Birthday Celebration--Book Club Style

Last Wednesday night we got together at Michelle's house to celebrate mine and Amy's birthdays. Amy's birthday was on July 7th and mine was on the 9th, so it was rather fun to celebrate them both on the 8th. We had never celebrated them together before because we have always tried to give each other our own special night, but I must say I enjoyed sharing the night and celebrating so close to our actual birthdays.


Is this table set up gorgeous or what? Jen and Michelle worked their magic together to get things arranged so beautifully for our birthday dinner.


Collette was delighted by Eva's attention, especially since she feared Eva had forgotten their close relationship in Paris 2 years ago.


We had such a tasty dinner complete with this gorgeous spinach salad, twice-baked potatoes, steak and rolls.

As Michelle was taking our Italian Soda orders I told her she looked like Issac from The Love Boat and she struck this pose.

Remember him?

Bartender Michelle made me a delicious raspberry vanilla Italian Soda with pebble ice. It was my first Italian Soda and was oh so good.


Michelle made this complex and gorgeous Ding Dong cake because Amy had admired it on Michelle's blog last month when she'd made it for Max's birthday. It was fun to blow out the candles with Amy. I'm much more comfortable NOT having all eyes on me.


This is blurry because I refused to use a flash, but you can see the beauty of this cake. It was truly a labor of love. Later as she explained the steps it took to make it I declared, "I will NEVER make this cake!" (This is NOT really a surprise since I don't like making cakes, but I especially won't ever be making this high-effort cake!)


For the gift portion of the evening, we gave Amy a $100 gift card to Roberts Crafts to help her with her current Cricut addiction.


The girls gave me a $100 gift certificate to Amazon.com, and all I can say about that is woohoo, woohoo, woohoo!


Michelle and I were totally bewildered to find that Collette and Jana were both freezing! We had just moved into the family room from the dining area and I had even positioned the fan towards us to help cool things down! What in the world? My only comfort in being such an overheated beast is that Michelle is always right there with me!


We had a brief discussion about our book for this month. I had barely started it (tsk, tsk) and Jenn hadn't finished it yet, so I'm not sure if we ruined things or if there just wasn't a ton to discuss. Amy had done some research about it (she's so good about doing things like that) and had some interesting info to share.


One of the things we all love about book club is Collette's loopiness after 9:30pm. She tends to crack herself up when she's telling a story and ends up cracking us up as well. Few things are better than a fun night out with the book club girls!

**Do you have dishes and things to set such a pretty table?
Have you ever made Italian Sodas?
Did you used to watch Love Boat as a kid?
What time of night do you get loopy?
Are you usually too cold or too hot?**

Sunday Thoughts

I finished my goal of reading The Book of Mormon between January 1 through July 9 and started over again today with the goal of finishing by December 31st. I love the scripture calculator that schedules the reading out for me, it makes it so doable.


I also had scriptures on the brain all week as I prepared for today's Sharing Time on "Reading Scriptures Strengthens My Family".

One of the things I did while preparing, was to make a list of the lessons I learned from reading The Book of Mormon, here are the ones I came up with right away (I'm sure there are many more to be learned).

Be obedient
Have faith
All things are possible with God
We can be forgiven when we repent
Listen to the prophet
Teach children not to fight
Serve others
Stand up for what is right
Be an example
The Lord protects His servants
Listen to your parents

Aren't these lessons comforting? They're recipes for happiness. I'm so thankful to have these answers in my life, and have had experience with each of them personally.

**What lessons have you found in the scriptures?
Have you used the scripture calculator?**

Kids, Kids, Everywhere Kids

On Wednesday of this week, we ended up having Whitney's friends Madison and Taylor over to play while their mom went to a funeral and a doctor's appointment, along with Lucas and Eva over just because.


Whitney and I had spent 3 hours cleaning the garage the day before, so it was nice and clean (relatively speaking) for them to play in. She had found many missing toys during our garage clean out, so it was fun for her to have all these "new" toys to play with.


I was very happy to see the UPS man pull into our driveway with a birthday delivery from Target.com. (You'll have to wait until my birthday post to see what it was.) Oh my, this photo through the kitchen window has revealed some very dirty windows!


Eva played pretty well throughout the day. She loves having access to Whitney's Littlest Pet Shop toys.


The 3 girls played together in the pool for awhile until Eva got cold...apparently 95 degrees is pretty chilly when there's a breeze.


The boys spent the entire day (8 hours!) setting up and playing the role playing game. They turned the kids' bedroom, the dining area and the family room into houses, raided the pantry for things to sell as part of their game, and created all sorts of menus and fake money. I was impressed with their creativity and dedication to the game.


Madison and Whitney joined the role playing game as well and made their house/store under the kitchen table. Here is a copy of their store's inventory. When Taylor and Madison left, Taylor had a pack of gum, a row of saltine crackers and 2 sodas he'd purchased in the game to take with him.


This game is fun with more people so the boys (particularly Lucas) enjoyed having the girls play too.


Eva and I did some coloring in my room (the only room free from role playing game messes), and Eva cracked me up with several of her statements and questions. I wrote them down just for you.

"Oh that's a pretty fuchsia!"

Eva: "What are you coloring?"
Me: "I'm coloring her tiara."
Eva: "That's not a tiara, it's a crown!"

"You sure do color quiet, I wonder why." (Apparently my lack of running commentary was bewildering to her.)

"What does brown mean?" (How do you answer something like this?)

"Why do we glue to glue something?" (We just do.)



This is a picture we worked on together. Can you guess which parts I colored?

When we finished coloring we had this exchange.
Eva: "Do you want to play Littlest Pet Shops?"
Me: "Um, I don't think so."
Eva: "Why not?"
Me: "They're not my favorite."
Eva: "What is your favorite thing instead of naps?" She's just too smart, she knew I was going to say taking a nap!

She ended up watching a Care Bears (aka torture) DVD on the computer so I was able to read and doze for 45 minutes, woohoo.

**Do you consider the garage another room?
When was the last time you colored?
What DOES brown mean?**

Open for Business

Mondays have turned into days with my mom and Robyn's kids which makes the day feel kind of like a party. This week she took all the kids to the park for awhile, then got pizza and came back here to hang out in the yard for a couple hours.

My mom let the girls paint her toes.

And I DO mean paint her toes!

Ashley is just too cute.

Landon and Austin made up this little dance to do before they ran to do their pool stunts.

One of Landon's stunts.

Austin's flying ninja stunt.

Olivia's version of the flying ninja stunt.

Ashley would run for 10 yards, then stop and hop over the edge of the pool. She's hilarious.

Jared was in the area and stopped by for a few minutes. He ended up taking our old entertainment center (which has been hogging space in the garage since January!) to D.I. for me in his truck. It's almost wrong how happy I was to get rid of that thing.


The mailman pulled up while we were outside so I went to meet him (he stopped before the mailbox which meant he had a package for me). I was delighted by the stack of mail he handed me. There were birthday packages from Kristi and Shannon, and a package with a book I'd ordered. Woohoo!

This is the outside version of "the cozy."

**What would your pool stunt be called?
Do you have an outdoor cozy space?
When was the last time you made up a dance?**

Giveaway Goodness

Click here to register for the giveaway.

**Have you bought Doodlebug Stationery before?
Are you addicted to stationery?
What are your favorite types of cards?
(Folded, Flat Notes, Cutesy, Simple)
Will you register?**

Happy Birthday to Me!

For my birthday post, I usually like to add another 100 things to my "About Me" list, but this year I could only come up with another 50. I either need to really dig deep or start doing more interesting things. Hmm.

1. I don’t like blog and text abbreviations like LOL.
2. I am more fun than I think I am.
3. I’d like to go to Ireland.
4. I have A LOT of scissors.
5. I love laughing really hard anytime, but especially in movie theaters.
6. I’m learning that I’m a much more loving person than I tend to think I am.
7. My gym closed last September.
8. I hate it when people (even myself) whine. I have a “whiny kids take naps” policy, which applies to me as well.
9. I have “dryer sense” which is a lot like spidey sense. I start to get irritated with the noise of the dryer and decide to go check it always when it’s about to buzz. Weird.
10. I am plagued by phantom boogers.
11. I am my own worst enemy.
12. I really hate driving over speed bumps.
13. My left ankle can pop countless times a day if I rotate my foot around.
14. I still really hate the word “hubby”.
15. I always use my pinky finger when using public buttons like ATMs, debit card swipers and so on. It seems more sanitary since that finger is less likely to end up in my eye or mouth.
16. I have never referred to myself as “mommy”.
17. I love it that our kids have keen senses of humor.
18. I recently realized I mentally assign each month a color. January is grey, February is pink, March is green, April is yellow, May is lush green, June is bright orange, July is yellow, August is yellow/brown, September is a warm orange, October is golden, November is tan, December is red. How about that?
19. I started taking Fish Oil and Feverfew (for migraines) this year and I can tell a difference.
20. I sometimes feel like I’m trapped in a fat suit.
21. I hate it when there’s no eraser on a pencil. This happens often around here because Whitney uses the erasers so much.
22. I’m not a strong bowler.
23. I hope my enthusiasm for singing makes up for my lack of ability.
24. Landon told me I would have another baby before I’m 50, yikes!!!
25. I’m done having babies.
26. I wish I could get a glimpse of my potential (perhaps in a dream) to help motivate me in my life.
27. I enjoy the unpredictability of spring most of the time.
28. Target Brand’s Assorted Berry flavored antacid is a life saver for me.
29. I’d like to go up in a hot air balloon.
30. I really, really, really want to go to Paris with Randy and the kids this fall and am looking for sponsors at this point.
31. I think I’m addicted to chewing pebble ice.
32. I’d like to get a pedicure at least once a month.
33. I keep a Word document with this running list of stuff about myself, but I think I'm running out of details.
34. I almost always have a song running through my mind and often it's triggered by a word in a thought. So I find myself thinking, "Where did that song come from?" and then I'll remember that I said a certain word and my brain ran through its files and produced that song. I'm sure this is brilliant is some way, but thus far has not proved useful.
35. I'd really like to have health insurance.
36. I wish the birds that frequent our bird feeder would let me hold them.
37. I am tired of feeling tired.
38. My reading retention has not improved.
39. I love Netflix!
40. I think the Dyson vacuum is overrated.
41. I love it when the recycling gets picked up and wish it was weekly instead of bi-weekly.
42. I would really like cozier bedding.
43. I've officially reached an age where I fear certain activities will permanently injure me. For example, I'd like to do a backflip off the diving board, but I'm afraid I'll end up in a wheelchair if I attempt it.
44. I'm excessively fond of of the Old Fashioned Chocolate Glazed Donuts from Maceys.
45. I love going to Michigan!
46. I never get sick of watching British period movies (Adam calls them "Oh Mr. Higglybottom!").
47. I'd like to be really good at something.
48. I sometimes wish I could cry more easily.
49. I'd like to be more of an "out of the box" thinker.
50. Apparently I'm 38 now.

**Do you have a hard time coming up
with more items for your list?
Do we share any similarities?**

Like Beach Bunnies, But Different

You may have noticed that I haven't been blogging about weekly outings to Seven Peaks this year, and that's because we're not going anymore. They changed their policy about bringing food into the park and that pretty much ruined things for us. Amie and Melinda are still going and have been happy with it, though they have to go outside the park to eat lunch, but the new policy felt like a betrayal to Michelle and I so we got refunds for our season passes.

Instead, we're going to our local pool, which allows food and is much closer. Landon and I met up with Michelle and her kids on Monday afternoon (Whitney was at a different pool with her friend Madison).


I brought cups of Tang-covered pebble ice for Michelle and I and made a believer out of her. I'm toying with the thought of putting Tang over vanilla ice cream for a creamsicle affect, doesn't that sound good?


This grasshopper took up residence on the handle of Michelle's bag, and though it was causing no harm, Eva was scandalized by its presence. Michelle didn't mind it sitting there, but apparently has bad childhood memories of hopping grasshoppers, so she wasn't keen on its random movements once it left her bag.

I actually rescued a grasshopper from the pool later in the day and was quite proud of myself for saving it from drowning. I was thinking this would be a good Karma-type thing, but then remembered the earwig I washed down my shower that morning and wondered if there are certain levels of bug-saving accolades. Surely killing bugs in your house is different than letting an innocent bug outside die, right? Maybe I'm crazy.


I decided that everything tastes better when at the pool (or beach). Landon always chooses
White Cheddar Cheez-its, and I brought Pringles. It could also be that they were both freshly newly opened, but I still think there's something more to it.


Michelle and I were very surprised to see blogging friend Lindsay sitting right in front of us with her beautiful new baby girl. Lindsay recognized Eva playing in the water and then spotted us. It was horrifying to be spotted in our swim ensembles, but it was still nice to talk to Lindsay.

I love the look of the water in the late-day sun!

Poor Michelle had shoes with some flip and no flop. Her recent $1 flip flops pulled apart and had to be trashed.

On Tuesday, Whitney and I spent 3 hours cleaning the garage (again!). She sorted through all the toy bins without complaint (amazing). She was motivated by the promise of going to the pool later in the day and by the delight she had each time she "found" a toy she thought was missing.

So we picked up Landon and his friend and finally got to the pool just after 5:00pm. The boys played great together, and Whitney played so well by herself. She used her dinosaur toy and goggles to create some sort of game. I love it that she's so independent!


Because we'd gotten to the pool so late, I was able to find a good spot in the shade to read my book. I had intended to swim with the kids, but when they didn't need my company and when I wasn't overheated I ended up loving my set-up. I could watch the kids in the pool and read my book in the comfort of my own chair. It was bliss!


Our location near the fence also gave us a handy way to hang our towels. I'm always trying to get the towels to dry in-between visits from the kids (though they never seem to appreciate or try this themselves) and this did the job beautifully. Who would have thought I'd voluntarily go to the pool multiple times a week?

**What snacks do you like to take to the pool?
Do you have issues with grasshoppers?
What's your policy on killing bugs in the house?
Do you try to dry towels in-between swim times?
Is there such a thing as pool bliss for you?**

Creative Friday--End of Hiatus Edition

Michelle and I were in utter disbelief that it had been 6 weeks since our last Creative Friday gathering! It's a good thing we didn't know it was going to be that long when we had our last one or we would have been seriously bummed out.


We were neck-deep in kids now that school is out, but they did a good job entertaining themselves. We just wish they'd entertain themselves somewhere else! Ha. They were surrounding us for much of the time, which limits the depth of our conversation substantially.


Michelle made us seriously deluxe sandwiches with her homemade French bread. I tend to enjoy any sandwich NOT made by me, but she really took it to a whole new level. I'm salivating as I write about it.


I'm not sure how I ended up taking this picture of Jack, but he definitely has a presence at our Creative Fridays, with his need to go outside and then immediately wanting to come back in, his scare-the-crap-out-of-me barking when someone comes to the door or a dog walks by the front of the house, and his drive by dog-bed mounting (he has no shame whatsoever) which Michelle stops immediately. He manages to bug us even when he naps because he does it in the middle of the hallway, thus blocking access to the downstairs, the bathroom and the bedrooms.


The kids spent the majority of their time setting up and planning things for their role playing game, and then very little time actually playing it. Eva kept saying, "It's taking too long to get ready for this game!" and she ended up going down for a nap before it got underway. Michelle and I got a kick out of the kids' creativity and the fact that they put so much work into it.


It felt good to be back in action writing thank you notes and cards again. I was thrilled to have completed 15 cards! Michelle worked on her fabulous birthday tags and completed several birthday packages.


It was not a good self-portrait day for us, and Whitney even ended up taking a couple photos for us, but they weren't any better. I guess some days we're on and some days we're off.

**How are you handling having the
kids home for the summer?
Are you good at making sandwiches?
Does your dog have any shame?
Have you been mailing things?**