Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Our Grown-Up Girl

Our daughter lives clear across the world in far-off Logan, Utah.  Her dad and I took a ride to far-off Logan, Utah, on Saturday, to bring our grown-up girl home for a couple of days.  When we arrived in far-off Logan, Utah, we found a grown-up girl who:

1. Has her own apartment.  Our grown-up girl even said, "Wow.  Our kitchen is dirty!"  Before she was a grown-up girl, she would not have noticed the dishes in the sink.

2.  Shares a room (happily) with another grown-up girl.  These two grown-up girls did not even know one another a couple of months ago.  Now they greet each other happily when they see one another, and they ask each other what wonderful things they did for the long weekend.

3.  Wants her bike brought to far-off Logan, Utah, so she doesn't have to spend so much on gas when she goes the 4 miles to work each day.  Presumably this is because that grown-up girl can't just walk into her parents' bedroom and ask for money any old day.

4.  Enrolled for Institute classes.  On her own.  Because it was her choice.  And made her mommy happy.

I am very blessed to be the mother of a grown-up girl.

You Check Your Calendar, I'll Check Mine

Happy Memorial Day to everyone (yesterday), especially to my friends and family who are our military heroes, past and present.  We had a glorious day as a family (in spite of the rain), and I'm grateful for the freedom to choose what I do and where I go.

Tomorrow our son, Taylor, graduates from high school.  The ceremony is at 2:00 p.m. at the Maverik Center.  It is a ticketed event.  If you would like to go, please call us so we can make arrangements.

Saturday we are having a grad party.  We would love to have you join us.  Contact me for more information.  :)

Sunday is T's seminary graduation.  He has enough seminary credits to graduate 1.5 times.  We are grateful for the teachers who have influenced our children's lives for good.

The following Sunday is the YW Recognition night in our ward.  Ashtyn will be receiving her medallion (which she earned 6 months ago).

The following Friday/Saturday is Ragnar's Wasatch Back relay.

Here comes the summer!

Friday, May 27, 2011

I Can't Believe I'm Saying This...

Our neighbor and Spencer were talking last night, and J told Spencer that their oldest dog, Mandy, had died.  J was very sad.  Their other two dogs came when they were called, but their heads were hanging down, and they did not want to play with Bella, and they went home right away.

Frankly, we were sad, too.  J and M have had Mandy for 15 years, and we have been neighbors for 10 of those years.  Mandy was a very good dog, and we were friends with her.  She was very obviously the alpha dog at their house, and she really kept the others in line.

Bella, BTW, was on her best behavior in the yard last night.  She stayed by Spencer till he gave her permission to go play with Lexi and _____.  When they didn't want to play, she left them alone, and she ran home as soon as Spencer called her.  She's a doofus, but she's a good doofus.

This morning one of my friends had this posted on Facebook.  It amazes me what animals/pets do by sheer instinct.  They are beautiful and amazing and funny.

I'm glad my family talked me into having pets.

Monday, May 23, 2011

It's Kinda Like a Reunion

Last week I received an email from the woman whose job I took over when she left full-time employment to be a mommy.  We have stayed in touch via blog-stalking.  Her hubby got accepted into a master's program in another state, so she wondered if I and some other girlfriends could have lunch together. 

Today I took a call from a generic phone in the building, and it was my friend who also worked with me when I first started working here.  He was a mentor in all things Excel and a lot of other stuff.  He left to take a position in Southern California.  Again, I keep track of them via blogging, and they now have a beautiful little girl.  He was in the building, so he and his wife and daughter came up to visit with me for a few minutes.  They let me give cherry pie to their daughter, which I loved, of course.  BTW, motherhood really agrees with my friend's wife--she looks lovely and is obviously so in love with that little girl!

Anyone else wanna come see me?

Friday, May 20, 2011

Bella's Blessing

When Spencer sneezes, Bella goes running to find him.  Usually she's laying by his side of the bed, so she puts her front paws up on the bed next to him and sniffs at him.  It's like she's making sure he's OK. 

Last night Spencer was in the bathroom, and Bella was in the living room.  Spencer sneezed (and it wasn't even one of his loud sneezes), and she came running down the hall to check on him.

Last night I sneezed.  Bella was at my feet.  She didn't even flinch.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

I'm a Sane Person, Except

There is nothing to do.

I did some school work.  (Admittedly, I could do more, but I feel a bit guilty about doing schoolwork on company time.)

I went through my email and my boss's.

I took an hour's lunch.

I've watched Facebook all day.  I've blog-stalked.

I asked my friend if I could work on time changes.  Did you know they don't do boogers on 2LL any more?

I've taken a job skills test online.  I've read every job posting at the CPB.

I'm losing my mind.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Anyone Can Run a (Stupid) Mile!

I'm going to participate in the Wheeler Farm Dirty Girl run on July 2.  There are about 8 of us in our ward who are gonna go play in the mud.  Jen is our team captain.  Our team includes some pretty serious runners and some newbies.  Then there's me.  You can draw your own conclusions.

Saturday morning we were scheduled to have a team run for 1 mile.  I haven't run for a while, but I figured I could run a (stupid) mile (thanks, Sister Fugal!).  And I did.

Ragnar is in one month.  I can run one (stupid) mile, but I'm seriously doubting 15 in 2 days.  So Spencer made me and Briana each running schedules.  We can't run together, but we can run. Together.  So I checked in with her this morning, and she checked in with me.  We each ran a (stupid) mile.

Picture This:

Spencer and I are sitting on our bed, backs against the wall, when Ash walks into the room.  She climbs purposefully up onto the bed, sits at the foot, facing us, and says, "So!"

Our 16-year-old then proceeds to teach us about her thoughts and feelings as she has been reading about Zoram.  She's telling us this because she thinks it's so cool and so interesting.  She pulls out her Book of Mormon.  1 Nephi is a quarter-inch thicker than normal; it is full of Post-It's filled with her thoughts.  The Post-It's, apparently, are not large enough to hold all of her thoughts, so her journal is filling fast.

We talk for 10 minutes.  Laughter is shared, tears are shed, testimonies are borne.  We hug and she goes to bed.

Fast forward two days.

Repeat.

Friday, May 13, 2011

What Don't You Love?

1.  Jobs where you are stuck to a phone.
2.  Needing a potty break so bad it literally hurts.
3.  The combination of #1 and #2.
4.  The bad taste in my mouth when I'm hungry.
5.  Tummies that growl loudly in meetings, especially if the tummy is mine.

I'm a Sunlight Addict

You know how people will sell anything to get that hit?  Their cars.  Their bodies.  Their babies. 

Yesterday I went outside during my lunch break to soak in the sunshine.  It was glorious, and my cells did a little happy dance while they enjoyed the light and the warmth and the vitamin D, for heaven's sake!

I thought, I'm getting pretty warm and I'm very white.  I'm probably going to burn.

And then I thought, I don't care!

And I thought, You know, this is the same flower bed where you watched that mouse one day.

And then I thought, I still don't care!

Actually, I might have cared if I did see a mouse; but it wouldn't have been enough to go inside.  And I did get sunburned.  And I still do not care.

And that is how I know that there is something wrong with me.

But don't worry.  It's nothing a little summer won't cure.

Monday, May 9, 2011

It is Raining Like Crazy

Today the grounds at Temple Square are glorious!  God and the TSP grounds crew have outdone themselves.

It's cold, though. 

Remember these days?



Every day is paradise with Spencer by my side.  (But I hope we can go back to Hawaii sometime soon!)

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

Ashtyn, Lo, and I made a fast trip to Sacramento this weekend, thanks to the generosity of Tiff and Daddy.  We arrived on Friday afternoon, and surprised my mom.


This is my sister, my SIL, my mom, me, and our daughter on Saturday morning.  We are all dressed up and ready to go to the Susan G. Koman walk for the cure in Sacramento, California--the reason for our trip.  The beautiful lady in the hot pink shirt is a breast cancer survivor.  It was 5 months to the day from the day of her surgery to the day of the walk.


Dad was the picture-taker.  Here are the rest of us, at the starting line.  See how big our race bib numbers are?  There were a LOT of people here!

If you've ever been involved with a race, you know that the fun of the race is the energy AT the race.  The energy at this race was particularly marvelous as about 20,000 celebrated survival, remembered loved ones, and fought to find a cure for breast cancer.

We are planning to make this a yearly family tradition, so watch out for us next year!  We're gonna be a LARGE group!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Medicine for Breakfast

I thought I was making a better choice:  yogurt instead of waxy chocolate donuts.  Both--admittedly--vending machine items, because I cannot get myself out of bed early enough to get a real breakfast.

But the yogurt is cherry.  I'm adding Fiber One like crazy.  Usually it's all about the crunch.  Today it's all about the taste.

You Wish You Were Me This Morning

This morning our Ashtyn went to her early morning seminary class, just as she does every day.  I could go on and on about how wonderful our Ash is, but suffice it to say that she has chosen to take early morning seminary every year for the past three years.

I ran an errand to a neighboring floor, and when I got back to my desk there was voicemail on my cell phone.  It was from Ash, who had had a wonderful, exceptional experience in seminary this morning.  She expressed her love for seminary, her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and her gratitude to me for teaching her the gospel.

I pray that each of our children have these experiences.  I pray that every mother gets this kind of "payback" occasionally.  I wish you could all be Ashtyn's mother.  You wish you were me.

Monday, May 2, 2011

A Celebratory Grope

Years ago my OB/GYN told me that the best time to do a breast self-exam was immediately after my period ended.  Briana calls it the celebratory grope.

I've always been good about doing a breast self-exam.  It's really no big deal.  Now that breast cancer has reared its nasty, stinking head on both sides of my family, I'm kinda passionate about that celebratory grope.

Also mammograms.  Which are no fun.  But then, neither is breast cancer or leaving your family without their wife or mother.

This weekend is the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure in various parts of the country, including Salt Lake City and Sacramento.  If you haven't yet, please consider making a donation.  Or better yet, go out and live your life--walk for those who have had this disease!