My Birthday

Even though I woke up with the worst sore throat of my life I felt SO loved all day on my birthday. I received notes, phone calls, songs, and Dad spoiled me all day by having me stay in bed and do nothing but read and play on my computer.

Dad made me a cake! It has 16 candles. (What a way to make me feel good.) I love it!

Me and my cake! I made a good wish. Let's hope it comes true!

I was honored to be able to be a "guest" singer for one of the songs in Seekers choir concert. They gave all of the parents the opportunity. I was surprised only about 10 parents ended up singing with the choir. I loved it! The best was that it was a surprise for the kids. Seeker face told me he was more than shocked when I came up out of the audience, but when I talked to him later he said he thought it was fun. YEA for singing with a choir again. Seriously, a great present!

Visit from an old friend

Before my mission we were virtually inseparable. Great times! A couple of decades later and out of the blue I get a text. (Thank goodness Mom and Dad have not changed their number and were willing to answer their phone the night before.) Did I mention it was at 5:00am? (It's okay I was already up preparing for the day.) He said he had a two hour layover and wondered if we might meet up. YES!!!

It felt like no time had passed at all. The only way he's changed is the fact that he's progressed to where I always knew he could be. It was wonderful to spend a couple of great hours with one of my best friends ever! 

4 Year Olds

My husband and I both have darling little black and white pics of when we were 4 years old. So, I wanted to put together some pictures of each of my boys at the same age. I have been working on it for quite some time but forgot about it as I waited for my two youngest to pass the "golden" age I wanted. Finally, a few years late, I've put together the pics. Enjoy

My Thinker

 

My Seeker

My Planner

My Mover

My Observer

My Talker

Me

Dad

My Birthday 2012

I am another year older. Ouch. But Grandma Crimson eased the blow with a beautiful cake.

 Grandma and Grandpa brought us all gifts from their trip to Hawaii. Whahoo! (We'd rather have them than the stuff, but we will take what we can get.)

An extra special pic

We have some friends in SLC. They are wonderful and we miss them a lot. I think the best thing about this couple is they were the first "couple" that we both felt super close to. I feel as close to her as my hubby feels to her hubby. And we are all talkers! So, when we get together the conversation can go on and on and on. We actually got locked in one of the visitor centers on Temple Square because we were just sitting on some couches...talking. We spent a lovely evening with them and I (of course) cried when we had left them. I look forward to the day when we live close again. I sure hope it happens again!

Fun with Family

My brother got married last week so the hubby and I flew home for a few days. Wow! I don't remember last time I had so much fun crammed into such a short amount of time. Being with my siblings and parents is always an incredible treat!

If you look super close you can see snow still on the mountains. IN JULY!!! I miss the mountains!

I watched while these two men tried to take naps and were constantly abused by these two little girls. It was endearing, hysterical, and pathetic all at once. I think the guys finally went down stairs to sleep. Needless to say none of us got very much sleep the last few days!

My sweetie serving two of my beautiful sisters-in-law! My siblings and I obviously have great taste. I'm simply grateful for all of our wonderful spouses!

My boys are missing as well as my brother and a niece and her husband. We miss them!!

One morning my hubby, oldest brother, and his son all went disk golfing while I took a run/walk. I got to study my favorite mountain for quite a while that morning. Oh, happiness. I love this mountain! I've always felt like it was "my mountain".

One of the fun parts of being there was being able to spend some time with Cinnamon Crimson. How we miss her since she has moved away! She drove a couple of hours to see us! What a gem she is!

This is my brother and his new bride. It's a fun love story. They knew each other as kids and reconnected after all of these years. I couldn't be happier for my sweet brother and I LOVE his bride!

What a fun bunch of people to hang out with at the wedding! Family and friends, nothing's better than that!

Caffine Free Diet Coke at a burger joint....ummmm.... Can you guess where we were?

One of the best surprises was that my friend was in the same state visiting her parents. We got to spend a fun filled morning together. Oh how I love her!

A pic snapped during the charming ceremony, in the charming setting, with the charming couple!

Some friends which have moved away from our current location moved out there and started a donut business. We happened to catch their son at the store. He gave us free donuts! What a sweetheart, and we were so impressed at how well he ran the store. What a fun thing to see how much he had grown up.

This is me and a very good friend of mine. We got to have lunch together and I actually got to meet her husband! I cherish the time I get to spend with her. Even though it has been years since we were last together, we fell right back into things as if we had never been apart. I totally love her!

This is my hubby being a reble at the airport! What a nut!

Field Trip

Today I went with Super to his "End of the Year" field trip. We had so much fun. He and I got to be on a team with only one other mom and two other boys. With the five of us we were able to cover SO much ground at the huge play/learning center we went to. How cool is that!?! What a great day for us.

Blogger is broken!

I was going to blog tonight but I just can't! Something is wrong with blogger. It doesn't matter what I do, it isn't working. As you can tell just by looking at this blog it isn't formatted correctly. It's been this way for about a week. If they don't fix it soon I will go insane!!! (But I might go insane for other causes in the meantime so no one would really notice would they?) HA! INSANE!

My favorite gifts

Besides being able to talk with own sweet mother, and spending time with my kids faux grandmother, and I must admit I loved the attention, the hugs, the extra love, the prayers, the smiles, AND the fact that the boys cleaned their rooms yesterday. But my favorite gifts this mothers day were mostly paper. My sons wrote me notes, made me cards and a crown. A letter came in the mail (although I received it more than a few days ago).
But a special one showed up that I wish to share.

The love giv’n to a man, whose home is war,
Requitted by an empty bed and chair,
Becomes the most relentless household chore,
For whom war’s siren call forced her to bear;
This single mother, loverless, alone,
Whose nation plays mistress, but stays a friend,
In love’s silent repose seeks not her own,
Feigns cheerful strength her duty to attend;
What worth this selfless affection does hold?
Can it be measured in an earthly scale?
No doubt, more precious than her home in gold,
Her perfect heart tried, tested without fail;
How rare to find a consecrated life,
Yet, none more sacred than a Soldier’s Wife

Love to you My Love.

Pink!

A few months ago my cute hubby insisted he give me his iphone. He just KNEW I would love it. When he gave it to me it looked like this.

Well, the truth of the matter is I don't love it nearly as much as the boys do. There are a couple of features I have to admit I use on a regular basis. But I might love it more now that it looks like this.

You didn't want it back...did you Sweetie?

A date with a LLRF

I got to have a most beautiful evening last week with a good friend. She is LOVELY, she always makes me LAUGH, she is REAL and above everything else she is a true FRIEND. LLRF!

I have told her things even my hubby doesn't know. (Heh heh...I love to make you crazy by saying stuff like that sweetie, but it's true. Don't worry you still know a lot about me that she doesn't though.)

From the first day I met her I felt complete love for her. I think we may have been sisters in the pre-mortal world. Wait...I guess that applies to a lot more than just her...well REALLY CLOSE sisters in the pre-mortal world then.

I loved my outing with her. We went to dinner and then went to see Beastly. Which was better than I thought it would be after reading the reviews. I thought it did what it intended to do very well.

After the movie we just hung out and walked around the mall, did some window shopping and a ton of laughing. I need to thank her for being so wonderful, accepting, and easy to be with. And I need to thank her hubby for sharing her with me for an evening.

Beastly

I have waited for months for the movie to be released. But I have a good friend that I particularly want to go see it with, who HAPPENED to have to leave town for the last three weeks. (Great timing good friend!)
Anyway, I was getting impatient so I ordered the book. It came in the mail this afternoon and I just finished it. It's a quick little read but oh so fun. I know from the ads that the movie can't be nearly as fun as the book...although I do like the makeup of the movie beast better. But like always I already know I liked the book better than I will like the movie.
Still can't wait though....she comes home in two days. Maybe next week....

Sweet pic

My sister sent this pic to me today. It was taken at Christmastime. That's her little grand-baby in my arms and my own Mr. Music enjoying him with me. I just thought it was a sweet pic of me and me, my son, and my great-nephew.

Passing it on to the next generation.

I had a little bit of an "ah ha" today.
I was driving the boys to their music lessons and on Saturday one of the radio stations plays classic rock and roll. I really enjoy Saturdays on that station. Anyway, as we listened I turned up the music and danced as I drove. Several of the boys enjoyed it with me dancing, and doing their best to sing along like Mom. (Pretty easy when it's something like 'Mony Mony')
We came to a stop light and I opened the windows to let some air in and turned down the radio. Which is when I was assaulted by the sound of rap music coming from the next car over. I didn't think too much of it until I realized it was old rap. Popular about the same time as the music I was just dancing to. I looked over and the woman in the car next to me looked at me, shrugged and apologetically turned her music down. Which is when I noticed her daughter...who happens to be a great friend of Mr. Music. I yelled hello and she and Mr. Music exchanged excited waves as the light turned green and we both drove away.
So, my lesson... I'm passing on my passions just like other parents pass on theirs.
I am grateful for the diversity of parents in the world, and of our kids.

Thanksgiving to my Mom and Dad

It's Thanksgiving Eve...well, no not any more... it's after midnight.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Today...er... yesterday and today I did two things. One thanks to my Dad, the other thanks to my Mom.
Daddy, guess what I did all by myself. Yes it's the back-splash for my new kitchen. Even though you taught me how to do tile, I have never done it alone. You have always been there in the past to walk me through the hard cuts and measuring and such. I missed you terribly and thought of you throughout the whole process. I still need to grout, but the tile is all in and I feel like it came out beautifully. YEA! Thanks for being a great teacher. (Check out my edge on the long wall. It started out with perfect halves on one side and ended with whole tiles on the other. Good planning or just luck? Perhaps it was just a good teacher...) I am especially pleased with my edging. You know me I can't do it all boring and blah. So I made it pretty. The cuts weren't as hard as I thought they would be, and they sure make it fun. I think I need to replace the blade on my tile cutter. Remember how we debated about buying it? It's been worth every cent we paid for it.
Mom, guess what I did. I made pie. Like real pie from scratch. And I couldn't resist making little ones for Dad and the boys, I think I will even let them eat them for breakfast...hey, it's a vegetable! Yes it's aunties crust recipe. (Thank you again for making me that cookbook, I love it and when I want to do some REAL cooking I always pull it out first. I'm also using one of your salad recipes, and of course your stuffing.) I also have an apple pie in the oven right now. It doesn't look as cool as yours always do, but it's from scratch. I can't compare with the master, but I love that you gave me the tools to at least come close.
Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. I'm thinking of you both in so many ways today!

My Birthday Present

It's almost done! YEA! My whole house is a disaster area, all aside from the kitchen that is. This is what our living room/dining room has looked like the last few days. And there are boxes of dishes and food everywhere. I feel like I can't get anything done simply because the kitchen is in transition. Proof that the kitchen is indeed the heart of the house.I wish I could get better pics, but the space in the kitchen in REALLY tight. Those of you who have been in my kitchen know what I am talking about. It's called a galley kitchen. In other words...tiny! But it sure is beautiful. Here is the microwave and a sample of the cupboards. They have an antique finish I just love. I wish you could see it better in the pics. You'll just have to take my word for it. Here is my stove, some drawers and my beautiful granite counter top. The color is just yummy to me.

My cool faucet. I love these kinds of things, different and just fun! It's on the left side of my "D" shaped sink.

And last for today is my beautiful new light. I hated that old rectangular florescent thing. I love this. It's just pretty.

Fun with a girl friend.

I just had the funnest 24 hours. Yesterday a dear friend, Kim came to town for a doctors appointment. We went right after school to pick her up at the airport. As soon as I saw her two years apart disintegrated into nothing and it was like we had never been separated. We stayed up way too late, ate way too much, and didn't get to talk nearly enough. We did get to spend time, and thanks to my ultra cool hubby watching Sage, we got to spend a great lunch alone together before I had to take her back to the airport. I can't wait until she has to come back, even if it is only for 24 hours again.

Having a "O" Day

You remember in the mission field when we had "P-days". Well, today I had an "O-day". I organized!
It was great. I decided to fight the paper fight. Sometimes I feel like I have pilerea. (That is the disease where you just can't help but make piles everywhere.) I have piles of mail in my kitchen and on my piano. I have piles of papers from school covering my buffet. I have piles of books on my side tables. Piles, piles, piles.
So for the last few weeks I have been making plans to change all of that. I am going to tackle the piles. I bought some shelves, some file folders, some drawers, and a few other organizational things and I have a plan.
At the beginning of the year I set out this year to be an organization year. Well, for the past few months I have been off track, but I have officially stepped back on the train. YEA! I feel good. Maybe if I actually get my system working well I can get some time back for reading books, or writing them.

Thoughts to family

My sweet obsession,

Thanks for taking my boys on a trip they will never forget. I missed you so much! I love having you back, having your arms around me, and having the conversations that we always fall so easily into when we see each other daily. I am not looking forward to our next long separation.

My Coca-cola Julie,

You have lived through things in the last several months I hope never to have to face. I am proud of you and know every choice you have made has been out of love (even those I have disagreed with you about). I pray for you and all of those around you. I love you and miss the sound of your voice.

John,

You are constantly on my mind as of late. I miss you. The REAL you. The you that is quick to smile and sees the best in everyone. The you that finds happiness in playing with children, and taking long walks alone to gain perspective on the world. Come back to me. Yosh.

Mom and Dad

Paint your ceiling white and know that people come to your house not because of how beautiful it is (although it is), but because of the way they feel there. They come for the unconditional love. Just paint and spend the money on a feast to celebrate the finishing of it.

Love, love, love,
Me

Painting

This week was crazy busy for us. We had things going everyday. But we had a friend who needed a painting job, so we cancelled a couple of appointments and cleared out the living room (as much as we could) and painted. Now I have to say we have been talking about painting for months. But taking the time to actually do it is a very hard thing to do. So, both my hubby and I were glad for the motivation of "helping" a friend.
I didn't know what color I wanted to do. And we set the appointment to paint only 24 hours before we were actually going to paint. So, I hadn't taken the time to mull over the color and really think about what I wanted. So, I got to the store (I had Sage and Puppy with me so we had to make it quick. Sage has a tendency to destroy stores.) I looked at my options and five minutes later I was taking home green paint.
I really like the color, it goes well with our brown furniture and I will accent with deep reds. When I get the whole room put together again I will post a pic or two.
We only did a couple of walls during the day. (Painting with my boys around is not my favorite way to paint.) So, that evening after we put the boys in bed we finished the painting. YEA! Before devotional the next morning we had the boys help us put all of the furniture back. And now we have a newly painted room.
We went from a pretty pale orange to an apple green. Both colors remind me of our Angel away at college. I was already thinking about her, maybe that is why I chose green...hmmmm.
I love our new room.