Hey, I Actually Did Something

While getting my hair done at 8:30am this morning (ouch, so early), I was talking with my stylist Sharolyn and discovered that I had absolutely nothing to report about my summer! That must be why I'm feeling like I'm not ready for school to start...apparently I'm waiting for our fun summer to happen.

At the end our my 2.25 hour appointment, I happily declared "I'm going to a concert tonight!" So hooray, I had something to report.


Lori and I met Adam at Goodwood for dinner tonight, then squeezed ourselves into his tiny Porsche for a potentially vomit-inducing ride.


Here is Adam imitating Amy's dad's (and mine really) reaction to riding with him. Adam really loves his car, enjoys driving fast, and really loves hearing us scream. Amazingly though, he drove nicely there and didn't makes us scream once (after the concert was another story).


Lori recently found out Colin Hay was coming to the Sandy Amphitheater and scored us some great seats. I used to feel like it wasn't a great summer if I didn't go to a concert, but haven't been to one for the last few years and haven't really minded. I guess I got sick of the high ticket prices, gross crowds and heinous traffic, but this one was affordable, a small arena and nearby so I couldn't refuse.

Woohoo!!!

It started raining as soon as we got in there, so we took cover under part of the front/side stage for about 10 minutes until someone kicked us out of there (we were by vital plugs and equipment).


It worked out though and had stopped raining by then so we took our seats and finished listening to the wonderful opening act (sadly, none of us know his name).


And then mighty Colin came out with his Scottish accent, keen wit, and glorious voice. Ahhhh.


The sun appeared just in time to set, and the rain went somewhere else.

He played for over two hours and was wonderful!

He played a bunch of his hits from the 80's mixed in with his newer stuff. I only have one of his albums (which I love) and was very happy that he played 4 of my favorites from it.

He played my very favorite song almost at the very end of the show (phew) and it did NOT disappoint (my memory card was full at this point so it cuts off too soon). (I posted about it back in 2006.)

**Have you done much this summer?
Do you like Colin Hay?
Do you go to concerts very often?
What's the best concert you've ever been to see?**

Comment Window Tidbit: My hair has been cut and colored and my eyebrows waxed properly so I am presentable once again. I just wish I had some hair styling skills so it would always look this good. I suppose 12 hours of sassyness will have to do.

Five for Friday--Withered Edition

1. Seriously, how sad is this? These are the flowers I planted a week ago Monday.


2. We had a glorious change of weather on Monday of this week. It dropped from 96 degrees to 74 degrees with rain over a couple of hours and then stayed that way all evening. It was wonderful! The rain didn't last as long as I would have liked, but that meant we were able to work in the yard with an overcast sky and cooler temperature, so we weeded as a family. Lori stopped by right around the time we were finishing so she and I sat in the Adirondack chairs and talked while it got dark.


3. Two more horses moved in to eat the weeds in the field next door so now we have 3 lovelies to look at, pet, and feed carrots to whenever we like.


4. I took the kids to see Shrek 4 at the cheap theater nearby. We got there right as the movie should have been starting, but then they were having technical difficulties so we ended up sitting in the old, blue chairs eating our popcorn and talking for at least a half hour. Just about the time I was getting bugged, they finally got it fixed and gave us jumbo boxes of Junior Mints for our trouble.


5. I've been having my own Creative Friday yesterday and today and have mailed out many, many, many thank you notes. It's definitely not the same as getting together with Michelle, and I'm working hard not to dwell on that fact (she doesn't return home until August 8th for Pete's Sake!). But it is highly satisfying to have so many colorful envelopes and postage to choose from as I express my gratitude for the birthday bounty that came my way. I will send a prize to the first person to guess how many cards I mailed today (hint: the picture isn't totally accurate).

**Is anything withering at your house?
Do you love a good summer rain shower?
Any horses for neighbors?
Have you seen Shrek 4?
How many cards do you think I sent today?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I'm also getting my eyebrows waxed, so I haven't been doing any maintenance plucking this week and am embarrassed by what's going on up there. It's like I've lost control of my appearance...not good.

Kidness

My sister Robyn had to (got to?) go to girl's camp with her ward this week, so I took a couple days of kid-duty to help her out.


Whitney and Olivia played random stuffed-animal games for much of the time. Ashley joined them sometimes, but spent a good part of the time eating. Whenever any of the cousins are over I always hear, "Jill, I'm hungry" about a million times.


I confiscated Austin's Nintendo DS as soon as he entered the house (it holds a powerful spell over him) and was very happy to find him reading from a Calvin and Hobbes book with Landon outside under a tree.


Later I found them playing various board games together (hooray for nonscreen-watching activities!).


The girls were happy to play in our blow-up pool (seriously the best $20 I've ever spent) even though the water was icy cold. Ashley was the first one to do a running plunge into the water, which I found quite respectable.

Olivia pretty much flew into the pool.

Whitney's trick is sort of a hurdle/cannonball, which is funny considering how shallow the water is.

Ashley had to warm up in-between stunts.

Nothing like posing for a freezing photo even though it's 90 degrees outside. Good times.

**Have you ever confiscated a DS?
What was your favorite board game as a kid?
What would your pool stunt of choice be?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I'm getting my hair done on Saturday and I can't wait. I suddenly have 2 inch roots and can't stand the sight of myself!

Wordless Wednesday

Comment Window Tidbit: Crackers and cheese are a tasty snack, don't you think so?

Kindness

No kind action ever stops with itself.
One kind action leads to another.
Good example is followed.
A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions,
and the roots spring up and make new trees.
The greatest work that kindness does to others
is that it makes them kind themselves.

-Amelia Earhart

I LOVE the image of a single act of kindness throwing out roots in all directions! Doesn't that make you want to do something nice for someone else right now!


Whitney taught our Family Home Evening lesson this week and created this tree for us to fill up with good deeds for each other. I love the timing of her lesson with this thought on kindness.

**Do you like this quote?
Have you done something nice
because someone did something for you?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I bought a bunch of songs with the itunes gift card Landon gave me, so I have a rather great 70's mix cd available to one of the people who comments on this post.

Mantle Makeover and More

We had a gloriously strange Saturday around here because the kids and I were up and out of the house by 9:00am for our Stake Primary Pioneer Day Parade (not something I would have gone to had I not been obligated to by my calling) and Randy was at my parents' house making adjustments to the chicken tractor (moving house/grazing area) he built until late afternoon.


We were done with the parade (basically we walked through 3 streets of a neighborhood for the small smattering of neighbors who came out to see us) by 10:00. We were hot and sweaty, so we went to Harts to get Slurpee's and gas and a car wash.

Upon returning home we were looking at an obligation-free day. Landon declared he was having a stay-home day (rather than a play with friends kind of day) so I felt liberated. I began doing some cleaning/organizing projects (i.e., the desk next to my bed) that led into more cleaning/organizing projects.


I ended up redoing our mantle and am quite pleased with the results. I've always felt limited by our mantle because it's rather narrow and tilts slightly forward, so I felt like things would fall off it. Also, the big clock has always hung on a nail that was already there when we moved in, so it hung rather low and made it difficult to put anything in front of it.

I got wild and crazy (i.e., I finally got a clue) and moved the nail up about 3 inches so the clock is higher and there's more room beneath it. It's a good thing we've lived here 6.5 years and I finally decided to do that! Good Hell, what's wrong with me?

I looked around the house for things to put on the mantle and ended up with this configuration. It still feels a bit precarious to me because of the tilt of the mantle, but so far so good. I love the changes!


This also meant cleaning and reconfiguring the top of the armoire (which I hadn't done since getting it 18 months ago) so that was pleasing (though very dusty) too.


Randy came home while I was in the middle of this project and agreed to hang the sketches Adam gave me for my birthday (Randy has an eye for detail and measuring so it was best to wait for him). I can't believe we've had nothing on that wall all this time! Now that these are there I can't stop looking at them.


I was on a roll and feeling super energized at this point, so I swapped out a few of the pictures on my photo wall. I added this one of Landon's bear-hugged return from scout camp because I love it so much.


I also added this cute one of Randy and the kids from Father's Day.


I never get tired of looking at our photo wall, and usually seat myself directly across from it, when seated at the table for dinner. I love the combination of old and new photos, color and black & white, and all the memories that go along with seeing the faces of family.

**Have you had a Slurpee lately?
Do you enjoy rearranging your home?
Do you swap out photos very often?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I'm starting to feel panicked about summer vacation coming to an end. School starts in one month, and though I love the school year, I don't feel like we've done much this summer.

Sunday Thoughts

{Whitney at the Pioneer Day Parade}

"So where should each of us make our stand? As we demonstrate our devotion to God by our daily acts of righteousness, He can know where we stand. For all of us this life is a time of sifting and refining. We all face trials. Individual members in the early days of the Church were tested and refined when they had to decide if they had the faith . . . to put their belongings in a wagon or a pioneer handcart and travel across the American plains. Some did not have the faith.

Those who did traveled 'with faith in every footstep.' In our time we are going through an increasingly difficult time of refining and testing. The tests are more subtle because the lines between good and evil are being eroded. Very little seems to be sacred in any of our public communication. In this environment we will need to make sure where we stand all of the time in our commitment to eternal truths and covenants."
--James E. Faust, "Where Do I Make My Stand?" Ensign, Nov. 2004, 21

**Thoughts??**

Five for Friday--Slow Week Edition

Why is it so hard to get a decent picture of these 4?

I was horrified when I turned around and saw this sight greeting me while at Lori's work carnival the other day. It is wrong on so many levels and makes my heart hurt so much. I think flesh-colored anything is a bad idea for clothing, but especially in this size! I saw a bathing suit top this color yesterday and did a double take because the woman appeared to be topless. Do my eyes work differently than other people's or is this like King's New Clothes?


I finally went to Thanksgiving Point to buy some of their tulip bulbs ($3 a dozen) and couldn't resist buying these cheerful beauties as well. Whitney and I planted them along our front fence, and have watched them wither unhappily all week. We've been watering them and mixed in some compost when we planted them, but they don't seem to be blooming where they're planted at all.


I helped with Activity Days again this week (we're waiting for another leader to be called) and showed up at the volleyball activity only to find that we were playing red rover instead (alrighty then). Whitney out weighs the other girls substantially and has strength and power too so I feared for these smaller girls. One of them cried out, "Ouch, I think she cracked my bone!" after one of Whitney's break throughs (why did they keep calling her over?). Seeing the smaller girls try to break through was hilarious. They are such light weights and ended up close-lining themselves because they're short as well. Basically, red rover isn't a game that should be played at Activity Days.


We finally had our family party to celebrate my birthday and Megan's birthday tonight. In years past, I was very opposed to having a delayed birthday celebration, but have since decided I'm okay with that. But the thing about it is that it doesn't feel like a birthday when it is celebrated way after, even when there are candles to blow out.

**How do you feel about flesh-colored clothing?
Is there such thing as having a purple thumb?
What's with kids making goofy faces?
When was the last time you played red rover?**

Comment Window Tidbit: Where is everyone? It feels like everyone has either gone on a hiatus from commenting or is on vacation all at the same time. Either way I'm not okay with it.

Creative Friday--2nd Time in July Edition

I was so glad Michelle was able to squeeze in a Creative Friday (on Wednesday) during her brief break at home in-between vacations. She is a girl on the go this summer, and that hasn't been fun for me.


Whitney was very happy to receive this squishy caterpillar toy from Eva (and Michelle of course).

Whitney's lunch sack.

Michelle had more birthday gifts for me (woohoo) and thrilled me by giving me two enlargements of this photo she took in Paris. I've been quite vocal about my love of it, so she got me an 8x10 and a 12x12 copy.


She also presented me with this lovely box of goodness.


Inside was a dream come true for me...seriously. She went way over the top and gave me a stack of colorful envelopes, heavy duty foot cream (which she ordered after Alison commented about it), a box full of my favorite smooth-writing black pens, and a huge stash of various denominations of postage. I was practically speechless except for my oohing and aahing!


I love postage and love having a nice stash so that I can mail everything from home. Some girls swoon over clothes and shoes, but I swoon for postage!

Michelle grilled hamburgers for lunch.

Claudia had sent us a package with these cute little frames and a note for each us, plus some stationery for Whitney, Eva and Ashley.


Michelle got a kick out of Claudia's labeling of her envelope.


There was ding dong cake leftover from the previous night's book club, so that was great too.


At one point, the girls came into the kitchen and Eva was singing a very animated version of her "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" song which left Whitney wearing a "what the?!" expression.


Michelle wrote a card and put her Seattle photos onto a disc for her friend Katrina.


She also updated her address book with Katrina's new address.

I worked on birthday thank you's (but still have lots to go).

I was happy with this output for the day.

When I came home, I opened this present Jenn had given me the night before. Look at the cute "J" sticker with the flower on it, she has such a way with gift presentation.


Inside the present was another dream come true! We have always lamented the fact that XPedx doesn't sell a box full of envelopes of all colors, so leave it to Jenn to go and create her own! I am in love!! I actually made this picture my desktop background.

It was a great day, and the combination of these gifts from Michelle and Jenn has got me grinning like crazy person...I'm a lucky girl.

**Do you illustrate your lunch sacks?
When was the last time you grilled burgers?
What makes you swoon?
Isn't that box of colorful envelopes a joy to behold?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I took the kids and their friends to the pool today, and even though I sat in the shade and read my book most of the time I am completely wasted and have a headache.