Disney Hangover

I was way too wasted to blog last night after returning from a LONG day at Disneyland...happiest place on Earth, I don't think so. It wasn't too crowded, but it was hot and we did MUCH walking so really those aren't 2 of my favorite combos. I kept going back and forth from excitement to irritation to sweaty beast to tired to slightly refreshed to nauseous to average, so you can see it was quite the day for me. I determined that the cumulative feeling of being sweaty and tired at Disneyland was officially the 5th ring of my personal hell. (I will have to outline all the rings of hell at some point, but that's not something I enjoy pondering at length so I haven't officially determined them. I do know that busy WalMarts and public restrooms are in there somewhere.)



Back to Disneyland, the kids enjoyed themselves but did so in a strange way. Whitney has been a little "challenging" lately and has a tone of voice I don't enjoy, so when that voice and accompanying opinions came out a few times I was ready to start lecturing about being grateful for what she's getting to do on this fun vacation. Also, Landon always looks so serious that it's hard to tell if he's even excited or not. This is mental but when I was a kid and my friends' parents would take me to do fun things like amusement parks, trips and carnivals I would always try to look like I was having a really good time so they'd be glad they brought me--apparently my kids don't have that quality at all.

Landon and Randy loved the Indiana Jones Ride and Whitney and I both decided we don't ever want to go on that again (far too jerky for me and far too scary for her). We ended up loving Splash Mountain the best and went on that twice. Landon and I were in the very front of the log so we got soaked, we actually paid the $12.95 to get the photo of us going down the big plunge because it was the only photo of the 4 of us together and because it was so funny.



Claudia and Alfredo joined us around 6:00pm (they have passes) and directed us to a few of the kiddie rides we'd missed. Claudia goes there every week with her kids. I like to think I'd be less grouchy about it if I did it in small doses like that, but pretty much I don't think it's my kind of thing. At one point yesterday it occurred to me that maybe I'm just NOT fun. I suppose that's possible. I'd prefer not to think so, but my homebody nature, desire for comfort and climate control, and my aversion to chaos are really limiting. I guess I'm okay with that and will continue to suck it up occasionally for the kids' sakes, but otherwise stick to my normal ways.

Disneyland closed at 8:00pm, so we walked down Main Street and went in a couple stores then left the park and wandered downtown Disney. We were basically shuffling in a painful stupor at this point, but Claudia is tireless and wanted us to see things and go to The Rainforest Cafe for dinner. We ended up waiting 40 minutes to be seated, so her kids were asleep in the stroller by then (amazing), Landon was in tears from exhaustion and hunger, and I was dismayed that we were eating in a place that looked like another crazy ride from Disneyland. I told Claudia to think of the most boring place she can imagine next time and then take me there. Ha.



So today Claudia took the kids swimming again for many hours at her condo community pool while Randy and I drove to Beverly Hills to visit Paper Source. I had a good spree in there and enjoyed myself, but man the traffic sucks here. It looked like rush hour at noon! What is up with that? We used half a tank of gas going there and back and spent over 2 hours in the car. Crazy. One funny thing happened though, while I was in Paper Source Randy was walking around the surrounding streets and saw James Caan, this is their exchange.

Randy: "Hey, are you James Caan?"
James Caan: "Yes, I am."
Randy: (shaking his hand) "I'm a real fan of your work."
James Caan: "Thank You." (walks away)

So Randy called me on my cell phone to tell me this and my first response was "how embarrassing!" He thought it was pretty cool, but I just can't stop laughing about it. I keep bringing it up in random bits of conversation and can't stop giggling about it. As we got out of the car after driving home I said, "I feel like I've been hobbled" (because I'm so sore from walking 11 mile at Disneyland) then I started laughing and said, "hey, wasn't James Caan in that movie (Misery)? I loved his work."

So now we're going to the beach to finally catch the sunset and to take pictures of Claudia and her family (as a thank you gift). It should be nice, it's been a beautiful day and I love the cool breezes in the evenings.

Call me Gidget

Today was our beach house spectacular with fellow bloggers Becca and Laurie. They spoiled us by sharing the beautiful beach house, having all kinds of snacks, plenty of cold drinks, and ordering out for tasty sandwiches. It was all so good, and just so fun for me to meet these two friends that I feel like I already know and to see their kids in person as well. It's a bizarre thing to be so familiar with people, but never have met them before (kind of like when Jenny and Angie showed up at my house back in July and it was like "nice to meet you, how did that new quilt work out for your bed?" Strange, but cool.

The kids totally loved being at the beach. There were tons of surfers out today so Landon just stood at the edge of the ocean watching them for the longest time. One of the things I've noticed here is that there are a whole lot of men out and about during the day (unlike at home where it's usually young mothers with little kids). I don't know if everyone here is independently wealthy or if they all have sugar mamas, but they can surf, hang out at Starbucks, shop in one of the gazillion gorgeous malls, or drive their pricey vehicles all over the place. It's very different from what I'm used to seeing.

After a full day at the beach house, Claudia drove us over to Huntington Beach where we got an ice cream at DQ then took a walk out onto the pier. It was very windy and even a bit nippy, but a fun thing to do. I feel like I'm on another planet completely, the air even feels different to me.

Also, I feel like I'm in an immersion Spanish class and I'm doing pretty well. Claudia and her husband only speak Spanish to their kids so we're hearing a lot at the house. Landon actually said yesterday that if he had an extra $10 he'd hire a translator so he could understand Alexei (the 3 year old). I love it that I can understand a lot of what is being said, but hate it that I can't really speak it. I can communicate a little bit with Alexei, but I feel like I should be able to speak better (I took 3 years of Spanish at BYU). Fortunately he understands English too, but he talks a mile a minute in Spanish then looks at us and only sees our clueless faces.

Attempting to blog

I cannot properly convey the technical difficulties I'm having here, so just know that if I could post 6 photos and write about all our fun activities and the funny stories that happen in-between I would. But since I really can't do so with any ease at all or without ignoring my kind hosts this will have to do.

Highlights from today...

Sleeping in until 8:00am
The kids being totally happy and acting like they're life-long friends with Claudia and her 3 year old Alexei.
Claudia offering to watch the kids, take them swimming for 3 hours, taking them to Burger King and the park so that Randy and I could go to IKEA on our own!
Randy and I braving the California freeways and roads. We can't make heads or tails of the system here. We have no landmarks (i.e., mountains) to help give us direction and feel like we're driving in circles. Thank heaven for MapQuest.
We went to the prettiest Target I've ever seen (I took photos, but won't commit the hour it would take to load them).


We realized we left Whitney's bathing suit (the cute blue one with stars) at our hotel in Las Vegas. I was so irritated with her and thinking how typical it is that she would heap her suit somewhere and not take care of her things, but then I remembered that I had wrung her suit out in a towel so we could pack it and must have left it in the heap of towels we left in the bathroom!! Nice.
Randy and I spent over 2 hours at IKEA. We are seriously fearful for our feet on our day at Disneyland. If only Disneyland had cozy couches all over the place the way IKEA does. We bought new bedding for our bedroom and the kids' room.


We survived the 405 freeway at rush hour, though maneuvering through the carpool lane and other lanes was quite the butt-cheek clenching experience.
Claudia made us a very tasty fettucine alfredo dinner and crepes for dessert (I'm expanding hourly here).
The kids got totally sunburned during their 3 hours at the pool today.
I already need to do laundry.


Tomorrow is our fun day out to Newport to hang with Laurie and Becca at the beach house. I'm so excited about that and still feel like an absolute moron that I emailed half my address book about that today. Duh!

P.S. Blogger spell check brings up the word beautician for the word fettucine.

We're Here!

We made it to Claudia's house yesterday afternoon at 4:00pm. We had a pretty good trip, except for the wicked migraine I got on Saturday afternoon on our way to Las Vegas. I kept debating whether to have Randy pull the car over so I could puke on the side of the road, but I had taken one of my precious Relpax pills and didn't want to lose that in the transaction. Fortunately I held on and zoned out with my eyes closed until we got to our hotel in Vegas, I was feeling much better by then.

There's much more to tell, but the computer set up at Claudia's is comical (I'll have to take a picture at some point). In fact, I just tried to send an email to Laurie and Becca about our get together tomorrow and because of this Mac Mouse, bizarre set up, and most likely my lack of skills sent it to half my address book!! I feel like such an idiot. So to all of you who got my stupid email by mistake, I apologize.

Last night we tried to make it to the beach in time for sunset, but literally just missed it. We still walked on the beach and enjoyed the sand in our toes. The kids were so excited to see the ocean for the first time (Landon was 1 the last time we came here so he doesn't remember it).

I'm going to have to adjust to this computer set up, and have Claudia show me how to post pictures with this set-up. I'm not feeling optimistic though. I think I'm spoiled by my set-up at home.

We're really going...

Today has been good but crazy. I had to go to Whitney's class to help with one of their "centers" today for an hour and a half so I finally got to see what kindergarten is like. I'm so impressed with her teacher. This woman is so calm and gentle and totally has the kids' attention. I'm so glad I was in there and got to see them in action. I'll be going there every Tuesday morning when I get back from our trip.


After my time in the classroom, I took Landon to get his haircut. It seems like we just did that but it's already been like 3 weeks so he was all shaggy and misfit-looking. I took him to Great Clips again and we ended up with the same girl as last time. She did a pretty good job, so other than my irritation at paying $14 for a 10 minute haircut I'm happy.

By the time we finished with the haircut and a quick stop into Payless for flip-flops for Whitney (hers broke last week), it was time to go back and pick her up from school. We were on-time, which is good because 2 days ago I was a teensy bit late picking her up because I was on the phone with Kristi, so when I got to the school Whitney was the last child there and was standing outside with the mullet haired-lady crossing guard. Whitney got in the car and said, "Where were you? I was standing out in the coldness and the rain?" Oh dear, I lost a lot of mom points that day, but it was good to talk to Kristi.


So back to today, we stopped by Los Hermanos to pick up lunch for me and Michelle, filled up the car with gas, and got Wendy's for lunch for the kids. We got to Michelle's house at 12:30 and had time to eat and chat for an hour or so until it was time for me to leave for my hair appointment. I just couldn't stand the thought of going to California and having Claudia say "Oh Missy, you should get some highlights or do something pretty with your hair" so I went to the salon, got a weave, a cut and my eyebrows waxed. I feel so much better. It felt so nice sitting under the warm dryer, the warm water while getting my hair washed, and even the hot wax felt good, I wanted to fall asleep in the chair.

I got this nice card from Jana today, with all kinds of nice things written inside. Thanks Jana! Then tonight Collette came over to make a good mail housecall of sorts. She brought us a whole bag of delicious treats for our trip and gave the kids a cool car bingo game. That was very sweet of her to do and it was fun to visit with her for a bit. Our book club gatherings feel too far apart these days so it was nice to see her in-between discussions. Thanks Collette! One of beauties of good mail is that my kids get to see thoughtfulness in action. They recognize that it was kind of Collette to think of us and to come over and bring us these fun things for our trip. I really want them to grow up to be thoughtful people.


This is retarded but Randy and I want to watch Survivor from last night and our last 2 episodes of Veronica Mars tonight. We have plenty to do to get ready for our trip, but still want to hang out and watch shows. We probably won't end up leaving until noon or later at this rate, but what's the rush anyway? I guess that's the beauty of vacation eh?

I'm hoping to be able to blog from Claudia's house so that I won't have to do some monster-long recap when I get home. By the way, Michelle should be back online next Tuesday with some good news to share.


Oh I almost forgot to mention that I went to the library last night and loaded up on audio books for our trip. I'm so excited about these. I got a gazillion kid-friendly books for us all to listen to in the car. I think it will be a great way to spend the time and won't involve me getting car sick while reading. I'm giddy about the books I got. I'm particularly excited about Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIHM because I remember listening to my 5th grade teacher read that to us after recess every day and I loved it.

**Can you plug an iPod into any computer
to recharge it or will that mess something up?
Do you wish you were going to the beach,
IKEA, Disneyland, Sea World, and Claudia's house too?
What books did you love listening to as a child?**

Lori is Unemployed and Loving It

Today was quite different than my normal days. Lori had to take her car in to get the brakes fixed so I picked her up at the auto place right after I took Whitney to school. Landon had 3rd grade testing at the District Office today so he rode with our neighbor (who also homeschools) so I was footloose and fancy free with Lori from 9-11:53. We went to Target and practically had the store to ourselves. I ended up finding a bunch of fun stuff for the kids to do in the car on our trip and all of it was on clearance for $2.48, woohoo. I don't know if the kids will share my excitement, but I was giddy about these finds.


After Target Lori and I drove thru Sonic to get some French Toast Sticks for breakfast and sat in the car eating them in the Old Navy parking lot. We ended up seeing our mom come out of Famous Footwear and invited her to join us in the car. It was so random to be sitting in the car at 10:00am eating French Toast Sticks and hanging out with my mom and Lori. Weird, but funny.


Lori and I then went to Old Navy to check things out and can I just say how upset I am about the 80's fashions there?? Does this bother anyone else? I know I'm frumpy and large so those clothes won't work for me anyway, but there's no way I'm wearing that crap. It's ridiculous. I kept gasping at all the horrid plether-looking boots and heinous fringed purses...do the designers think we're stupid? Maybe all the young people who don't remember these bad fashions from the first time around like them, but I still find that hard to believe. I only ended up finding some really cute and comfy loungewear for Whitney.


After our shopping we had to pick Whitney up from school then go get Landon and Benjamin from their testing session. The session ran about a half hour over so we were just hanging out in the car eating M&M's and talking to Whitney. What a strange day for me.

Lori and I ended up hanging out all afternoon, got Cafe Rio for lunch, and dozed on the couch while watching a recorded episode of Monk. I'm now finally feeling the panic of getting ready for my trip and wish I could drastically improve my appearance, wardrobe, girth, and self. Dang it, maybe that's why I never like to travel, it's just easier to be at home.

**Can you resist clearance items from Target?
Do you have any advice for us for our roadtrip
and Disneyland (i.e., what to bring and do)?
Do leave your packing until the last minute?**

Random thoughts

Thanks to all of you who participated in yesterday's post discussion, I appreciate the effort. I felt like I'd only been posting about good mail and needed to change topic, but perhaps that was a bit much. Today I have only random thoughts to offer.


I took this picture of the temple and snowy mountains on Saturday while driving up the road on my way to the soccer games.

Randy and I stayed up until 2:00am the other night to finish watching Season 2 of LOST. It did NOT disappoint. I just love watching tv shows on DVD and feel rather spoiled doing it. It's going to be rough to have to actually watch Season 3 on a weekly basis. We finished disc 3 of Season 2 of Veronica Mars and are loving that too.

We took our car in to get checked for our trip to California. I haven't said much about the trip because I still can't believe we're going. We have NEVER had an official family vacation with just the 4 of us. Any trip we've taken (and they are few) has been for a family function (i.e., Randy's dad's wedding). I'm still in disbelief that we're going.

Poor Michelle still can't log onto the internet. I wish she had high speed so badly. She's going crazy not being able to get online. It's kind of amazing to think about how much you do online each day, so when it's not available it's a major hassle.

Do any of you get "The Jimmy Leg?" I get it sometimes late at night or when in confined spaces for a long period of time. I recently started experiencing "The Jimmy Arm" in my left forearm and am hating it. My brother says "the only way to fight the Jimmy is to cook him" so he soaks in his hot tub every night. That's not really an option for me, so I'm wondering if I can run my arm under hot water and hope for the best. It's most annoying.

I can't decide what to read right now and have started 3 books in the past week. I'm also listening to 3 different books right now as well. Why am I doing this? Apparently none of them are giving me what I need.

Is it possible to lose weight if I don't eat chicken, fish or eggs? I'm hosed right?

I need to get going on my gift for Pink Christmas. I know what I'm going to do, but I fear it's going to be rather time intensive and that doesn't jive well with my last-minute ways.

Amy M., Jenny, and Amy H. have all changed their blog addresses recently, so we need to redo our links for them.

I used my film camera to take pictures at the kids' soccer games on Saturday and got them back yesterday. It's so nice to have actual photos in my hand rather than only on the computer. I had resisted getting a digital camera forever because it seems like no one ever makes prints of their pictures, but now I'm doing the same thing!

I've been shredding junk mail and dumping our recycling papers regularly and am amazed and disturbed by how quickly it adds up.

I seem to getting headaches again lately and am so NOT happy about it. I don't know if the change in the weather is affecting me or what, but this is seriously a challenge for me. I must need to read my headache book again and see what triggers I may be missing.

**What do you have to say about all this?**

A Point to Ponder

Several years ago one of my English teachers from high school sent me a book called Why Literature is Bad For You by Peter Thorpe (this book is no longer in print). I was still knee-deep in English classes at BYU at the time and spending much of my income on novels so I was intrigued. I read the book and wrote lots of quotes down from it, but still ended up feeling like I love literature and would never stop reading.

I was reading some of the quotes I wrote down and thought it might make for an interesting discussion, so read these and tell me what you think.

"It's reasonable to assume that he who immerses himself for years in literature may begin to assimilate into his own personality an inordinate impatience with things as they are." p. 7

"What does literature do? I believe the infectious energies of great works of art have a way of instilling in us a drive to acquire self-knowledge, but I doubt that such a drive is a virtue, especially when art, which makes us itch with questions, gives us so few answers. Thus a common ailment among those who make a career of letters is an annoying restlessness something like the dementia praecox that we all should have outgrown long ago. But the main trouble with the excessive soul-searching that art inspires in us is not that it yields no answers but that it results in self-centeredness." p. 25

**What do you think?**

I just had to add this photo of the good mail Allison sent me today. She doesn't have a blog so I don't know her at all (other than through her comments), but apparently she knows me! I love all of this great stuff and have already listened to the cd, eaten one of the candy bars, and can't wait to do something cute to those notebooks. Thanks Allison!!

A day at home

So today is the first calm, obligation-free day I've had in awhile and I must say it's throwing me for a loop. I did my usual morning routine of getting ready, getting the kids some breakfast and getting Whitney ready for school and there barely on time. Then I finally started Landon with his homeschool stuff today. I cleaned the stove, vacuumed the house, have done 2 loads of laundry, talked to Michelle, and helped Whitney with some kindergarten homework, but now I want to take a nap. What's up with that? Maybe things are better for me when I'm super busy.

Today I saw the mailman make a very quick stop at our mailbox, so I was bummed because that meant no good mail (junk mail gets delivered quickly), but when I opened my door to go out to get the mail this is what I saw. Usually if the mailman brings something to the door he'll ring the bell, but we had a different guy delivering today so he must have just sat it on the porch. Woohoo, what a nice surprise.


Pam heard my complaints about my human-crockpot robe situation and found the most perfect robe from Land's End. I'm so excited. This robe is soft like a beloved t-shirt, thin, and fits perfectly. I'm so grateful and so looking forward to getting ready without feeling like my shower didn't take. She also included Fruit Stripes gum just in case the robe didn't fit, how funny, I love that kind of gum and was just thinking about it the other day and how I hadn't seen it in the stores for a long time. Thanks Pam!!


The other good mail items were things I ordered. I got my audio copy of The Red Tent (which is being loaded into iTunes at this very moment).


I also got my book club book for next month which I bought used on Amazon. com. Jana recommended this book and said she's curious to know what I think, so I'm officially intrigued.


I also got a personalized notepad and self-inking stamp from Vista Print (thanks to Kristi's recommendations). I only had to pay for the shipping on these items so I'm feeling pretty psyched about those. The stamp says "good mail delivery" and the notepad says "just a little note from jms."

**What are you up to today?
Have you ordered from Vista Print yet?
Are you in a book club?
Am I crazy for feeling tired when my day is calm?**

Recap

We went to Michelle's house on Friday afternoon for our Creative Friday. I cut out lots more good mail labels and wrote some cards. Michelle got a huge load of good mail packages ready to mail and totally saved me by adapting a bridal shower invitation she'd made for a neighbor into the one I needed for my cousin's shower. It was just a matter of changing the initials, colors and information then printing them out. Michelle has become quite the computer whiz and dabbles in graphic design at home. It was great.


The kids and I returned home on Friday evening to find this set-up on our table. My sister Lori had come in (she has a key) while we were at Michelle's and set up the balloons and the presents she'd gotten for us in Australia. It was a nice surprise. She got me a cool journal and pen and a baggy full of cool used Australian postage. I love stuff like that. Thanks Lori!


The new John Mayer cd came in the mail on Friday as well (I had ordered it from Amazon.com)! I immediately went to the computer and loaded into iTunes and onto my iPod. I've listened to it about 5 times already and love it. He's got such a sexy voice and I enjoy the lyrics and music as well, I just can't watch him sing because he contorts his face so much it looks painful.

As you know from my 2 minute check-in post, yesterday was crazy. I had 2 hours of traffic school which meant I had to get up and get ready before 7:00am on a Saturday! It was rainy and cold outside and would have been a perfect day for staying in the cozy. No such luck for all the other speed demons like me. Traffic School was packed with about 100 people. The first hour wasn't so bad, but after that the room was filled with fidgety exhalers anxious to leave.


I dropped a few good mail items at the post office on my way home then ran to the church to drop off 10 framed pictures for a Ward Fair Display I'd signed up to participate in. After that I ran home and got the kids ready for soccer. We spent 2.5 hours outside at the 2 games. The weather for Whitney's game was brisk, but nice, but Landon's game turned rather breezy and cold and ended in rain. I've loved having them play soccer, but I'm glad those were their last games for the season. I'm looking forward to having less obligations on my calendar.


I got 2 items of good mail on Saturday. I got this package from Michelle filled with fun stuff from Target. She was quite sly about sending this, because I was with her on Friday while she assembled many parcels to be mailed and she never once let on that one was for me. Thanks Michelle!

I also got this funny and thoughtful thank-you card from Amie. Thanks Amie!



We had Lori's 30th birthday party/welcome home party at my parents' house. It was just like old times with the noisy chaos of all the kids, me getting a headache from the smell of the cinnamon pine cones and coconut-lime verbena bathroom spray, good food, hilarious stories from Adam, unknown music from Lori in the background, and the occasional appearance of my brother Andrew. Welcome Home Lori! Only 53 more days until Robyn and the kids come back for a visit! See all the pictures here.

When we got home from the party last night around 9:30pm, we put the kids to bed and then I got in bed too. Randy had to stay up and work until midnight. I was so wasted I slept for 11 hours! Good grief. Thankfully this week looks to be much calmer for me with only 3 minor obligations on the calendar. That's excellent for a week leading up to our first ever family vacation! We're prepping to leave for a blissful week in California seeing the sights and staying with Claudia. Woohoo.

**Do you like John Mayer's music?
Are your family get togethers crazy?
Who's got a key to your house?
What else do you have to say?**

One Minute Post

Today is crazy. I have 2 minutes until we leave for Lori's b-day party so I'm checking in.
I've gone to 2 hours of traffic school, 2 soccer games in the cold blustery weather (loved it), shopped at Costco and Walmart (on a Saturday even!) and am now going to a family party. Sheesh. This is literally the first moment I've had to take a break. Apparently I'm living La Vida Loca.

Rainy Bliss

I actually got to stay home most of the day yesterday, which was nice after such a busy week. I caught up on cleaning, which always makes me feel better, and FINALLY got some of the good mail I've been intending to send packaged and mailed! I feel so much better, and I'm loving the labels Tasha sent me.

My day got busier in the afternoon because I had to go help with Landon's Cub Scout troop. They need 2 adults there and the other leader just had a baby so we parents get to take turns. I guess it was fun to see what they do and to reaffirm that I really don't want to be a scout leader (I feel for you Michelle!). It ended up pouring rain half way through the meeting so the boys thought that was great. We walked home in it ( just next door) and loved it too.

Whitney was supposed to have a soccer game at 7:00 last night, that I ended up having to miss because my visiting teaching partner called and told me we had an appointment at 7:00. No one called about canceling Whitney's game so Randy took her over there only to see all the other parents turning around to leave. It was seriously pouring.

So I went visiting teaching and had to use Landon's tiny Scooby Doo umbrella to get from my car to the door because it was raining so hard. (What a funny sight that must have been.) My partner wasn't there yet, but I didn't want to be late so I knocked on the door. The lady I visit answered the door and said my partner had just called to say her husband had been in a car accident so she wouldn't be coming. Apparently her husband is okay, but the car is not. So I stayed to visit with this very nice woman and she must have needed to chat because she didn't stop talking for an hour and 15 minutes! Even when I was out the door and she was walking me across her very large porch we stood on the steps and she kept talking. Crazy. It was a good visit though and I really like her, so all was well.

When I got home Randy told me that another lady we visit had called and said she was racing home and would be there by 8:30. I didn't think we had an appointment with her because my partner hadn't gotten a hold of her yet so I called this woman to see what she wanted me to do. She wanted me to come over, so out I went again at 8:30pm. It was so weird to be visiting teaching alone, in the rain and in the dark, that's just not our usual scenario. This sister is an older woman who is super busy and had just picked up some groceries, so I sat in her kitchen while she put her groceries away. I had to interview her about her life because we've been assigned to spotlight her in Relief Society on Sunday. We ended up having a good visit, but I was there until 9:45! How crazy is it that 2 sisters took almost 3 hours and I was out so late at night?! (Sorry Jana, I didn't get to make it to your jewelry party even late.)

Randy and I watched the first episode of the new season of Survivor when I got home. I love that show. The new Amazing Race starts on Sunday evening and I love that show too. You gotta love Fall TV.


Today is rainy too and I love it. I took this picture this morning after taking Whitney to school. This is the view looking East while standing in our front yard. You can see the leaves changing color on the mountain. It feels like fall to me.

Speaking of Whitney, as she was getting out of the car to go into school this is the exchange we had.

Me: "Have a good day, learn lots, be sweet, I love you."
Whitney: Laughing like I was an idiot, "Mom, we never learn lots. Bye, I love you."

Nothing warms a mother's heart like the sound of their child telling them they don't learn anything at school. Ah life....


This is the apple tree in our backyard. I love watching its progression through the seasons, but fall is my favorite when the apples are almost ready and change into their beautiful redish color. (I wandered around our yard taking pictures this morning.) We got so much rain that the grass is soaked and muddy. Our yard is about 20 shades of green because of the water distribution of the sprinklers and the rain. Crazy.

**Do you love Fall TV and all the new shows?
Do you take pictures of your yard very often?
Do you like to visit teach?**

Busy, but good day

We made the trek to Eagle Mountain yesterday so that we could get Lori's room ready for her return home. Me, my mom, and the kids all helped clean and decorate her room so that she could relax and unpack in the clean comfort of her own room. The kids made pictures and notes for her, so did Adam and Amy's girls and they had mailed them so they'd be there in time, we got balloons, some treats, and Mexican food items to welcome her home. It was kind of fun. You can see the rest of the pictures here.

I have been trying all week to get some good mail out, it's ridiculous that it's been this difficult for me, but I seem to always be missing something I need, or running out of time. I wish our post office had a late pick-up time like the post office down in Provo. It irks me to no end that I can't mail things after 5:30 or it adds another day. It really shouldn't be that big of a deal, but I tend to get an idea of how I want things to go and then get irritated when it doesn't work out. Blast. I worked on some things at Amie's house yesterday and dropped them off at the post office on my way home. It was after hours so they're probably still sitting in that blue mailbox, but at least they're not sitting in a pile on my desk. I was delighted to use the labels Tasha made me on all the envelopes I sent (6 of them).

Amie sent me home with 3 baggies of excellent smelling candle melts to use in the candle warmer she gave me a long time ago. I'm rather difficult to please when it comes to scents because I'm so prone to headaches, but I found 3 that I liked (Sage & Citrus, Pomegranate, and Sweet Pea). I'm particularly excited about the Sage & Citrus because it smells like lemon cleaning products. I'm so in love with the Lemon Clorox Wipes that I have joked about wanting to dab it behind my ears (or maybe Randy's ears). These candle melts are making my house smell fresh and clean at this very moment. Thanks Amie!

I came home to a most curious box from Anne. The box was rather large and had a sticker that said LIQUID on it. I was seriously intrigued, and also alarmed that she spent $14.80 to send this box to me all the way from Maryland.


Inside the box were bottles of the Mint Water she had talked about on her blog, they were all individually wrapped in bubble wrap. She included the Swiss Miss just in case I don't like the Mint Water, because everyone likes chocolate. I just had to laugh. Anne you crack me up. I'm still afraid to try the water and have it in the fridge chilling. I can't believe you mailed me 4 heavy bottles of water, but thanks!

Dana sent me two pairs of earrings in exchange for the many, many labels I made for her business. I'm giddy about these and the fact that my jewelry collection has just doubled in size. Thanks Dana! (I'm wearing the white ones right now.)

I got this very cute thank-you card from Rachelle, and must say how nice it is to get a nice note from someone. Thanks Rachelle!

**Have you caught good mail fever?
Have you tried Mint Water?
Does it feel like fall yet where you live?**

Oh so busy...

On Monday I finally went to the doctor to have him diagnose my 3 month cough. I haven't had any other symptoms or felt ill so I kept thinking it would go away soon. He asked me if I'd had any heartburn lately and I say "yes!" So he thinks it might be a Hiatal Hernia-type thing which just means my stomach is leaking acid that irritates my bronchial tubes and throat thus causing me to cough. Crazy. So he sent me home with an inhaler and a month supply of Prevacid samples to combat the acid. I'm already coughing 90% less than before! Woohoo. He sent me home with a pamphlet about this common problem and this was the picture on the cover. Nice. Is this what I've become? Do I look like this? I fear I'm dangerously close to this amount of frump (though I don't own a foxy nighting like that) and am not happy about it. Yikes. I'm happy about not coughing though. (As always, click to enlarge pictures for a clearer look.)


I was so busy on Tuesday that I actually couldn't post or read blogs! I hate that. I feel out of the loop already and am bummed that I missed a day of posting. Oh well. Yesterday I was finishing up with Gilead for my ward book club. I am officially declaring this book is in a tie with Angle of Repose for my favorite book ever! Both books are told by old men looking back on their lives, so perhaps I have an affection for that kind of story telling. Who knew? The first time I read Gilead I marked so many pages that I filled the 2 back pages with my personal indexing system. This time around (and this is a first for me) I filled the front cover and front cover page! That means I missed that many profundities the first time around...eek. I'm so glad I had to read it again.

This time I had the added bonus of having the audio book on my iPod. I was able to listen to it while I worked on folding laundry, doing dishes, and cutting out good mail labels to send. I kept the book right next to me as I did this so that I could mark the passages I love. It was marvelous. I wish I could buy 100 copies and send them to everyone I know. For those of you (Collette and Jana) who didn't LOVE it the first time around, I think you may want to give it another chance when you're ready. There is much wisdom and tenderness to be gleaned from it.


I just had to show you this picture of the field on the side of our church. It's full of gorgeous horses. I love that I live in civilization with a rural edge. It's the best of both worlds (in my opinion). (If this seems random it's really not because I was at the church to discuss Gilead.)

Yesterday I got this cute thank-you card and a homemade bar of cucumber-melon soap from Elisa. It smells so good. Thanks Elisa!

I also got this huge box of goodies from Paper Source that I had ordered using the $100 gift card from my book club friends. I didn't even get to open it until today! This is a whole lot of happy. Plus, orders of a $100 or more have free shipping so I didn't have to use any of the gift certificate on shipping. Thanks you guys, I love this!

Yesterday I also had Activity Days and my ward book club. They both went well, but man it was crazy. I'm glad those are over for now. Whitney has a soccer game tomorrow night and then both kids' last games are on Saturday. I also have traffic school, a ward activity, and Lori's birthday/welcome home party on Saturday. Good grief. The weather is supposed to be cold and rainy this weekend, I'm so pleased.

**Are you crazy busy lately?
How do you feel about hiatal hernias?
Do you love where you live?**

P.S. Blogger spell check brings up the word Italy as a suggestion for the word hiatal. Now that's funny.

Truly excellent mail day

I had my camera with me by the mailbox because I was taking pictures of our flag for Patriot's Day and decided I'd take a chance and document the contents of my mailbox. I had no idea if it was a good mail day or not, but it turned out to be a great mail day.


I got this marvelous package from Tasha full of sheets of blank labels (my current addiction) and labels printed with a cute message about Good Mail being contagious (these will be showing up on my packages from now on). I love the card with the old fashioned phone on it, and the message inside cracked me up. Thanks Tasha!

I got this delivery from Mrs. C with my Pink Christmas assignment and very cute ornament. Kristi you've really outdone yourself with all of this, I still can't believe that over 60 people signed up. I'm dying to know who got me, and will be starting the gift for my person very soon. Thanks Kristi!

Laurie sent me a $10 gift card to Sonic. Apparently she knows of my frequent visits there and decided to contribute to the cause. Whitney caught onto this card immediately and asked if I was allowed to buy things for other people there too. What a fun thing to have. Thanks Laurie!

Jenn sent me an envelope full of fun paper products (Will I ever get my fill? I think not.) There are cute cards, darling labels, and a very cute notepad. There was also a mini Charleston Chew (which I hid from Whitney and ate outside before she could sniff it out), and shared the Zotz with the kids. Thanks Jenn! (Wherever did you get that cute label for your package?)

And finally we got Disc 1 of Season 2 of Veronica Mars today. Randy and I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Season 2 and actually took a break from LOST tonight so that we could watch this. So much good tv, so little time. My favorite quote so far "Ah, my day is complete, Veronica Mars has accused me of evil." I love this show.

I actually had a really good day besides all the good mail, but will have to post about that tomorrow. I'm weary, I have a headache, and I fear I'm missing my window of sleep so I gotta go to bed.

**Have you checked out Veronica Mars yet?
Are you addicted to Sonic?
Do you need some good mail?**