memorial day

Happy Memorial Day

Thank you to all our service men & women

I feel so blessed & grateful & humbled by your service.

I didn't make these cupcakes today... but I wish I would have.

NOTE for next year:

dear me, please plan a Memorial Day BBQ with friends. If you don't you will drive around town & see other people picnicing & feel sad that you don't have any family around to be with on this holiday. When you pass a cemetary you will stop & have a long talk with Trent about the plan of salvation & why we are on this earth, but still it would be nice to do that with friends... right?

it's sunday

1. I think I've missed more church this year, then all my other years combined.
2. I was supposed to teach R. S. today.... Brett called a sub for me yesterday.
3. I feel really bad about it.
4. I stayed home... and watched some conference, napped, did laundry, hand stitched a little, wrote a letter to the missionary.
5. I hate missing church, really.
6. One of Brian's best friends from school came home this week from the Birmingham, England mission. His homecoming was today- ya, I missed it too.
7. Can you tell I was feeling sorry for myself?
8. HOw is this possible after the very best guest post ever!!!!
9. thanks Chloe- Chloe is very easy to love.
10. Brian has a rash-- he has had it all week, we looked at it today- it's spreading! Brett immediately took him to instacare--- Poison Ivy.

and I thought today was gonna be dull?

Guest post by Chloe

MOM She does the laundry
and the dishes

she makes my life colorful

and lets me ride her bike

She is very creative

and an AMAZING sewer.

She puts up with goof balls.

Collects cool things

She makes our house look cute.

She is very organized.

(her fabrics are organized by colors)

She lets me borrow her shoes.

She teaches us to serve the Lord.

She welcomes everyone to our home and makes them feel loved.

She has a very clean car, inside and out.

She smells pretty and lets me use her lotion.

She is keeps and uses our creations.

(this was made by Brian. Mom uses it to hold spoons on the stove)

She collects bunnies

an serves food on pretty dishes.

When something doesn't work out, she tries, and tries again.

(This jam didn't work so she make syrup for pancakes.)

She made me practice the piano even though I didn't like to.

Now I love to play the piano. Without her I would have quit.

She carries cute bags and she bought me a Vera Bradly lunchbox that I LOVE.

She decorates presents with cute ribbons.

She remembers everyones birthday and always sends them a card.

She makes our home a sweet place to live in.

She is very patriotic and teaches us to love and be proud of our country.

Our family wouldn't be the same without our mom.

I love that she loves my dad.

Get well soon Mom, I love you.

really, REALLY sick...

it's been a rough couple of days....
I'm sick.
super sick.
I been to the doctor twice & I have three RX's - I am miserable.

i HOPE I am back soon, but for now I am taking a break, and asking (i can barely talk) my kids if they would like to guest post. we shall see?

dutch oven cook off

Tonight our church's youth group was getting together for a dutch oven cook off!

The deacons were in charge & the scoutmaster called to ask me if I would be interested in judging the event... oh YA! I never turn down an opportunity to serve. In fact when the call came asking if I could help, Brian happened to answer the phone- heard about the opportunity & offered to sacrifice his own time to be a judge too. He's no dummy.

Brian had been painting all day- what a guy.
His paint pants will be able to stand on their own soon.
Brett stayed home a bit & helped while my lazy rear laid on the couch. Yesterday I went into the doctor & I have an ulcer in the back of my throat aka: a blister/canker sore. It hurts like you would not believe & I felt miserable most of the day. Ibuprofen is my friend.
Thanks guys for letting me have the time off.

The contest was held in Farmer Brown's back yard.
His garden & yard are beautiful.

You can check him out here.

there was:

BBQ chicken

cheesy pototoes

lasagna

apple cobbler

peach & raspberry cobbler

Italian chicken (the winner)
Three meat, deep dish pizza

before

after

and even the world's best apple pie!

(made by one of my cub scout's dads)

It was a lot of fun!

What a GREAT idea.

This is a fantastic group of kids

and leaders

Seriously-

they were all winners

it was so good and loads of fun.

and you know what they say...

if there is food

they will come!

another reason I'm so happy Brian is home...

Yesterday he helped me start painting! I can't even begin to tell you how badly this needs to be done.

It's down right embarrassing.

This is our fourth home- I have painted each one of them- nearly every room- nearly completely

on. my. own.

This house when we bought it had over 3,000 square feet of 80's wallpaper on the walls, even up the stair wells... but I loved the location & the layout so much still... it was so hard. Brett helped me a ton- and the kids... they can peel wallpaper like nobody's business. Still, it took months & months of work to complete. Frankly, I just couldn't stomach the thought of doing it again. Even though I knew I didn't have as much work to do as then... I still- just couldn't do it.

So--- hooray for Brian who took some time off work & let me just tell ya- one of the best things he ever did was work (two summers before he left on his mission) for a painter. The kid knows how to paint! What a GREAT life skill! He's been caulking & prepping. Oh boy- someday he will be a great husband.

Thanks Bri

We'll finish up soon-

sunday farewell

Yesterday we went to Sacrament meeting at one of Jack's best friend's services.

It was amazing.

Second from the left in the dark suit is

Zach

Zach is going to leave on Wednesday for the

Indianapolis, Indiana mission.

Listening to Zach talk was so emotional for me. He is such a great kid. I've seen him grow from a little 9th grader, to a H.S. student, then a college student, & now a confident man.

A mom can't ask for more than GREAT friends for her kids...

and Zach is one of the great ones for sure.

Good luck Zach - dunk some peeps!

I was so sad I didn't take notes & vowed to myself...

that's it!

I'm bring a notebook to church & taking notes from now on.

I have read about Michelle & Jill doing it for forever now, and I know it will make a huge difference in how I come away from my Sunday meetings.

those guys are so inspiring...

blast from the past

Two years ago I wrote a post for our anniversary.

It's still one of my favorite posts today.

Instead of trying to rewrite it

check it out here

conversations with trent

Today Brett & I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary!

I didn't take any photos, our real anniversary is tomorrow.

I'll ask someone to take one of us.

We went out to lunch, ran some errands & did a little shopping.

Because there was a FAntastic Deal at Costco on a Clear Play... we bought one. We have been considering it for over a year now. Now Trent can watch Transformers 2-- without the inappropriate parts. He is so excited. He came into the garage to tell me about a surprise he & chloe had for us- but I surprised him- with the clear play. He ran into the house & yelled to the other kids

"NO MORE SWEAR WORDS!!"

silly me, I didn't realize swear words were in abundance?

Later we decided that maybe there needs to be a clear play for mom's mouth?

dang

Tonight he told Brett & I that he came up with a great idea on how to make money.

He is always dying to make money- for who knows what? In fact, last night while we were watching a movie & he was on this very laptop- he applied for a job at Boeing online. That's what he tells us & he was on the site to do just that...? I wonder if we will hear back from them? I told him he needs to do good in school- that's his job. He says- he's done with all that- he already knows a lot- plus this kid Brandon somebody in his class is always bugging him- a job Now- that's the way to go!?

The money making idea:

"We could turn the upstairs into a hotel!"

I asked, "Where would the girls sleep?"

He replied, "Oh they can still sleep in their rooms, they just have to pay us."

Just before bed- I said, "do you really want a bunch of weirdos staying in our house?"

"Not weirdos mom, just family- we can charge them money!"

so- if any family wants to pay to stay in trent's room

call & make a reservation today!

NOTE: These photos are from last weekend

when it was sunny

unlike this whole past week...

I NEED SOME SUN

so bad.

I have been really good to not complain, but

(notice no swear words?)

I could never move back to Seattle. This gloomy weather is killing me.

P.s. the surprise trent & chloe had waiting for us?

everyone picked up the house & chloe made banana cake- we had a banana cake with whipped cream frosting from a Swedish bakery in Seattle at our wedding reception. What a bunch of sweeties