Five for Friday

Greeting friends, this is my first Five for Friday post of the new school year and I'm very happy to say that I am posting from home at 10:30am because I don't work on Fridays! It's glorious. I've been cleaning, rocking out to music on Pandora, and enjoying the solitude that comes from having the house to myself, I'm stoked!

 BEFORE

1. I failed to report that Whitney got a newish hair style last Saturday to start junior high. 

AFTER

Sharolyn (our stylist of 7 years) thinned it out (Whitney's hair is super thick and getting curly), cut some bangs, and flat ironed it beautifully. We just wish we could recreate this look at home. I keep telling Whitney she has to practice, practice, practice but so far she's mostly invested her energy into complaining about it instead. Aargh! At least she had a few days of feeling good about her hair before she had to wash it and begin the battle again.

 

2. I got thrown into the deep end of being the primary secretary last weekend when I had to scramble to find 8 substitute teachers to replace all our male teachers because the Stake was coming to do a training for all the men. It was crazy for a bit but some nice women agreed to help out. I made these as thank you gifts.

3. I was able to upgrade my phone to the iPhone 4s a couple weeks ago and got this awesome case from this shop on Etsy...of course I love it.

4. Speaking of phone cases, we gave Landon a phone for his birthday (eek!) and Adam designed this case for him. It's pretty cool and I probably should have asked Adam to make a case for me, but they're a little pricey to have made so we did it for a birthday gift for the boy instead. (#84 is Landon's football jersey number in case you're wondering.)  

5. I saw this on Pinterest this morning and it resonated with me. I always know things are going to work out and I'm grateful for that, it keeps me from being a worrier.

First Day of School...Again!

It's kind of freaking me out how quickly these "first day of school" posts roll around. The saying, "The days are long but the years are short" comes to mind with all of this.

Landon was a tad reluctant to pose for me this morning, but no one was watching and I wasn't taking no for an answer so here you have it.

The boy is in 10th grade at the high school and the girl is in 7th grade at the junior high...how did that happen?!

It feels like 10 minutes ago, but really it was 3 years ago that Landon started 7th grade!! I can't even deal with the fact that he'll be done with high school and heading on a mission in 3 more years!!

And Whitney was starting 4th!!

 

It was my first official first day of school too even though I worked last week and was there for 7th grade day yesterday. This is my 3rd year in the front office and my 4th year at the school (time warp anyone?!) They had to reduce the hours of all the hourly employees so I will only be working 3 days a week this year (woohoo). It's weird to think of not being there all the time but this will be so much better for my sanity level. I'll be working Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (cushy right?!). 

I worked 3 hours this morning since we're training two new secretaries, but then was able to go to Costco, pick up Cafe Rio for lunch, clean out the fridge, vacuum the house, do some laundry, put dinner in the crock pot, bake cookies and read in the cozy.

Football Season

 

Football season has begun! Landon has been going to daily practices for weeks but tonight was the big fundraising kick-off event.

We could choose between Chick-Fil-A or JDawgs for dinner and we ate in the school cafeteria. I'm not very familiar with the high school (yet) so it was fun to be there surrounded by all the school memorabilia and by all the families, players and students. I know so many of them of them from the junior high that it's fun to feel like a part of the community.

 How cute is this picture?!

We'd never been to this event before so we didn't realize we would be spending so much time on the bleachers...we were ill prepared (i.e., no tush cushes) with only folded up blankets to sit on. We waited for a half hour before the game even started so we were already wrecked! The Memory Foam people really need to make stadium seats!

It was a beautiful evening (which was amazing considering it had been raining like it was the end of the world just a few hours before) so the view was lovely while we waited. It was really something to sit and look at the mountains and the temple from the bleachers--gorgeous!

We were so excited to see Landon as part of the Sophmore football team! They don't have names on their jerseys this year so we were frantically searching for #84, woohoo!

Number 84 running into position looking schnazzy in his new football gloves and birthday socks.

We keep a look out for the red socks during the action so we know it's him.

Here he is all pro-like getting hydrated on the sidelines.

The post game walk across the field, so studly.

I love football and the excitement of all of it. I must carry some sort of insane school spirit type gene (from my mom's side, definitely not my dad's!) because it's all I can do not to rally the crowd sometimes. I love having everyone decked out the school colors feeling united in purpose. It's good times.

12 on the 12--August Edition

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1. My night table, I woke up yesterday with a cold, wahhh.
2. Whitney had to get 2 cavities filled which cost $131!
3. I've been reading talks from General Conference during my morning cool down period.
4. Lori and I got pedicures (I got one on the 12th last month too!).
5. We had a very tasty lunch at Maria Bonita Restaurant.
6. Pillow shopping at Pier 1.
7. Our self-portrait.
8. I found Landon asleep across my bed...this has been happening a lot lately now that he has football practice every day.
9. One of Whitney's scenes.
10. I napped and read in the cozy for a few hours in the afternoon and finished my book.
11. We always have pizzas for dinner on Mondays.
12. Randy and I watched a Masterpiece Mystery--Endeavor "Fugue" which was very good.

Tidbits

Summer has flown by and this is my last week of freedom before going back to work. The good news is that I will only be working 3 days a week this year, which feels totally doable and not nearly as strength-sapping as 5 days a week has been! I don't know how it's all going to work out, but I'm optimistic and giddy about having a couple days a week at home alone...plus the return of Creative Friday!!

This has been the summer of reading! I have read 12.5 books since June. It's pretty much all I want to do.

Whitney found this wood in the garage and fashioned it into a glue gun holder like one we'd seen on Pinterest; she has spent a lot of time with the glue gun this summer.

I found this cute bistro set on clearance at IFA for $53 and bought it for myself. Our backyard is rather nubby but there's one shaddy spot that I've been wanting to put some furniture in.

It cracked me up to see Landon mowing the lawn in his "fashion glasses" for eye protection. He's so cute.

He didn't come in from mowing the lawn for almost an hour so I peaked through my bedroom blinds and found him messing with the iTouch while sitting at the new bistro set...he has spent A LOT of his summer on the iTouch (not my favorite, I'm always after him about it).

Whitney has experienced a lot of alone time this summer since she usually only socializes with the cousins or with Madison. Whenever she is bored (I hate that word) I suggest reading, but she is opposed to reading (probably to spite me) so then I always say, "You're a creative girl, go make something." This was one of her creations...Spiderman convalescing with Play-doh bandages after a run-in with a Spinosaurus.

This guy didn't fair too well either.

Who knew Play-doh could be so funny?

Michelle and I went to lunch and to TJ Maxx last week.

I was put into the Primary Presidency as the secretary and found this drop-off from the President. I'm so happy to be back in primary!

Whitney made some homemade clay (courtesy of a recipe found on Pinterest) and has been making food for her Barbie world creations. She's kind of a genius!

Football conditioning and unpadded practices have started so Landon has been exerting himself a lot and has crashed early. Notice the paper plate and glass on the table, he lives off Nutella toast/bagels and chocolate milk!

He got his football jerseys (one white and one red) and was stoked to get the #84 because that's his favorite player (Roddy White from the Falcons) number. He walks taller when he wears a football jersey.

Randy makes biscuits for us every Sunday morning.

We have discovered Duck Dynasty and become addicted. The bonus to catching on to shows late (as we often do) is that there are already a lot of episodes available for us to catch up on. It has been good family fun watching this show together and laughing...we've all started to talk a bit like them. Hey, it's hard not to!

This is Whitney's computer art drawing of Willie's beard.