the naturopath, constantly, and we give him lots of good things to help him when he's sick, but I want to know how to keep him healthy! And then Jarem gets it from Ari, and I just start praying that Jude doesn't get sick. Half of my family is consistantly ill- with bad coughs and runny noses. I can't figure it out. I've always been pretty healthy, and this frustrates me. Mom, didn't you say something about an immune booster? Or Reliv or something? And anyone have ideas about HOW Ari is picking up all these germs? He isn't in daycare...oh, but he does go to nursery here, although people are pretty good at keeping their kiddos home if they're sick. I have no idea. The good thing is Ari is still happy and has lots of energy...that's also the bad thing.
Oh, and lately he's gotten into this screaming thing. What fun that is.
Well, I'd better go eat and get to bed. Love you all, enjoy the pictures! Click on "older posts" for the rest of them....

Pictures Part....hmm, I lost track- IV?

2009-01-31T01:04:00.001-08:00

Yes, here is another picture of me, so all of you can stop bugging me about how I'm never in the pictures. It's not exactly the prettiest time to get photos of a woman, right after giving birth twice in two years.... haha.
Oh, this is a prime example of my cooking. Nope, those are not brownies, they were supposed to be spinach artichoke bread things.
Ari investigating Daddy's office, a big no-no.
These are my favorite pictures!
Jude always wants to chew on our fingers.

Pictures Part VIII

2009-01-31T01:00:00.001-08:00

Oh yes, I'm so glam. Ari put his hard hat on my head, and well, the result was too tempting for Jarem- he had to take a picture.
Our dogs are dying to get inside, and Ari likes to tease them by opening the lower window
This is Ari at Church
My new potty!
I'm attempting to squeeze something out.

Pictures Part VII

2009-01-31T00:56:00.000-08:00

Falling asleep on the floor
Ari tore apart this Christmas card- he had to find out how the lights worked
Music with Grandpa Frye
Jude- sick during Christmas
Ari's not sure if he likes the snow

Pictures Part VI

2009-01-31T00:52:00.000-08:00

Chillin' with the Boys
Jude loves his Uncle Joseph
Oh wait, where's Mommy and my food?
Aaron and Suzanne- Jarem's older brother and his young, hot wife (not fair, if you ask me :)
Okay, now they look frustrated with me. But seriously, aren't Ari's cousins adorable?

Pictures Part V

2009-01-31T00:48:00.001-08:00

Jarem's favorite Christmas present- a wheat grinder from Dan and Elizabeth!
The back of our van
My boys, being sweet for once
Ari is just like Grandpa Ogden, he loves to clean up, and line up his toys outside
Jarem is a genius with a gun!

Pictures Part IV

2009-01-31T00:44:00.001-08:00

Yes, the Mall is a Shocker
Helping Mommy cook
Asleep at Church- heavy little Bugger
As tall as the changing table
Jude starting to read already

Pictures Part III (Potty Post)

2009-01-31T00:40:00.001-08:00

I Made It!
I will now use the Toilet
Jude loves his Daddy
FINALLY asleep
Oh, did we warn you? It's the potty post

Pictures Part II

2009-01-31T00:37:00.001-08:00

Pondering Gas Prices
Jarem as Wolverine
Ari trying to fill Daddy's Shoes
Mayhem on the Stairs at Grandma's house
Ari on his first Boat Ride

Pictures of the Last Few Months! Part 1

2009-01-31T00:32:00.000-08:00

Death Face
pirate for Halloween
Jude enjoying something
Jude a little freaked out
Ari's exact thoughts "hmm, what can I destroy next?"

Magazine Ponderings

2008-09-30T02:08:00.000-07:00

Some random things I've learned from Time Magazine over the past few months:

"Since 1988, white evangelicals have been the second most reliable bloc in the Republican base, after Mormons."

"Even the patience of the brothers was being tested by our slow Internet"- Father Daniel Van Santvoort, Cistercian monk, on his Welsh monastery's decision to get broadband access.

44% of Utah residents engage in volunteer activities- the highest rate in the nation. Nevada, with 18 %, has the lowest rate. Alaska is the second highest.

"...statistically, the single biggest difference between volunteers and nonvolunteers is how much television they watch. Volunteers spend about 15 hours a week tuned in, compared with 23 hours for nonvolunteers. Those 8 hours a week add up to more than 400 hours a year- enough time to take on any number of service projects. And there's always TiVo."

(and speaking of tv- this next stuff is so scary, and true from what I've seen in film and theater)

"..the fact that the presidential campaign features a pregnant 17 year old means that the debate about teenage sexuality is growing only more heated. Middle school counselor Julia Taylor had a conversation with her sixth-graders last year that worried her. "A lot of them were watching The O.C.,"she says. "I just remember the show's multiple sexual partners, the cocaine use, and then at the end, they drink, they drive, they set fires, but all is well! There are never any consequences." Taylor understands the media better than many. Her sister Mary is a producer who has worked on MTV shows. "I'm messing them up, and she's fixing them,"says Mary jokingly. But Mary also suggests that if nobody were watching the shows or buying the products that are advertised on them, they wouldn't succeed. "We're not Little House on the Prairie anymore,"she says. "The world is different. If parents said, 'You can't watch this,' and the ratings dropped, maybe we would change things." !!

(from an article titled "The Truth about Teenage Girls") In the media it's "much more complicated than Tracy see Tracy do. It's call the drip-drip effect vs. the drench effect. Little drips all over the channels encourage us, not a drenching. Some insights into how media images are processed into behavior comes from a 2004 Harvard study on the arrival of TV in Western Fiji. The most noticeable change was that Fijian women became dissatisfied with their bodies and tried to lose weight. They didn't necessarily want to be like Europeans; they just wanted to look like them. The real problems with teenage girls arise when the media unanimously suggest that hotness is the only identity worth trying on. An early emphasis on sexuality stunts girls' development in other areas. When kids are about defining themselves, if you give them this idea that sexy is the be-all and end-all, they drop other things. But the real problem is us, the adults. The volume of child pornography arrests has skyrocketed in the past decade. It's not teens who are using it. And it's really not teens who indulge in the voyeuristic obsession with starlets or who use young people to sell products or win votes. It's all of us. Remember, Lolita was the victim."

"Of all the disasters that have befallen the Republican Party in recent years, the most cataclysmic may be about to unfold: John McCain might win. McCain will have a house and senate full of Democrats, and they will be passing higher taxes, tougher regulation for businesses, and looser rules on immigration. Wait until McCain stamps the GOP label on these things- the party's meltdown in 1990 will seem like child's play. McCain also hasn't always been a conservative stalwart. He opposed Bush's tax cuts in 2001; he has teamed up with Democrats on immigration; he's greener than many of his fellow Republicans when it comes to global warming; and he has often been perceived as halfhearted on the cultural issues beloved by the Christian right. The thing he cares about most is foreign policy, and he might well give Democrats much of what they want on domestic issues if they let him and David Petraeus run the show in Iraq."

Next week- things I learned in Newsweek!

For a super funny preview-read this long article:

What a Croc of Shoes
Steve Tuttle

Over the last couple of weeks I've received at least five marriage proposals and a couple of death threats. One guy told me he wanted to shoot me. Another thought a knife would be best. I was called a bad father and a wonderful, caring man. Several women admitted their undying love for me, and several men wanted to do something to me with a shoe that is anatomically impossible. At least one person thinks I'm "friggin' hilarious." But many, many more have concluded that I am an "idiot," a "dork" and a "loser."
My crime? I wrote an essay for NEWSWEEK in which I said that I sorta, kinda, maybe don't like Crocs shoes all that much. OK, I said I hated them and that people who wear them are dorky. It was an Ed- Anger style rant for a lazy August afternoon, intended to brighten the Friday of our Web readers and maybe make them chuckle a little. I had hoped a few people who noticed the story would even leave a quick comment.
I had no idea what I was in for. Within hours, there were hundreds and hundreds of comments. Within a few days there were thousands. The people who wrote in were elated. They were furious. They demanded to be heard. Tip to fellow journalists: Forget the presidential election. Never mind Iraq. The death penalty? Gun control? Feh. If you want to inflame the passions of the American people, write about rubber clogs.
I was called "absolutely brilliant" and a complete "dummy." I was accused of being a racist and yet somehow pro-Barack Obama because I ended my rant with a jokey "Yes! We! Can!" Some said I was just plain un-American for criticizing neon clown shoes that are made in Mexico, Italy, Romania, China, Canada, and the United States. One patriot went so far as to accuse me of stirring the pot "with the stick of America." I honestly have no idea what that means, but at least it makes me sound manly.
Many, many people speculated that I was a big loser in high school. If being in charge of the Senior Class Homecoming float and being the water carrier for the varsity football team makes me a loser, then fine. But one guy defended me on this front: "I want to be a has-been high school loser, too. He's clever, witty, ironic AND brilliant." Clearly, this reader gets me.
Two themes ran through the negative comments: One, that I shouldn't spend my time railing against rubber shoes in a world threatened by war and disease and global warming; and two, that I am an idiot. Many of those who accused me of slacking off as a journalist—and there were hundreds—were no doubt themselves reading the article and posting about it while they were at work, on company time. As far as I can tell, I was the only one who was actually doing my job. Some of the more entertaining comments came from the second group—the ones who accused me of being an idiot. A reader with the user name Castanee was "amased of myself that was cappable of reading through this lines." Ouch. that stings, I think. A Crocs lover who goes by Allen54456 thought I should try to be more "revenant." Another angry reader wondered how I ever got "publicated."
There were many suggestions about how I could better use my time, from killing myself to seeing "how long it takes to replace all your light bulbs with energy saver bulbs." I'll choose the latter if that's OK. One guy said my essay was "fascism disguised as humor." Many thought my outlandish opinions about the shoes were a threat to our free society. At least a couple of people accused me of encouraging genocide. For the record, in no way did I intend the article to encourage genocide, and to the extent that it might have done so, I apologize.
Bitter Crocs owners said they were going to rush out to buy more Crocs to punish me. Darn, didn't see that coming. Many, many readers thought I was a terrible father because I let my son poke gentle fun at people who wore Crocs. Farmgirl12 put it best when she said, "I cant beleive your raisin your son like that." One thought I was a cool dad for spending time with my boy, but that maybe it might be best if I "didn't procreate again." From your typewriter to God's ear, my friend. Another felt sorry for my son for "having a goober dad with a job writing about shoes." That one made me laugh out loud; I'll definitely be stealing that line. So will my boy.
One angry reader said he could picture me in my ivory tower sipping wine by candlelight as I typed my essay. That is a gross mischaracterization. I drink bourbon. Guilty on the candle, though.
One woman wrote that she thought it was unfair to judge me just from one story so she went and looked up my other work. She thought all of those stories sucked, too. SeriouslySad agreed: "The writer is obviously not a good one, he works for Newsweek." Another careful reader said he couldn't believe Time magazine paid me to write such garbage. The good news for me is that all of this angry reading of my awful prose drove up my traffic numbers, which only encourages my editors to let me commit more acts of bad writing. The Crocs story alone got millions of hits, so you haters can look forward to hilarious rants about people talking in public on cell phones and nasty airline food. You have only yourselves to thank.
One quick side note: To reader Eroticism, who wrote, "I think I love you," and to laftacad who went all the way and said, "I officially love you," and to all of the women who proposed marriage: could you please send photos? I know we'll have at least two important things in common right off the bat: you love me and you don't wear Crocs.
I went through every single one of the thousands of responses and letters, and some of them were tough to read. But one stood out, and I'd like to close with it, because one Crocs wearer, Leayellowrose, got the joke: "OMG ... This was hilarious!!! Thanks for the laugh. I lost my 4 year old to brain cancer in January and hadn't laughed this much since ... Now, that being said, I wear Crocs all the time!!!"
It was signed, "A dork in Texas."

Real Life Begins

2008-08-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth! Come back! We really miss you and Soren and Anders. Ari runs around looking for his cousins, and he cries at night when he has to go to bed alone. (Elizabeth was brave enough to have all three boys in her guest room, they babbled to each other until they fell asleep each night.) He will really love having Jude to play with. Such a social boy. Jude is turning out the same, I think. He doesn't ever want to be left alone either. Whew. I am going to be tired raising these two. And holy cow, I have NO IDEA how women raise children without their husband at home! Ari is currently getting his 2 year molars in- 6 months early, lucky us. Jarem has been taking care of him now that Elizabeth is gone, and he has to deal with the whining, the constant poopy diapers, the 103 fever, the waking up at night, and the horrible rashes. Poor Daniel got to see that too. I wish I could take the hurt away, I cry when I see my Ari in pain. He is such a sweetheart, and he doesn't deserve to be hurting. Hopefully it will be over soon- the fever is already gone, and now we just have to wait for the teeth. Everyone says this takes weeks though.

Jude is happy, thankfully. He sleeps and eats, and smiles at me every now and then. He also holds his head up more and more! He is adorable, or at least to his mommy. I know parents are prejudiced. He actually doesn't mind being on his stomach either. Ari hated tummy time. I look at these two boys, and I can't even remember my life before children. Must have been so boring! What a blessing it is to have kids.

Louise is coming up next week! Can't wait. You'll love your new grandchild, but then you'll want us to move back to Utah so you can see him more. :)

Mom, stay on top of those construction guys! Don't come up to visit until you've got the house finished. Daniel, Joseph, and Dad need a construction-free zone to live in, and you need the stress gone. I'll pray for you.

Amber! So good to read your post! Sorry I'm such a slacker and I haven't written. I love your updates and beautiful pictures of your twins.

Stephanie- I'm glad you found this blog! I will try to post more, and pester Jarem for more pictures and video. How are Brenda and Tiffanie? Do you have a blog too? I love staying in touch.

Meg, you are so right. Two kids is a big enough family! Thanks for being a great example to me, you are a true Mormon.

Beautiful Jude

2008-08-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

So I really, really dislike labor. It's not the hard work or the pain, it's the waiting. Luckily Jude came quickly, but it still felt like an eternity. And yes, it's very painful. "Anyone who says differently, princess, is selling something". haha. I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for a perfectly healthy, strong little boy who decided August 13th would be his birthday, and came on his own, without any inducing or other dramas. A week earlier we had been told there was not enough amniotic fluid for Jude to live on, and that I'd need to be rushed to the hospital and be induced to save his life. Our midwife sent us to a doctor, the doctor monitored his vitals, and based on that gave us two days to get the amniotic fluid up. On Wednesday we would have another ultrasound and that would tell us if we could still have the baby at the birth center with midwives, or if we'd end up in the hospital. I was so stressed. When they took my blood pressure it was 10 pts higher when we were discussing the possibility of a hospital birth! Jarem always had faith that things would work out though. He remembered the blessing that he and Daniel and my dad gave me in Colorado Springs, and he knew Jude would be fine. I was a bit doubting Thomas. :) We began calling family and asking for prayers- Jarem's mom even put our names in the temple- and then we asked the midwives what we could do. They said drink lots of pear juice (the closest thing we have to amniotic fluid), lots of water, rest, get acupuncture, and eat goji berries. We did everything we could, and then put the rest in the Lord's hands. Sure enough, Jarem was right. The prayers of our family and friends worked! The second ultrasound showed the amniotic fluid went from 2.3 to 10.7, and the doctor said to have a great birth with our midwives. What a miracle. The next Tuesday was also a blessing. I haven't been sleeping well (duh, the last trimester!) and on Monday night I fell asleep at 1 am and I slept until TWO PM Tuesday! Jarem thought it was weird, but he took care of Ari and let me sleep and sleep. That night I went into labor, and boy was I grateful for the extra energy. The contractions started about 11 pm, as we were driving back from Portland (we got a van!) but they weren't strong until 3 am. Then we really went into labor at 4 am, and Jude began helping push himself down. The part I hate is "transition"- between 7 and 10 centimeters dilated, but it went quickly. Again, I tried to do a water birth, but you know what? I discovered I really don't like baths or being in a tub. I just want to walk around and move through the pain. The hot water helps with pain, but you have to sit or squat there and wait....something I'm discovering is not me. So both Jude and Ari were "land" births- that sounds funny.

(I have to brag here) Our midwife and attendants said they were really impressed with how present I was, and how easy I made labor seem. HAHAHA. It's not easy, but I'm glad that when compared with other women laboring naturally, I can hold my own. That's not to say I don't scream sometimes- wouldn't be super fun otherwise.

So Jude was born at 6:50 am, and poor Jarem finally got to sleep an hour or two. That day I was so grateful to be at the birth center and not at home- they have AC and I don't. I stayed at the birth center from Wednesday to Friday night, and oh, how I didn't want to go home. It was 103 degrees when I left the birth center at 8pm! But the best thing about being at home was seeing Ari play with his cousins. I'd been so worried about him, and I shouldn't have. Elizabeth is a HUGE blessing. She flew up on Thursday with her little ones- Soren and Anders, and they've kept Ari so busy and happy he didn't even miss us! This has been the easiest transition. He says baby and points to Jude, and gives me a grin and a hug every now and then, but he doesn't seem to be concerned at all. We'll see what happens when his favorite play buddies leave. I am ever grateful for Elizabeth. To take care of three hyper boys, keep my house clean, do grocery shopping, etc, etc, etc....well, she's AMAZING. There should be an Oscar for women like her. She could have 10 kids and not break a sweat. Family is such a blessing to have around at times like these. Dan and Daniel are coming next week, and then sometime later I think Louise and Mom are coming- not sure about that though, they could refuse, it might be tiring for them. :) I just can't explain how essential Elizabeth has been, and she's suffering through this big heat wave too.

Jude is a week old now, and he is doing great. He smiles, he looks around, he holds his head up and watches the kids, and he tracks our voices. He is one strong little bugger. If he doesn't want me to change his diaper...well, good luck getting his legs to stay open. He also loves to sleep and eat, and eat and sleep. Elizabeth is helping me today by trying to keep him up during the day so he'll sleep at night. He is still on the reverse schedule, and Jarem and I are TIRED. Yep, new parents.

I am so grateful to the Lord for two beautiful, healthy, calm boys. Ari and Jude are everything we could have asked for, and we feel very blessed. We feel like we owe the Lord a lifetime of service for taking care of us. We need to get our act together, raise righteous boys, make Jarem's business successful, be out of debt and owning our house, and bring ourselves closer to the spirit through the scriptures and serving others. Then when the Lord calls us to far-flung destinations (read: Australia, Greece, Israel, China....) to serve Him, we'll be packed and ready to go, with no problems. I can't wait!

I want to feed myself!

2008-05-05T17:16:00.001-07:00

Sagging full diaper and Fun with toy baskets

2008-05-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

Food I made for the Agles...to feel close to Jarem in Israel

2008-05-05T17:07:00.001-07:00

For Daddy

2008-04-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

My heart, my love, and Ari's best friend and father....we miss you. After your life-changing experiences in the land of the Savior, come home safely and let us enjoy your laughter and spirit once more.

San Diego Vacation

2008-04-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, since there were 2 professional photographers at work in Utah (Jarem and Elizabeth), I didn't feel the need to get pictures, apart from one of Bronson and Ari in their car seats. Here I've been getting pictures when Elizabeth is not around (sneaky), and totally enjoying the nephews. Soren, Anders, and Ari are getting to be such good friends, and I know Ari will miss his cousins after playing all day with them....and hitting them. haha. On Saturday I was lucky enough, or trusted enough, that Dan and Elizabeth went and had a great 5 year anniversary and I got to watch the boys! They played so well together- I was really happy. Okay, here's the pictures:

It's a... !!!

2008-03-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well, there you have it.

Thanks Elizabeth

2008-03-28T22:09:00.001-07:00

Hey, seriously, Elizabeth, great job with the new colours and templates! I am impressed. You are my new blog guru- that should be a job- the blogru, or maybe the gublog. haha. Thanks for making our site look so awesome!

Silent Child- Not a Good Sign

2008-01-19T22:54:00.000-08:00

Hey mom, while you were doing dishes, I opened the cupboard and found the paper towels!

Jerusalem Center Friend

2008-01-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

She was always interested in Israel itself, not in finding American food, emailing home for hours each day, and ignoring the experience. She died the same day as our 10-year Jerusalem Center reunion. Here is her obituary:

Aimee Danielle Biada 1974 ~ 2007 Aimee Danielle Biada died in West Bountiful, Utah on Friday, December 28, 2007 at age 33. She passed peacefully into the next life, at home surrounded by her family and special friends, and listening to the song of her younger sisters, Lauren and Kate. We know that her sister Jessica, who preceded Aimee in death on September 29, 2007, was delighted to be reunited with Aimee.Beautiful, bright, talented and oh so sweet, Aimee was born to George and Ann Biada in Rochester, Minnesota on September 30, 1974. Aimee graduated from Utah State University, magna cum laude, in 1997 with a B.S. in Business Information Systems. She also spent a semester in the BYU Jerusalem Program. Aimee received the Covey MBA Scholarship to BYU and completed her MBA at the BYU Marriott School of Management in 2000. As a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Aimee served in many callings, including service as an ordinance worker in the Boston and Bountiful Temples. She was a member of the North Salt Lake Foxboro First Ward and loved the leaders and many friends there. She is survived by her parents George and Ann Biada, West Bountiful; siblings, Erica (David) Low, Providence, Lauren, Katelyn and Joshua of West Bountiful; and three special nephews: Isaac, Dawson and Henry. Funeral service will be held on Friday, January 4, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at the Stone Creek Stake Center, on 1000 North between 200 West and Main Street, just south of Viewmont High School in Bountiful, where a visitation will be held prior to the service from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. A visitation will also be held on Thursday, January 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Russon Brothers Mortuary, 295 North Main, Bountiful. Aimee fought a good fight. She has finished the course. She has kept the faith. Arrangements under the direction of Myers Mortuary of Ogden. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Oral Cancer Foundation, 3419 Via Lido # 205, Newport Beach Ca. 92663. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.myers-mortuary.com

How to Get Married, Part I

2008-01-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, long time no do anything with computer because too busy with little boy....haha, I can't even talk in adult speak anymore. Kids are tiring! Hey, I had an interesting thought the other day. Let's see if Ari will be good for long enough so I can get it out. So, I'm really enjoying being married to a great, INSPIRATIONAL man named Jarem, and I thought about how it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been ready. By that, I mean, I was finally open to marriage- I let my hair grow out and took care of it, I did way less makeup and felt more confident about my looks, and more importantly, I was ready on the inside. I had just spent a while doing film and theater, which I loved, and I was just coming off of the Joseph Smith film, which was a great testimony builder. So I felt great in my career, and with the Church. I wasn't just sitting around moping about how I wanted to get married. That is when Jarem and I met, and we both had the confidence to respect each other and enjoy being together without being clingy. Then I thought about all my single friends, and how most of them would like to be married, and why they aren't. I know, this is sounding quite rude, but it's not. I remembered some of Elder Oaks talks to the singles at BYU and how blunt he was, and how I ignored that counsel, advice, and commandment to get married and have a family. My friends, you are now saying that you are not that dumb to ignore an apostle, and that you are doing everything you can to find an eternal mate....so why isn't it working? I think I know. haha. Now I'm Ghandi. For some, it's easy, like my bro Daniel. All you have to do is get back to the right place, ie, not Iraq. Sorry I used your name. :) For others, you are in the right place, but you have to stop being so picky, and find your partner not based on if she has blond hair and perfect makeup. That won't last, I promise. And some have been ready spiritually, emotionally, and mentally for a long time- ready to have the great husband and wonderful kids. But physically, you are not ready, and the good guys will not look past the weight issue. Believe me, I'm fat now too, and it stinks not being told you are beautiful anymore. I shall have to start real exercising, not just chasing Ari and friends around. I don't eat that badly, I just don't like to fix food. I need a cook, and then I just have to do pilates, walking, yoga, etc to be healthy again. (PS- interesting side note, today on the radio they were talking about how in the 50s our expenses were 18% food, 5% health care, and today our expenses are 5% food and 15% health care- we are paying for eating crappy cheap junk food with our health! They also said now we spend LESS than an hour a day preparing food, and OVER 3 hours a day on the internet or watching tv- I can't believe that. Well, here I am on the internet and not preparing a healthy meal for Jarem, so there you have it. :) Okay, I got sidetracked on my side note. Where was I? Oh yes, I know my friends believe it is important to get married, and I know you want to, but why isn't it working? Oh, and just so you know, I have equal male and female single friends....the problem is with both sexes....I also have several female friends who will not marry the guys who ask them, because they are immature and spend all day doing video games, etc. I think Elder Oaks also said to grow up and stop trying to be Peter Pan. What about if you can't get a girl to date or marry you? What if you are successful in career but not in love? Focus more on the Lord, the temple, the scriptures, and figuring out what makes YOU happy, and then you will be able to make a girl happy. And always, location, location, location....and no, I don't think Utah is a great place to find your eternal companion. I know, I'm a hypocrite, because Jarem and I found each other in Utah, but seriously, the men and women there are pretty shallow and weird. Jarem is a fluke, thanks for being friends with him Tia. Tia is not fake, she's a great person (and that's probably why you moved to DC, eh!). Anyway, this is part I, and when I get all the critics to comment I'll write part II with corrections on how to get married.

January 4, Friday, playing with River Webb, and Reily, Ryan, and Kristen Cooper

2008-01-04T15:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas Presents from Grandma and Grandpa Frye!

2008-01-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

Don't bother me, I'm reading...

2008-01-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

First Real Poo Turd Thingy

2008-01-04T15:22:00.000-08:00

I like Making Messes!

2008-01-04T15:04:00.001-08:00

Tableau

2007-11-19T23:15:00.001-08:00

New (old) Couches

2007-11-19T22:42:00.000-08:00

Yeah baby! Okay, so this takes us back a bit, to at least the 70s, but hey, I really like them! This lady is getting all new furniture, so she gave us her entire set- couch, loveseat, coffee table, two end tables, and two lights. She saw them in a store window in 1975! She liked the arrangement, so she bought the whole thing on the spot. haha. But I love how nice she kept them for over 30 years....

And I love these two boys....

And you can see part of the beautiful tableau Jarem set up for me! We had a great argument (about, what else- our parents and how we were raised right and the other person was raised wrong- that's pretty much the only thing we fight about each time- I like fights :), and Jarem felt badly afterwards...so while I was in choir practice he went out and got MY tree- the one I had been lusting after for ages! And he got a lamp to go along with it...hmm, I think we have a better picture of it somewhere...I'll ask Jarem. Anyway, needless to say that when I got home my mouth dropped open and I was almost crying. It is beautiful, and he did all that with a baby in tow. Wow. Now we're ready for Christmas!
Oh, by the way, see those amazing paintings on the wall behind the couch? Those are originals! And nope, you can't have them. Wayne Madsen, our super talented friend, gave those to us, and I know it's bad lighting to showcase them, but seriously, you'll all have to come up and visit just so you can see how cool they are. I love real art.

Holy Cow

2007-11-15T23:20:00.001-08:00

Okay, I knew you guys wouldn't believe this, so I had to whip out the camera quickly and take pictures of Ari PULLING himself up on Jarem's chair!!! Unfortunately, I was a little late....but I got the big smiles right as he stood and he knew he had accomplished something SO COOL.

Halle's baby blessing!

2007-11-15T23:08:00.001-08:00

Isn't she beautiful? This is our little neice! She is perfect and chubby; I wish Ari could be fatter. :) Jarem's oldest brother's girl....Halle Rose Frye. That was the best day- I really was grateful we could be there. Thank you Aaron and Suzanne.

Great Quotes and Utah Pictures

2007-11-09T20:52:00.001-08:00

Jarem at the airport with his baby and his "baby"- valuables on front and back
Ari notices the camera
Ari and friend Lisle
Ari likes Grandma's blanket

Some great quotes people just sent me:

Dear Abby,
A couple of women moved in across the hall from me. One is a middle-aged gym teacher and the other is a social worker in her mid twenties. These two women go everywhere together and I've never seen a man go into or leave their apartment. Do you think they could be Lebanese?

Dear Abby,
What can I do about all the Sex, Nudity, Fowl Language and Violence on my VCR?

Dear Abby,
Our son writes that he is taking Judo. Why would a boy who was in a good
Christian home turn against his own?

Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not. - Samuel Johnson

Levi Man

2007-11-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

Casual Ari- modeling the latest fashions in denim wear, thanks to Suzanne's gift!

Smith Rock

2007-11-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

We went on a short trip 3 hours south to Smith Rock- and we took almost the whole family (minus the cat, who obviously doesn't enjoy car trips). Beautiful area, lots of fun dragging a stroller around the dirt. Should've hooked up the dogs and done a sleigh ride type thing. haha.

WELCOME!!

2007-11-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

Sara says:
Here is the new Frye Family blog! This is to replace our website, which Jarem needed to take down for more space on his server. And blogs are free! Thanks Elizabeth.

Jarem says:
Why “Desperate House Fryes?” Well, it’s not because we’re fans of the show Desperate Housewives. Neither one of us has ever seen that show, or ever plan to. We are a ‘home business/stay at home mom/born at home baby’ family, who fill their days with anything but being at home.
A typical day for us often includes a trip to the UPS Store to ship mechanical body parts to places like Washington DC, England, Japan, Latvia, Czech Republic, France and Norway; then to the chiropractor 45 minutes away, some shopping while we’re out near Target, 45 minutes back (stop by the machine shop on the way to pick up more prosthetic parts) run to Lowes to pick up fencing materials, get back home, put Ari down for a nap, squeeze in a 40-mile bike ride to train for upcoming events from Portland to Sun Valley to Connecticut and Orlando (oh ya, and Norway next year), pick up the mail since they don’t deliver to our home, take the dogs for a walk, go to young mens/young womens (on the one night Sara doesn’t have choir, visiting teaching or leadership meetings, and I don’t have home teaching, haven’t been asked to go to Portland –over an hour away- to give a blessing, we don’t have a dinner appointment or babysitting).
A non-typical day may substitute acupuncture for chiropractor, add a massage, picking up office supplies, sending promotional DVDs out, taking the dogs to the dog park (an hour away) shopping again (because we never seem to get everything we need in one trip) visits to the bank to straighten things out they messed up, Ari’s checkups, volunteer work at the birthing center, trips to the eye clinic day after day for months, dropping off a meal for someone in the ward, dinner with friends or sometimes a party, and the list really does go on.
People will think I’m making all this up, but as my mom can attest from asking “what’s up with you guys today” often enough, any one day really is this crazy.
So, for a ‘home business/stay at home mom/born at home baby’ family, we are pretty desperate just to get a little time at home! We have to. We have the carpet guy coming to give us a quote, an insurance salesman, home teachers, visiting teachers, another party Sara announced (without telling me I would be making all the food), a graphic design appointment, the lawn needs to be mowed, the cat needs to be fed, Sara needs to make calendars for young womens, I need to build a fence, a doghouse and eight more knees, weed the yard, clean up everything the dogs have destroyed and make list of what we need to go into town to replace…
It’s a vicious cycle. Welcome to the Desperate House Frye’s blog.