a lazy monday morning

sunday

Brian & the peanut became friends... Charlie discovered whipped cream....

he likes it!

and ruthie's kids discovered sprarklers can be fun!

another great daY!

charlie's here!

Today...

is a really great day!

BECAUSE
we picked up Charlie at the airport!!!!

We picked up Megan too.

they are kind of a package deal-

but we wouldn't have it any other way

a grand opening

Today was an extra special day for the scouts in my neighborhood!

It was the opening day of the new-

(the old one was torn down & rebuilt)

McDonalds

We were lucky enough to be asked to do an opening day flag ceremony.

This would have been a bit much for just the cubs so the Boy Scouts got involved too.

There was a ceremony

and three flags.

A McDonald's flag, the Utah State flag, & the U.S. flag, of course.

The boys did a great job & they looked great too!

This is not your ordinary run of the mill mickey d's---

Oh NO

It is SOO fancy, schmancy, nice.

It's a McCAfe.
It has a coffee shop feel.

It's beautiful inside & out.

Their are 4-5 water falls throughout the landscaping of the drive- thru!

A waterfall fountain, fireplace, and big screen t.v.s throughout the inside!

Black leather seating & mod colors.

there is even Wii Fii & a printer for use... free

you know... if you need to print out anything while eating your McChubble.

McChubble=

a McDouble + a McChicken sandwich.

the recipe

Take the top bun off the McDouble,

place the chicken sandwich inside then place the bun back & eat

scary yes- but Brian invented these when he got home from Chile.

No I have not tried one- thank you very much.

The people at McDonald's could not have been sweeter!

they gave us a donation for our troop

then told the boys to order anything they wanted on the breakfast menu

FREE

This proved to be overwhelmingly awesome for some of the boys.

tough decision!!

It was pretty much a gREat morning!

I don't mind it.... updated!

I've been singing this to my kids for years- I changed the words to
"that's what moms are for."
this morning (while singing it yet again) I realized... they may not know where it came from?

because: If you want to know, really want to know. Then I don't mind if you really want to know. If you want to know... I don't mind it, that's what moms are for.
do do to do, do do to do-
MOms always lend a helping hand- do do to do, do do to do...

aaah- I love sesame street.



*UPDATE--
It's really crackin' me up that you guys think that this is some kind of sweet thing I do...? because you can ask my kids... the whole purpose of this song is that ernie is annoying bert. Do you get it?
You don't want to do your chores.... but I don't mind it- you are sleepy I don't mind it.... that's what chores are for.. dodo to do- dodo to do!

ahh- sarcasm

guess who's coming to my house...

this guy - this guy right here...

Charlie

In about 55 hours from right

NOw.!!

megan is coming too.

we will miss you tony...

while we

1. go for walks

2. eat spaghetti

3. play with toys

4. blow on bellies

5. patty cake

6. tickle

7. giggle

8. shop with your mom

9. pass you around

10. avoid two dogs (this could be their demise?)

I CANNOT WAIT

a birthday list

1. I have not taken any pictures of myself this past birthday
2. I feel great-
3. but, look worse than ever - in my 43rd year...
4. I guess you can't have it all?
5. I have added some new things to my
6. "100 things I want to do"- list
7. just mentally- I need to really write them on there so I don't forget!
8. I want to go to Mt. Rushmore.
9. and Hershey, PA.
10. I want to go on a Mediterranean cruise.
11. and get a necklace with my grandchildren represented on it.
12. you know, the kind you can add to when you get a new grand baby- not that I have any on the way... no- bummer.
13. Next year, I want to enter a quilt in the 4th of July quilt show.
14. I want/need to go back to-
15. sending everyone in my family a birthday card on their day.
16. This year I did not have that as a goal at the beginning of the year-
17. and have not been doing that.
18. I feel terrible about it...... really guilty
19. Happy Birthday Johnna (my sweet sister)- sorry there is no card in the mailbox today!
20. I hope you have a good day, I love you.
21. On my birthday I had my usual breakdown & asked brett over & over why he was married to me & gave him permission to get a divorce so he could be happier?
22. Poor brett.
23. note to self: add to list asap- don't have weird breakdowns on your birthday
24. that only brett can fix.
25. I sure love that man.
26. Not just because he puts up with my insecurities
27. and not just because he bought me this for my birthday.
28. he had to order it since I had a crying fit & wouldn't let him buy it on time, to give it to me on time. I can't wait for it to get here!
29. again- poor brett.
30. lucky me

hamburgers & hot pants

look at this!

NO REAllY...

look at this?!

this is going up... being built as I type... just .7 miles from my house.

I know - cause I clocked it last night.

NOw

Look at this...

The hot pants from Jill's carnival were at my birthday dinner.

Luckily, baby Owen was at my birthday dinner too (& not old enough to notice) so I could use him as a picture decoy & get a shot of this!

The really nice thing about hot pants is that when they walk by- butt cheeks peek out & say hello to everyone. It's just so lovely!

(the big ol' stack of good mail I sent yesterday)

NOw... QUESTION?

If I ran- like really sprinted - .7 miles

ate a burger- than ran back...

do you think I would have legs like that?

picking up sunshine

Last Friday was such a big day-

It was time for the ballerina to come home.

A couple days before, Brett had mentioned to me how Chloe is like a ray of sunshine around the house & he was missing her- then after she got back my sweet friend karen described her the same way!

I took loads of - not so great photos- at the parents & guest's performance...
(I really need to read the manual that came with my camera)
Afterwards we met the missionary teacher- (did I ever mention Brian works at the missionary training center in Provo? He teaches advance Spanish speakers how to teach the gospel.)
Then picked up everything she owned from here dorm room & headed home.

We stopped at Thanksgiving point for some JCW burgers & fries!
Some people- gee- I wonder who?
were not too thrilled to be going to a ballet performance & wanted to stand outside the door...? then that same someone drove all of the teens & one YAdult a little mad while eating burgers. Hmmm? I guess they don't remember being 10- because frankly they all had similar type personalities at times- and ya - it can be annoying.

Brett ordered this Jalapeno burger

which made me shudder!

I like spicy... but woe this is scary

We invited chloe's dear friend caroline!

It was great to see them together they've had such busy summer schedules.

It was so fun to be out together as a family

and YES before she went to bed I rubbed chloe's feet!

she danced for 7-8 hours a day & loved every minute...

but her poor feet were so tired.

I've been thinking-

wouldn't you like to be known as a ray of sunshine?

I would- I think I'm gonna work on that!

2 weeks 2 long..

Last January Chloe applied & auditioned for Ballet camp.

BYU BAllet camp

We were so delighted when she was accepted.

We talked about it all winter.

She dreamed about it all winter.

12 days ago

we dropped her off

with 2 of her best ballet buddies.

Today

we will go to the parent performance, pick her up and bring her home.

I can't wait

We have all missed her so much!

(trent sobbed when we dropped her off)

I hope she had fun- I hope she took lots of pictures.

tonight she will definitely be getting a foot rub & loads of hugs

today

IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

woo hoooooo!

43

here I am

I think it's my favorite...

Today I finished this little quilt for my niece.

I think it's my favorite....

but then

I always say that.

{konfetti for kylie}

My niece Kylie graduated from High School last year.

(I'm a little late... sorry)

She is an amazing artist & I wanted to give her something special.

I love artists.

I love Kylie.

I wanted to make her a little quilt-

a wall hanging or just something to go on the end of a couch or bed

but it had to be

just right.

Kylie is much to artistic to use a grandma looking quilt.

It had to be

-you know-

cooler than that.

I found this tutorial and knew it was perfect!

but then...

it was the hardest piecing I had ever attempted & I had a long line of projects in front of it... so it took me way too long to finish.

so lame

but it's so cool

I hope she will forgive me.

something special

Yesterday Hailey started a job teaching music-

to a darling girl who goes to her school- she has down syndrome.

(Did I ever mention that hailey wants to be a special education teacher?)

I went to pick hailey up after work & it took a little longer than expected....

on my way home Brian called to tell me something special was on the doorstep for me.

our conversation went something like this:

~

me worried- what do you mean something special? is this a good thing?

bri- well, you'll have to see when you get home.

me- does it contain dog poop..... is it on fire?

bri- what? why would you say that?

(let's just say, brian is frequently sarcastic)

~

I came home to find this!

WOW

can you believe this?
No surprise, I was moved to tears...

Later one of the boys came by to make sure I got it & to tell me it was an early birthday present since the other boy couldn't be there on the real day

--aaah-- sigh--

I gave him one big ol' hug!

Later his mom told me they really wanted to do this,

but then didn't want to/know how to- put the poster together so sister & a cousin helped.

Thus the phrase

"with as much love as the world can hold & more"

which was entirely embarrassing to two 10 year old boys- but they brought it anyway

~

NOw WhO DoesN't WAnt tO Be A ScouT LEadER?

Gosh I love these boys!

As I got into bed last night, I mentally went over my day.

I remembered how earlier in the afternoon I had gotten a sad phone call. I was feeling anxious. I had immediately sad a prayer for the person who had called & for myself- to help me. Not long after Megan called- it was so good to visit with her- definitely an answer to prayer. Then- laying there in bed, it hit me- like a ton of bricks- my Father in Heaven loves me and he knows me & he knows my love language. This gift from these boys was another answer to prayer. It dawned on me that they were probably working on it as I said that prayer. All my worries had melted away when I saw this poster. I know they were inspired this day & I thank their mothers, because surely they were a part of that inspiration.

After I said my prayers- I debated writing about this experience all night.

For some reason I feel compelled to, it is intensely private for me.

I hope if you feel a little prompting to do something for someone today

that you will.

You- never know?

you could be an angel.

Surely, something special came for me yesterday!

bear lake

We went to Bear Lake yesterday with wende & her two sister's and all our kiddos.
I had never been to BEar Lake before.

It was pretty & very VERy VERY windy.

Lakes in Utah & lakes in WAshington are totally different.

Why am I always surprised by this?

We had a GREat time.

Hailey & Trent were in Heaven.

Trent floated around, played in the sand... he loved it.

I didn't get pictures of them having fun, because I forgot to put my camera in a ziploc bag. (wende told me.. but ya I forgot)

I didn't want sand to get into it.

She made that mistake once. Not cool, not cool at all.

On the way home we stopped for dinner & got this gINormous pizza!

Even with 14 or 15 - I can't remember?- people

we didn't finish it all.

Although- we tried.

{pretty green valley}

On the way back I let the teenagers

hailey, allie & taylor

take the camera & get some shots.

{creepy picture of a man crawling into an ear canal- ewe gross!}

{taylor sticking his head out the window}

I think the trip home may have been my favorite part of the trip.

These teens are just plain fun to be around.

We were singing then laughing til' we nearly cried.... oh, good times.

Hailey says we need to take a road trip

- I say-

Nah

this was good enough

just me & T

Last week one night Trent & I found ourselves home alone- just the two of us! I asked Trent if there was anything he wanted to do- watch a movie, go get ice cream, etc. He wanted me to jump on the trampoline with him.

Sounds easy enough- except I'm not really a trampoline kind of gal.

Having six kids has done wonders for my bladder.

I'll leave the imagery to you.

I'm a good sport so-

I took a potty break then met him on the tramp.

Look who joined us...

the boys!

Trent was over the top excited!

He has been trying to get these two goof balls on the tramp all season.

They never want to go with him.
Gee I wonder why?
What-? Sudden jumping & jerky moments by a 10 year old on a tramp isn't their idea of fun?
-Cowards-
Since they are my double shadows all day, every day-
(thank goodness they sleep in kennels)
they were right up there with me.


It was so funny to have them walking around the tramp like two kids.

Ah this is what summer is all about

isn't it?