There's a Viola in the House

The little Missy has been talking about playing an instrument for years, but now that she's in 5th grade and Elementary Orchestra is an option we've finally taken the plunge (i.e., started paying for it). Part of her interest in this is that cousins Bella and Megan both play the violin and have been for quite awhile. We opted for the viola because Adam told us that violists are less common so scholarships are more abundant for them...say no more! So though it felt like I was signing my life away today at the music store as I paid my down payment, insurance fee and signed the contract for the next 18 months worth of payments, I am choosing to see this as the start of her college education. Hopefully she will love playing the viola and will get good enough to get a scholarship someday. If not, we'll have to consider it a public service donation.

**Have you ever had to sign one of those contracts?

Do you think about scholarships?

Did you ever have a scholarship?**

Comment Window Tidbit: So Tuesdays and Thursdays will find me working 7:30 to 3:15, picking Whitney and Madison up from school at 3:30, dropping Madison off at home, then running Whitney back to the junior high for Orchestra by 4:00. It's like driving a tortuously slow (25mph with cops all over) circle in a hurry. Aargh. I'm going to have to find my happy place with this new schedule. Plus next week her beloved art classes resume on Wednesdays at 5:00! I really don't know how people with more than 2 kids manage it all.

Issues

 

My new wake-up time is messing with my head for several reasons.

1. It's freakin early.
2. It's dark outside.
3. Because it's early and dark outside I tend to think I have a lot of time to get ready.
4. I have 1.5 hours to get ready, so I tend to mozy, I really don't like to rush.
5. The time goes ridiculously fast so I start to panic when I'm down to 45 minutes left to get ready.
6. It takes me awhile to cool down and when everyone is asleep I can't go to my usual cool down place (my bed).
7. Our goal is to be ready to read scriptures together at 7:00 so I can leave at 7:15...we've only been successful once so far, but we're figuring it out.
8. Is it wrong that I feel like I should get paid for these hours?
9. I have go to bed around 9:30 so I can read myself to sleep, otherwise it ends up being past 11:00 and then I don't do so well.
10. I think I'm a high maintenance sleeper.

**Thoughts??**

Comment Window Tidbit: Whitney is joining elementary orchestra which means I have to pick her up from school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, then run home for 15 minutes and then go back to the junior high!! Aargh!

Sunday Thoughts

Today the 3 amazing men serving in our bishopric were released and 3 other amazing men were called to replace them. We have benefited and learned from these great men over the last 6 years of service and are better for knowing them. I was touched by their humility and goodness and am sad to see them go. But I am also excited for this new group to serve because I know they have been called by God and will do an amazing job. I love the way the gospel works!

Comment Window Tidbit: I could really use another day of weekend.

Gone Country

This weekend has been our annual ward rodeo and it has been even more fun and meaningful than in years past because we know our bishopric is getting released tomorrow. Our bishop is an amazing man and he has a lot of enthusiasm and endless energy to balance out all his wisdom and spirituality, and he is the one that brought back the tradition of having a ward rodeo.

Last night was the hoe-down, which is always so much fun. I don't have any pictures of the dancing, because I was too busy do-si-doeing to take any! I'm bummed not to have photos to document the fun, but I'm glad I was part of it. Under the "Thank the Bishopric Here" sign was a table with 3 homemade scrapbooks where we could write messages to each of them.

We had an amazing sunset to accompany our night of fun.

The weekend's event list--click to enlarge.

Before the 5k with friends Oss and Jackson.

Today's events started with the 7:00am 5k run. Landon has been doing this for several years but this year he beat the bishop (seen in this picture just behind him) which means the bishop will buy him a shake and placed first in his age group and 5th overall!

Woohoo!

The bishop and Landon. (Randy took all the race photos since I was still home getting ready.)

Next up was the "parade". This involves all the primary kids who want to participate, the bishopric, the RS president and a few other cars full of people. It's rather comical because it is so short. Whitney and Madison walked with the activity day girls and their theme was "I Sing With My Heart".

The bishopric ride horses through the neighborhood.

One of my friend's had amazing, huge sunflowers growing in her garden, so of course I had to stop by for a few shots.

They served pancakes, sausage, bananas and juice to everyone for breakfast.

Poor Randy burned a couple fingers on some hot grease while helping with the cooking, he had to walk around with his two burned fingers in cold water for awhile.

It was 93 degrees today, so we were all red-faced and sweaty but Whitney still looked cute.

I love these flags!

I enjoy the rodeo ambiance, everything felt picture-worthy to me.

In between rodeo events they had performances and Randy was part of this group of guys singing a funny song. (I've got video of this, but I'm too tired to mess with trying to load it tonight.)

It was beasty hot, but it was a gorgeous day!

There was mutton busting, calf riding, a cash cow, and a cow milking contest.

I always love the colors of the flag.

They provided lunch for everybody too! After being so busy and so hot all morning the food tasted better than ever.

The kids got to cool off with a big slip-n-slide, but the adults mostly kept sweating.

Me in photo mode.

I love big, fluffy clouds like this.

They had a huge tug-o-war match with the adults verses the youth.

The youth won!

Landon and Oss made it almost to the end of the egg toss, but then the egg broke when Landon caught...ew.

The last event of the day was the hay bale jumping. It starts out with a big crowd but eventually narrows down to just the long-legged sorts.

Landon isn't quite long-legged yet.

Not like this guy! They measured the final distance between hay bales and it was almost 18 feet!

My end-of-the-day, hot, sun-burned, but headache free self-portrait! I took over 800 photos, crazy!

**Does this look like fun to you?

Do you have an affection for square dancing?

Have you ever jumped hay bales?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I was so pleased that I didn't get a headache from being out in the sun all day, but I ended up getting one around 8:00 tonight. I'm wasted.

Five for Friday

I found this on the computer the other day and kind of love it. I put it on my phone and am using it was one of my wallpaper/screensaver choices. There's just something so pleasing about the colors, the composition and the sideways smile.Whitney has got some skills!

I emailed my mom early Monday morning before I left for work to let her know that the kids were going to be stuck at home all day on their last day of summer vacation. I didn't know if she had a busy day planned (she usually does) but thought she might take pity on them if she knew their plight. They got home shortly after I did and had been out for lunch at Sonic and then at the grocery store playing a game while she shopped. She saved the day!

 

Aargh! I got a ticket coming home from work last week. The speed limit on that road is 25mph, but it feels almost impossible to go that slow even though I try to be careful. I was going 39 but the officer wrote the ticket for 30. I'm going to have to pay a fine and go to traffic school. @#$! I know I'm not above the law, but it sometimes feels like there are people zipping around driving recklessly, texting, speeding, racing and all of that and then it's the well-meaning moms like me that get the tickets!

Last week at work they ordered lunch from Olive Garden for all the teachers and brought the other secretary and I some as well. We were totally swamped and unable to leave for lunch, so having this deluxe meal given to us that day was truly a treat. I even ate (and loved) the chicken! And I really, really loved the white cake (it's a weakness and very rare treat for me). We were so busy it took us over 2 hours to nibble at our lunch in-between phone calls!

The kids have been messing around with my iPhone and I found this picture Whitney had taken of our big clock. It has our photo wall reflected in it and it's sort of muted but I think it's pretty cool.

Even though I'm getting up early enough to give myself 15 minutes for my premake-up cool down, I've still been overheated and have taken to bringing in this big fan while I get ready. It is not convenient at all, but it's getting the job done. Is it wrong to dream of an air conditioned vanity (or counter space for that matter)?

I had to empty my church bag so that a friend of mine could fix the handles for me, and I was amazed that I had this much stuff in there! I promise those aren't used tissues! I tend to grab a wad to stick in my bag (I never know if it's going to be a cry-fest kind of Sunday or not) and am always replenishing them, but I guess these were trapped under my books because I had no idea there were so many in there. Speaking of cry-fests, our fabulous bishopric is getting released next Sunday so I'll have to reload my bag again!

**How was your week?

Do you enjoy white cake?

Do you carry tissues with you?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I may be changing my bedtime to 9:30.

Disconcerting

It was hard to drive behind this truck even though it wasn't actually coming at me. It played games with my mind!

First Day of School 2011

It's time for me to face the fact that time is marching on and I have big kids. There's no debating it or deluding myself any longer.

Randy gave them blessings the night before (which is the best tradition of all) then Tuesday the 23rd was the first day of school. I had to be at work by 7:30 which meant Randy was on first day of school photo duty (yes, it hurt my heart to miss it) and these are what he got.

I usually have the kids hold up their fingers to show what grade they're starting, so this is Landon showing 8th grade.

And here he's showing Whitney is in 5th.

They're big. (And Whitney buttoned her shirt wrong.)

Apparently jumping photos were in order.

Whitney doesn't usually join in. Check out the bottom left of this photo, that's the sad state of affairs on our porch. I finally bought a new doormat to replace our old sun-bleached mat and didn't realize it was too small until Whitney pointed out the shapes of our previous two mats which discolored our porch, so now it looks like our doormat has double shadows. We've also got some lovely yellow stripes on the lawn thanks to Randy's well-intentioned but ignorantly executed lawn fertilizing last week. Good Hell!

I came home from work to find this note from Landon on the counter next to a stack of disclosure documents from his classes. I don't remember ever having those when I was in school, but it's standard practice these days.

Landon got busy working on an "All About Me" assignment for one of his classes.

Fortunately I had made some cookie dough a couple weeks ago in preparation for our traditional 1st day of school cookie treat. They weren't done baking when the kids came home, but I eventually got them made.

**Do you have a first day of school tradition?

Have you ever scorched your lawn?

Doormat woes really?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I was up and running from 5:30am until 7:30pm today and then still had normal house stuff to do...I'm glad it's not like this every day.

Creative Friday--Special Guest Edition

Even though yesterday was the first day of school for 7th graders and my first day of school with students in the building (i.e., office craziness) Michelle and I planned a Creative Friday gathering because it was early-out (1:45) and because our great blogging friend Rebekah was in town!

I picked Rebekah up in Orem at her friend's house. She is so stinkin cute and so fun to be with. Michelle and I adore her because she is a faithful and insightful commenter (a very rare combination). She often goes without commenting for a few weeks and then will go back and read and comment on every single post she has missed! Last week I had 25 new comments from her...that's super endearing to me.

It was a very productive day because we had so many questions for Rebekah. It's one thing to know someone from their blog, but it's an even better thing to then get to talk with them in real life and fill in the gaps that are obviously left out from blogging.

Eva and her cute friend Eva (with the cutest voice I've ever heard) were around for a little bit.

Lucas showed us his incredible stash of birthday iTunes gift cards...I offered to buy back the one we gave him because now that I have an iPhone and have been reunited with my iTunes music library I am itching to buy new songs and apps.

Marc joined us for awhile to discuss his blog and some stuff going on with work.

Michelle cut out some really cute Back to School printables she'll be using for a super cute back-to-school dinner...I will not be doing anything cute for back-to-school dinner (I don't even have dinner planned, so maybe a celebratory bowl of Rice Krispies is in order).

Michelle taught Rebekah how to make paper flowers and even though Rebekah didn't think she had great crafting skills she made great flowers.

Michelle showed us the paint colors she is planning to use for her living room, kitchen cupboards and hutch. She has a lot of projects planned since Eva is starting school full day.

Our not so secret stash of treats for the day was Reese's Pieces (I love those) and some banana chocolate-chip muffins made by Michelle.

I got 4 items of good mail put together.

Michelle is letting me borrow the limb-trimmer saw her dad bought when he was visiting last week. We're good about sharing things with each other, but this was a new exchange for us.

**Have you written any cards lately?

Have you ever read Rebekah's blog?

Are you happy about school starting?

Ever used a limb trimmer?**

Comment Window Tidbit: Work is so busy, but I'm loving my new job!