7.31.2008
We Had a "Moment"
7.30.2008
Words, Words, Words
7.29.2008
This is the view I wake up to every morning. Do you think my kids are excited about school starting in 5 days??? Can you believe it's July and we're going back to school? And what do you think of all that camo, huh? These backpacks, carefully prepared by my children, are sitting in the corner of my bedroom. My heart leaps in a giddy little whirl every time I see them. I love those dang monsters, but they gots ta go. Ummm . . . I mean for the wonderful educational opportunities that . . . whatever. You know I adore my children, but absence does make the heart grow fonder. Here's to Monday, August 4th! Cheers!
7.28.2008
Luck Be a (Prayerful?) Lady Tonight . . .
7.27.2008
Humor Me . . .
7.25.2008
Also Funk Reducing . . .
Who Knew?!
Pity party finished, I prayed for help. Help to see the sunshine again and get it all together. I didn't know what I needed, but I prayed for SOMETHING. And went to bed confident that tomorrow would be better. I awoke to a phone call from the Relief Society presidency informing me that a sister in our ward's son had been killed in a motorcycle accident and, as the only member of the compassionate service committee in town, I was needed to coordinate meals for the three or four nights and a luncheon for 80 people after the funeral service Saturday. My first, gut reaction was, "NO!!!! Nononononononononononononononono! I was supposed to have been released from this calling when I was called as Young Women's secretary. I prayed for help FOR MYSELF last night! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" But I quietly said, "Sure. That won't be a problem." I turned to my friends (and I must say that I have always had a knack for picking the best friends) and everything has worked itself out.
SO, who would ever have guessed that what I needed to get out of my funk was to plan a funeral? The Lord works in mysterious ways.
7.24.2008
A Shocking Realization
So sad.
7.23.2008
A Labor of Love
7.22.2008
A Few Loose Ends
OK, so really embarrassing that I have time (and desire) to post three times in one day. I got a speeding ticket this morning and I am "escaping" real life for a while . . . and the kids are playing nicely, which won't last forever. I have a few bits of business that I must address :
- I overuse ellipses. I don't care. It's my thing . . .
- If I read your blog and I have not given it a cutesy nickname yet on my sidebar, never fear. The comedic geniuses here at My 3 Monsters are hard at work and your day will come. If I don't know about your blog, it's time to fess up.
- Dylan is happy to help all you singles out there find boos. I talked to him about it today. I suggested we set Uncle Ryan (Brent's brother) up with Aunt Leslie (my sister). Dylan says no. First, Les isn't blond. Second, she is already dating Uncle Robbie (my brother). I guess because he always sees them together he just assumed . . .
- Check out these pictures of my boo. Scroll down until you find him. You'll be glad you did.
- When did Thermos containers start costing $15?! That's outrageous. In my day they came free in your Dukes of Hazard lunchboxes. A thermos wasn't a luxury, it was a right. Oy, the crumbling economy . . .
- Thank you to Aryn for the link (long ago) on your blog to your friend who sells IDeclare jewelry. I got the neatest necklace from B and the kids for mother's day that has 3 small charms with my kids' names on them. I'm loving it.
- Brent loved Batman (surprise, surprise). It was the best movie of all time, I guess. He's going again Thursday night. When do I get a night off? How kind of you to ask. Take it up with the boss man.
I think that's all that was on my mind at 1 a.m. when I couldn't sleep and began my mental list of pressing concerns. Go about your normal business.
I Feel Just Like J-Lo or Angelina Jolie . . .
While we're on the subject of hair, it has been a long time since I had a really good haircut. Several years ago I had a gal in our ward doing it and was blissfully happy. Until her 4 month long "mullets are super stylish and you're going to get one whether you want one or not" phase. Thanks, but no thanks. We had to break up. I've been Fantastic Samming it since then and I just need to go on record as saying that Sam, whomever he or she is, has no business calling him or herself "fantastic". Maybe "Cheap and Utilitarian Sams". That I'd believe. Thankfully, I have found the woman of my dreams. She is Alina, the resident follicular miracle worker in the ward. I have an appointment for August 12th and I can hardly sleep I'm so excited. So, I plan to be all cutified when everyone comes out for the baptism. Between Sydney and Alina, how could I not be?!
I Kissed a Girl . . .
7.21.2008
Boo's on the Brain
So, apparently the future is weighing heavily on Dylan. He talks often of his "boo" lately. When we went to Linens-N-Things he pointed to a big ol' tacky black and gold bed set and said, "That's the bed I'm gonna' share with my boo". Last night while watching HSM:Get in the Picture he saw a a beautiful blond girl on screen and stopped dead in his tracks. Staring at the TV he said, "That's what my boo is going to look like!" Now, I don't know if he has had some kind of revelation or if he just likes blond girls in tank tops, but he was pretty convinced that this girl was where it was at for him. Maybe he can give Uncle Robbie and Uncle Ryan some pointers in the companion-of-my-future-life-selection department. He seems to have it all figured out. Whatever.
7.19.2008
Let's Review . . .
7.18.2008
I Feel So Violated!
7.17.2008
Summer, You've Worn Out Your Welcome.
7.16.2008
Philanthropy . . . 20 Grains of Rice at a Time
7.15.2008
Boo, Who?
- be just like his mom
- be blond with skin like Sydney's (just like mom???)
- not be sassy
- not wear retainers
- be pregnant, but not fat (hopefully not when they meet . . . )
- enjoy playing video games on the his-and-hers plasma TV's he is going to buy
- let him sleep in his big truck (???)
- enjoy going to Denny's and bowling on dates.
Those are his words, not mine. To loosely quote Jane Austen, if such a woman existed she would be a fearsome creature to behold. Honestly, I can imagine worse daughters-in-law than that. Good luck to you, my son. Good luck.
7.14.2008
- I wish everyone in the world could see this kid's smile in real life.
- I wish he felt like he had more to smile about. The weight of the past couple of years has been a lot for a little guy to bear.
- I wish, for one instant, he could know how much I love him. I tell him and tell him, but can he ever really know? Do any of us really understand the depth of our mothers' love?
- I wish he would still let me kiss him goodbye before he got on the bus before school.
- I wish I could go back and relive July -December 2000 and take the time to appreciate it all. To just sit more and snuggle my precious boy knowing how soon it would all be over.
- I wish he didn't have to be so brave. But I'm glad that he is.
We gorged ourselves on peanut butter and jelly cake and mac and cheese yesterday and laughed as he danced and sang along to his iPod when he thought no one was looking. He told my mom, "I only got one present from my mom and dad, but it feels like a million because it is so good." Ahhhhhh. I adore that kid!
7.13.2008
Top . . . Seven?
10. Handlebars. You may or may not have heard this song by The Flobots. You can hear it now by scrolling down and double clicking it on my play list. If you want. This song has been very popular in our house this month. "Me and my friend saw a platypus" ?! Classic lyrical genius!
9. The $60 dryer solution. Our clothes dryer has been struggling for, like, a while. I just ignored it and started drying the clothes for two cycles instead of one. Then three . . . finally I took the initiative and called the home warranty company thinking that a $60 service call now would maybe save us in the long run. The guy comes out. Nothing wrong with the dryer. It's in the duct work. That'll be $60,ma'am, and have a nice day. So Brent thinks maybe, just maybe, he'll take a look at the vent outside. Bird's nest. Pulled it out (for free) and the dryer is now right as rain. Are we the dumbest homeowners ever?! (Please don't answer.)
8. Word Girl. One of the highlights of my non-cable tv day is watching Word Girl with my kids on PBS. First, that my children will watch an educational program and enjoy it is nigh unto a miracle in its own rights. That I enjoy it, too, is almost too serendipitous to be believed. Word Girl is a super hero who fights crime with her pet monkey, Captain Huggyface, and her awesome vocabulary. It's better than it sounds.
7. Our growing family. So, yes, I've put on some weight lately. No, this is not an announcement. Dylan came home from primary with a paper chain that was supposed to represent the people that are sealed to him -- his eternal family. Only Dylan's had like eleven links on it. I asked him who each link represented. Mom, Dad, Sydney, Riley, Jamie (my friend), Chris (her husband), Hunter, Caden, Savannah, Reagan, and Logan (their kids). Interesting.
6. Yember. Dylan's latest contribution to the lexicon. It means "do you remember". I can't decide if he's lazy or has just learned to talk really fast so he can get his thoughts out before someone else starts speaking. Most likely the latter. In our home someone is always talking. Always!
5. Dylan: That guy sucks at golfing. The first time he swung he didn't even hit the ball!" In case you're curious, "that guy" was Davis Love III playing at the US Open. His first swing? A practice swing, as you may have already imagined. That kid . . .
4. Overheard at Benihana:
Woman: We'll take the lunch special hibachi chicken.
Waitress: I'm sorry, we only serve the lunch specials Monday through Friday.
Woman: (befuddled pause) Well, can we still get lunch and just have it not be special?
At this point I was trying not to laugh out loud and choking on my water in the process. I'm sure the conversation continued and they got it all sorted out because said woman did, in fact, eat her decidedly un-special lunch with the rest of us.
3. One of my little campers continually praying that we would, "live life to the fullest". Don't get me wrong, I agree with the sentiment, I've just never really imagined using that particular phrase in a prayer.
2. One of my other little campers asking me why I, "put crap on her bed every day". I kept my personal belonging pretty well organized so I'm thinking she was referring to the "treats" I carefully planned and made by hand that I assumed she would enjoy finding on her bed every day. Note to self: next year don't magnify this calling quite so much.
1. Taco Bell's new Queso Crunchwrap. Queso's here and Queso wants to party, people!
Whew!!! I MADE IT!!! All ten, boo yah! Hope you all had a great month and sorry this is late.
7.11.2008
Ahhh . . .
7.10.2008
Impromptu Vacation, Day two
7.09.2008
And the Vacation Continues . . .
7.08.2008
You Ask For It, You Get It !
Cafe Rio Lime Rice
- 2 tsp. butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp. lime zest
- 2 C. rice (not minute rice)
- 4Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 4 tsp. sugar
- 6 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
Combine butter, garlic, chicken broth, lime zest and rice in a medium sized pan and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. When rice is finished cooking, remove from heat and stir in cilantro mixture.
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
- 3 lbs. Pork Roast or Pork Shoulder for Carnitas
- 1/2 jar salsa {can blend in a blender or food processor to remove chunks, but I usually don't}
- 1 can Coke
Place all ingredients in crock pot on low for about 6 hours. Take meat out and shred. Return to sauce in crock pot and leave on low. Serve with lime rice.
Cafe Rio Dressing
- 1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
- 1 C. mayo
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1/2 C. milk
- 1 C. Herdez Salsa Verde
Blend in blender until smooth. Allow to chill for at least an hour to set up.
There you have it. Enjoy! You know what I'll be eating this week. Check in tomorrow, folks.
Also Fun, but Not Pictured
- Our tour of the Sweets candy factory (fresh taffy straight off the line . . . mmmmm.)
- Almost seeing Hannah Montana at Stadium of Fire for the 4th. Sis and I tried to buy some tickets from the online classifieds as soon as we realized old HM was in town to no avail. I'm really pretty glad it didn't pan out.
- Driving the hour and a half up to Logan to have Uncle Ryan serve us lunch at Firehouse Pizza where he works. Quarter tank of gas: $20.00, Lunch: about $30.00, Brent harassing his little brother: priceless.
- The Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. (I tried to take photos here, but camera was out of batteries.)
7.07.2008
Come Away With Me
"My Girls" performing their dance to "We Like to Party" (hear it on What's Playing on my iPod). Cute stuff. I was taking photos with three cameras and didn't do very well.
A few of my third years on our hike up Temple Canyon. Aren't they cute?!
Megan really mugged for the camera. My kids love this one because it looks like she's really high. She's actually about three feet off the ground.
Boo boos. My poor baby girls. These are two of our favorite babysitters.
One of the most favorite parts of the Utah trip was seeing new baby Shaw. Isn't he sweet as can be?
I hope my kids didn't get any ideas about our family getting a new baby, too.
Cougar Pride. You're never too young to start, right? We made a special trip to the BYU bookstore just to get these bad boys.
I love seeing our kids with their cousins. Warms my heart. I just wish Brit had been in this picture, too.
Dylan and Brit helping Riley "screw his courage to the sticking place" so to speak. He ended up being my most courageous kid, taking more swings than the other two put together.
That's my boy!
Sissy takes the plunge, too.
Sis and Kennedy got really brave by the end of the afternoon.
Dylan didn't enjoy swinging so much (though he did give it a go, which made me proud). He liked trying to catch the rope and bring it back for people.
His one swing . . . back and forth and back and forth and so on until his hands finally slipped from the rope and he was forced to drop. Crying and carrying on ensued.
He preferred rock hopping.
Until he cut his foot. Or got bit by a pirhanna. Not sure which. A cowboy and his horse fell in just about the same place earlier in the afternoon. No telling what strange things were afoot under that water.
Sparklers. Too too fun. (I took pictures of everybody else before I realized my camera has a special night flash. They didn't turn out too good.)
So, good times had by all. All five of us anyway. I can't wait for our next vacation.