So Far, So Good...

Ten Reasons I Am Enjoying My Trip to American Fork:

1. I don't have to answer my phone (ALWAYS a pleasure)
2. I can ignore unfinished projects around my house easier; out of sight...
3. There are cousins to keep Emily from asking what there is to eat every 10 minutes.
4. Allison is learning the lesson of "absence" and "hearts growing fonder."
5. I get to see Michael in his cool "Best Buy" shirt (and he still won't let me take his picture in it).
6. Sunshine!
7. Charlie getting plenty of exercise running around with Sam.
8. Sharing kitchen duties.
9. Getting to visit cool antique shops, boutiques and outlet stores that I've been wanting to go to for a long time.

and

10. Getting to see Marianne, Dee and the other Loose people!!!

I'm so glad Marianne is taking pictures so I don't feel so badly about forgetting my camera :{

My Steve, representing the feelings we all have after a long drive.



Two beautiful blondes. Manicuring Brittany and Gena trying to figure out how to apply "skins" to her new iPod iTouch (thank you, Steve!!)



I couldn't let Steve go without getting something new. Here he's trying out his Skull Candy noise reducing earbuds. Allison, on facebook, checking up on her "farm," a new obsessional vortex I am falling into.



The women banded together and browsed some local shops. Finders Keepers (lots of decor ideas), Mona Lisa consignment (oh, my gosh, me wants it, the precious) and Real Deals (too fun, and they're a chain!).




This shows Marianne and I a little fuzzy, kind of how we felt after all the shops.



A few drinks from Sonic and we were ready to go home to make Big Macs and Oreos...

to be continued...

I KNEW I would forget something!

(cue "God Be With You"): From the shadow of the everlasting hills, may peace be with you this day and always.

I'm at my sister Marianne's house. Yippee! I love her muy much! We had a terrific drive with lots of rain all through Colorado. This morning I find myself distracted and distraught. I FORGOT MY CAMERA!!! I am desolate :{ Marianne, thankfully, has a lovely camera which I've used to capture my sweet husband sacked out on the couch in the living room, oblivious to the silly sisters giggling with said camera.

If I remember I will use her camera to preserve the moments. Like the pooch cousins, Charlie and Sam, running into the house after rolling in the soaking wet grass. Mmmm, love that aroma!

All Of The Above

This week has been __________.
a. tiring
b. stressful
c. weird
d. all of the above

I feel I am _________.
a. losing the battle
b. doing pretty well
c. counting out the sleeping pills
d. all of the above

I'm tired of __________.
a. home repairs
b. needing more money than I have
c. trying not to cry
d. all of the above

I think my blog post will __________.
a. make people sick and tired of me
b. make people roll their eyes, thinking "here we go again!"
c. make eyes glaze over as you all skip to the next persons blog
d. all of the above.

I need to _____________.
a. follow the advice of the picture
b. follow the advice of the picture
c. follow the advice of the picture
d. all of the above

Overall my life is __________.
a. busy and challenging
b. paralyzingly overwhelming
c. full of blessings too many to count
d. all of the above

The Day After

Last night just after 10 the thunderstorms that had been rumbling around us finally let loose. The wind, seemingly our of nowhere, slammed into the house and the hail started. Above is a picture I took two minutes into the deluge. The storm lasted about 10 minutes for us.



Even though it was late the storm was so loud there was no way we could go to sleep. We lit our old oil lamp and played games. The power came on around midnight.



Until the sun came up the next morning we didn't know how bad the damage was. My blackberry bushes were loaded and so bushy and leafy. This is what's left. Miraculously there are some berries left on the vines.

And the leaves! They are everywhere! Leaves are stuck on every side of the house and are just starting to fall off the windows. The green on my lawn that looks like grass is in actuality leaves. My rain gutters are full and I need to decide whether or not to brave my fear of heights and clean them out before the rain starts again in a few hours. I can make it about four rungs up so that should do it.




All of my flowers are gone. In the deep shade under my cottonwood tree (which has lost a third of it's leaves) I had a garden of coleus, hosta and impatiens. They are all pulverized. In the front I had lavender, mums, marigolds, snapdragons... they're gone too.



Up and down my street are trees knocked down and split in half. This tree is my view from the kitchen window in our church yard. If it had fallen the other direction roof over the YW's room would have broken open.

There are still people without power. Houses have been crushed and cars damaged. I'm sad about my property but I feel blessed that nothing serious happened to me or my family. So I don't have as much shade? I have windows!

Big Macs and Twinkies and Frosties, Oh, My!

The last few days have been so productive! Painting, tile work, drywall repair, wallpaper stripping, gardening, removal of aesthetically offensive 70's woodwork, shimming 2x4 support studs. It's felt really good to get so much done and my sweet girls have been right there with me. Most of the time. I must tell you that the last 2 hour session I spent sitting in a 30 inch shower stall with a watercolor paintbrush and some waterproofing liquid I was privileged to listen to Emily playing a Harry Potter game on the Wii. I know it was Harry because I kept hearing Hermione telling him to be careful.

In the middle of all this Emily found some "Top Secret Recipe" cookbooks I've had for a while. She became very excited and marked some recipes she really wanted to try. Emily hasn't really cooked very much so I said I'd let her go for it.

Saturday, after Harry and Hermione returned to Hogwarts, she came in the bathroom and asked when we were going to the store to shop for the ingredients she needed. It was 7:30, Sat. evening, and I needed to go to a working shower in the worst way. My sweet Steven ran to the store for her.

Big Macs!



Twinkies!




Frosties!



They all tasted very authentic! Best part? I didn't have to cook or clean up! I was on hand as technical support. Looking forward to next Sunday's Top Secret Adventure.

In The Service of Fellow Beings

I take the term "fellow beings" quite literally at times. Charlie received this stuffed squeaky lobster his first Christmas with us a year and a half ago, in honor of Charlie's "brother" serving his mission on the Maine coast. It has been featured, battered and unstuffed, in a previous post. It's one of Charlie's favorites! The poor toy needed major medical attention yet again. This last procedure occurred Sunday afternoon. Donor organs, sutures, scalpel (well, scissors) were all at the ready.



Concern riddled Charlie's countenance until the operation was successfully completed. He was pleased to have his toy back and I was happy, for a while, to hear the incessant squeaking of the lobster.

On a sweeter note, I overheard Mother and Husband talking about Pineapple Upside Down Cake and how long it had been since they'd had said dessert. Seeing the can of pineapple rings in my pantry I couldn't resist. The pineapple and pecans were easy to part with but I have a serious relationship with maraschino cherries. For the greater good of the family I parted with a dozen of them. All involved have expressed gratitude for the sacrifice. It felt so nice to make them happy I didn't mind the loss of the cherries (which are to die for in Diet Pepsi and Diet Dr. Pepper on a hot summer's day...).

They've Been Keeping Me Busy

Emily and Allison ordering "Shades of Blue" dresses. Emily is wearing the style ordered (Alli is trying on a different one for sizing). Note the cute split in the side of the skirt with netting and more beading and embellishments (if you can see it). The dresses will be a lovely, deep blue. And the entire group of 14 girls are going to not just add straps but sleeves also. Well, a few of the Moms are going to add sleeves, including yours truly.

I also "got" to take the girls shopping for supplies for the Youth Ward activity tonight and the Laurel camp out. Do they really need to eat? Prescription shopping. At least this time I didn't break a nail polish bottle all over Walgreen's floor. I also took Mom to WalMart and Jo Ann, searching for an elusive yarn texture. We also went to the doctor's office for vaccination boosters (whooping cough is on the rise). And the girls didn't cry! We stopped to pick up Grandma, who was getting a perm, and took the opportunity for one of the girls to donate to Locks of Love, again! Two feet in four years. Wow. Dumb question, from behind can you tell who got her hair cut...?






Yes, it was my Emily. Look at all that natural wave. She's thrilled because all she has to do is use a little product and let dry. Oh, she has to put forth effort to scrunch it as it dries. I think she looks adorable! And just in time for Senior Pictures. Because she was a good girl for the doctor and the hairdresser Emily earned a cherry Slurpee. I now can recommend the Crystal Light Apple Mango flavor. And Alli likes watermelon. And Helen is happy with Diet Coke. And I'm happy to, finally, be home.

Happy Fourth of July!

An idea spawned by creative minds came to fruition on the toenails of Allison Faria, but not without sacrifice. Her mother, in scouting out the perfect shades of polish, dropped a bottle of red and it exploded on impact. Poor Walgreen's! The large smear will remain until the "floor guys" come to buff off the old floor wax.

On a more serious note I do wish you all a wonderful Independence Day. I love our country so much and feel so blessed to live here. Many times I've had to fill in the blanks in our country's history to my children because the world doesn't acknowledge what a rare and precious gift our country truly is.

Pop Quiz: Our Nation's Official Name is:
a. The United States of America
b. The Democratic Nation of the United States of America
c. The Republic of the United States of America

What was it that happened on July 4, 1776?
a. The Constitution was ratified.
b. The Declaration of Independence was signed.
c. The first shots of the American Revolution were fired.

Where were the "first shots" fired?
a. Bunker Hill
b. Lexington (VT) and Concord (NH)
c. Boston

BONUS: Who wrote the Star Spangled Banner?
a. Paul Revere
b. John Paul Jones
c. Francis Scott Key

and when?

a. 1776
b. 1787
c. 1812

Leave your answers in my comment box... the first respondent to answer them all correctly will receive a prize!