Ahhh... those days...

Ninth Grade... we were such goofballs!
After seeing Jon at Sam's club, I began to reminisce about all of the silly things that we used to all do together.
This year, we wanted to have a picture in the yearbook of all of us together. We were all in our own clubs' pictures, but never all of us together. The closest we got was track, and they still took those in separate teams, the boy team and the girl team, so not all of us together. Plus we just wanted to see if we could really get away with it.
So we made-up our own club.
The "Students Of America", otherwise known as "SOA"...
In order to get in the year book, and be called down on picture day to get the desired pic, we needed an advisor. So Which teacher was cool enough to do just that? Lie, act like it was a real club, pose in the pic, etc... Mr. Adams. He was awesome. I asked him if he'd do it during German. He said okay, without a single question. He rolled like that.
Mrs. Waddoups, the secretary with the nasal-ey voice, called us liars when we told her she forgot the "SOA" and needed to call our club down over the intercom. So we told her to talk to Mr. Adams to verify the legitimacy of our little-known club.
So here we are... in the year book... unfortunately not everyone responded to the call, some claimed that they didn't hear, I think that others were too chicken... Kevin B..... We pulled it off.
Those were some fun days.

Pre-School Graduation

Lynn graduated from Pre-School today...
She had a really good teacher who always had fun and creative things for them to do. One of our assignments for this month, and to share in the program today, was a book, pictures drawn by Lynn, and her own words written by me, and her... "The Princes and Princesses Fall in Love"... Sounds like a dreamy little book. She had some silly ideas in it, like a bald King and Queen, and a funny little character who said, "Oooh! Banana orphage! (a made up word of Lynn's that makes her giggle...) I am going to turn that banana into a Princess!" She laughed so hard while her teacher read it. (That's the pic!)
They also did a 4 little pigs puppet show and sang some songs that they have learned. It was cute.
Pre-school was good practice for me, it got me to loosen those apron strings, and get ready for kindergarten.
Lynn picked out flowers for her teacher and even wrote her a little note. She kept telling her teacher how much she loves her and that she's "just going to miss her so much!"...
She even began plotting when she would come back to see her... I know, a little attached.
Yesterday, we were gone all day. We helped mom get a quilt done, got the Sam's Club run over with, and I ran into my eighth grade "boyfriend" there. We got to talk for a little while and catch up. My ten year reunion is coming up...
Went home to have a quick dinner and then we were off to the dance review to see Katie and Sophie. They both did so well. Sophie is quite the performer and Katie just exudes confidence now. She's such a Lakette!
Ashley had her issues there, as in she wouldn't sit still and behave. For the little time that Cade was there, he did better than Ash... she has had this little asthma cough, because of the weather being so weird... she kept coughing, more like blowing, on the woman's neck who was sitting in front of us. I got the stink eye a lot... so Ashley was quite disappointed to not enjoy ice cream and watch Lynn eat hers when we got home!

Rain, rain, go away!

While I admit that I do enjoy a good old thunderstorm, I really wished that the rain would have relented long enough for us to have some fun "outside time" for our Memorial Day.
Instead, we stayed inside, we did grill with the rain marinating our meat... but no traditional "first dip of the season" at the pool. We had kind of planned to get some work done outside, Merrill to mow the lawn, me cleaning out the car and getting our back yard whipped into shape, maybe get some tomatoes into the ground... nope, not even close.
We finally got so bored of being inside, that in the evening when the rain was put on pause, we went out to the cemetery, with flowers in hand, and visited Grandma's grave. The girls all fell asleep on the way out, but Peyton was the only one who was happy to be there.I bribed the girls to smile by reminding them of what it sounded like when I burped, "I love you", to them. (A longer story for a longer day...)
After, we drove to Mer's parents house, visited Great-Grandma, and bowled... so we did end up having fun.
Today I got groceries done, mowed the front lawn for Mer, got the car cleaned-out, Armor-alled, and even got the garage started on. The girls both mastered the bike and trike (well Lynn the one, and Ash the other...) but there were tantrums during... Lynn had a pre-school day (only on left!) so the tiredness contributed to the fits. She did get afternoon kindergarten!!!
So, got a lot done today. Mer was so happy to come home to a well-manicured front lawn, he'd been dreading doing it... and the lesson I learned from visiting Grandma P., from Marriner Wood Merrill's Journal, was even if my day is documented in one line, some one some day, will be reading it... okay... this post was two days, more than one line... but on those other days, knowing that will help!

And now, life is simplified...

So now Peyton will take a binky!!!
Life is easier...
Our date last night was fun. Mer actually shopped for himself! As a bonus, he even remarked how it wasn't painful... that's always good. We went hunting for steel toed work boots, but got him casual shoes instead, shoes that I have always wanted to see him in, and I must have persuaded him... He got new jeans too. Crab legs for dinner, how could this have been a better date?!
Today at church, well, we'll just say CRAZY!!! I have had my eyes opened to the fact that I am not the only one who has been having trials calling-wise. I visited with the Bishop, and he too, isn't faring so well. So I guess that I had better start praying again, ;) and pray for my leaders, who sometimes feel like my enemies...
Hopefully things will look up soon.
Happy Birthday Emma!

What a freakin' good Friday!

In front of the Hawaii Laie Temple... before kids...
We're gonna be alone tonight, on a real date... well, kinda. Errands to run. Dinner to eat...
Yesterday was fun. We went to El for dinner, saw some old friends that I worked with in my slicing roast beef days... they have a connection to the X... so I guess he's doing okay. At least he's finally over it!
We went and saw the progress on the hotel... walls are going up! It's pretty cool to see the layout of actual rooms now. Hmmm... maybe I'll get to frequent the one with the jacuzzi tub in it...
We drove around looking at homes in our area... that's one way to get out of this hellish calling... well, it's that way at the moment at least. We'll have to see what happens tomorrow...
We came home and stayed up watching "There Will Be Blood"... Upton Sinclair, he wrote some interesting novels... I will not eat sausage because of "The Jungle"...
And we stayed-up even later, but it was for a worthy cause... ;)
I think it was my shirt... or maybe watching all of those drilling rigs exploding with oil in the flick...
Chicka-Chicka Bow-Bow...

Flashback Friday...

So you might think that this post will be riddled with details of my non-sexual life... naw, I'll give you a break (for a second) and instead, take you back to 1987...
The last day of first grade... (it's the last day of school for kids in these parts...)
This is me: (but not on the last day... just that year, sometime...)This is the award that my teacher gave me...You see, because of my hairstyle (mom claims that I asked her to do my hair just like hers...), my teacher gave me the nickname "Muffy" after her dear dog... she seemed to think we looked alike... nice to grow up with the same kids my whole life, and they all remember, "Muffy"... real embarrassing nickname to have in junior high.
So for my life... in the present...
I got Mer to seriously (as serious as we can be together...) talk about our "life" together... as roomates ;)
When I brought it up, after some silliness, he said, "Well if you wanna.... then let's..."
Encouraging!...
But I want to be a picky, needy woman, and have HIM initiate it. I told him that and he says he feels bad "buggin'" me, when I am so busy doing mom stuff all day, and he thinks I am just too tired at the end of the day.
And then there's the same old excuse that there's nothing sexy going on around here, to which I gave him a little twirl in my well-fitting jeans, and asked him if this really was so un-sexy... he just smiled.
So I asked him if I needed to shake my hips a little while I was bent over wiping children's bums, you know, to make something sexy happen around here...
I really must say that it isn't as debilitating as I make it out to be, it's just funny.
But I seriously cannot live without sex...
Who's ever been too tired for that??? Not me! I have that "horny housewife" condition that Dani L. so wisely called it.
But I did think of a cute name for a 4th girl... obviously I am not preggers... but I can dream!
Macy...
I love it...

My 5 year old uses "air quotes"...

This is a "self-portrait" of Lynnie-Lou-Hoo...
Lynn has been doing some pretty silly, yet, grown-up things lately...
One of which is using the "air quotes", you know, when you take your pointer and middle fingers on both hands and make quotation marks when you are talking.
I can't remember the exactness of the situation, but she used them.
She also remembers everything that we say, or that the TV says...
Deal with it if you've heard these before...
Family Guy: A stork flies into a woman's window with his little pouch in his bill. The woman is reading a book, sees the stork, puts down her book, and exclaims, "A baby!" The stork puts down the load, unties the bundle, and there's no baby, instead a red light bulb. The woman asks, "Where's my baby?" Now the stork's answer is what Lynn remembers and says all the time...
The stork: (in a Barry White deep sensual voice...) "You and me are gonna make the baby..."
Yeah, I really like my five year old reciting that one...
Merrill got a new ZUNE. He always has issues with new electronic gizmos and getting them to work with our computer. EVERY MP3 player has had it's drama when it first arrived at our house. I was fortunate enough to miss the dramatics of last night. He told me that it got pretty bad. Bad enough that he was ready to do "a Julie" and throw something... fortunately he didn't, and there was no ketchup bottle to use as his projectile ;)... Julie, you oughta appreciate that one! He said that the girls went to bed so easily, they must have sensed his frustration. No arguments and no repeated trips into their room to tell them to get back into bed, to be quiet, to go to sleep, etc...
Went to Lisa's baby shower tonight. At first, I wasn't going to be able to make it, then by a last minute miracle, I did. I was so glad I got to. We had a lot of fun. "Celebrity" is a game that I want to play again, the full version...
Peyton has been so fun today. She has been talking a lot and smiley... must have been all that fun that she had last night with me and the girls.
I asked Merrill if he has performance anxiety... :) He appreciated the humor in that speculation. Hoping to play "shrink" with him and help to unwind his weirdness... really, it's still humorous, but c'mon! I've gotta seriously figure this out!

blessings

peyton and i have been talking... we needed tonight.
got home a little while ago from our "presidency meeting"... we got a lot talked about, not all of it relative to primary... but that's a typical meeting for us.
i realize that it was inspiration to call these women, my friends, to be with me at this time in, not only primary, but in my life.
you guys have helped me out so much! we not only grow and bond serving together in our callings, but in sharing personal experiences and the wisdom we have gained in our own lives, we are establishing roots that go much deeper... i am realizing that i needed you for so much more than "church stuff" right now in my life.
see, someone knows more than we do, has a plan for us. makes me glad that i listened to this one ;)
so if your hubby is sour, or has a ? look on his face, tell him i said thanks, i really needed tonight, or yesterday night... whatever...
christie, julie, & jen...
i love you guys!!!

it's beautiful!

The guy who is not Merrill here is my awesome brother Joe... He came over last night, crawled though our so-called attic, inhaled loose insulation which probably contains asbestos, found the teeny-tiny break in the copper tubing, and fixed it. We had a swamp cooler to cool the house... and then the storm blew in and took down the temperature anyway... So thanks Joe!!! For risking getting Mesothelioma for the comfort of our little family...
After making a few unneccesary holes in my newly painted walls, and going to the store to get something to better suit my needs, and cover said holes...
...the bathroom was finished!
Shiny new faucet, which started the chain of events... nothing will fall down this covered drain!
Holes are behind this... and the towels now have a lower perch for the girls benefit.
Now... when can I get rid of the tub tile???
Notice that the floors are not pictured... those are as bad as this tile... some day you'll see below the waist of my bathroom.
Meanwhile, while at Target getting the hole cover-upper, Ashley was being crazy... I mean that very literally. We met mom there to get some bracelets to her for her friend, and we enjoyed hunting for our stuff with her. Ashley said she needed to go potty, so we took her to the bathroom, well mom really did, I nursed Peyton because she was not going to have formula... BLEH!!! I tried... so they came out quite a while later, Ash wouldn't go because she's afraid of the hole in the bottom of the toilet. Lynn wasn't very helpful, apparently she was assessing the cleanliness of the bathroom, Ash doesn't like to wear her own panties once she stains them... We finished our shopping, ready to go, but Ash is doing "the dance". So mom stays with Lynn and Pey and I DRAG Ash into the bathroom. She was doing a part giggle part yell the whole way and got everyone's attention both on the way to and in the bathroom. The lady walking in with us was just laughing. So I threw her into the stall ahead of me so I could hurry and latch the door shut. Then I pantsed her, after a battle... sat her on the toilet while she was yelling, "I told you I am not gonna do it!!!" There is laughter all throughout the restroom. The lady in the stall next to us is laughing the hardest. Ashley is still telling me that she won't do it. All it takes is a little tickle on the knees, and it all comes pouring out. Then comes her giggle... "I told you I could do it by myselp!" She is so crazy. When we were walking out, I swear there were people who waited just to see the spunky and sassy little girl who was making all the ruckus.
And then there was getting her out to the car.... but that would be a novel....

Back on Track...

Seems to be that Mer and I are getting back on track...
Last week he was telling me about the framing company that is working on the hotel. They are polygamists.
"Where are they from?..."
"I don't know..."
"How do you know they are polygamists?.."
"They asked if you were available..."
So maybe they like my child-bearing hips...
He wants to go out on a date this week... with ME!
Wooopie!

Chain Reaction...

So today, I decided I would tear the bathroom apart, and re-do it. I have had all of the supplies lying in wait, ready to go. The stress I have been feeling is fuel... anyone want their house re-modeled???
It all began when the drain cover, you know, the little thingie that goes up and down to stop-up the sink, broke off. We tried to jimmy-rig it, to no avail. So if I wanted to fix that, I needed to take down the mirror, it hung over too far, I couldn't take the faucet off to fix the sink thing. Now if I were going to go about all that trouble to take down the mirror, then I was surely going to paint, and if I were going to paint, I might as well replace the light fixture and the switch and outlet, not to mention finding a better solution for hanging the girls' towels...
Of course, it wouldn't be a project at our house without a few additions, obstacles one might say, to the project...
Take for example the fact that I forgot there used to be wallpaper in this bathroom... Here's my reminder:Some still behind this gargantuan mirror. Asta-la-pasta mirror.
The sink gave me problems...
The mirror left a huge almost torn out piece of sheet rock that needed to be patched.
So I have spackle drying, no power to the bathroom, and no light anyway... so no usable sink, unless you call a big hole in the counter with no running water a sink...
Tomorrow...
Oh, I almost forgot the biggest event of our evening... after Merrill helped me to resolve the sink issue, he went up to the roof to so kindly get the swamper going...
A little history:
Last year, the day before Mother's Day to be exact, Merrill went to do the same lovely thing for me. I am sure that I was pregnant then, but lost the pregnancy soon after, I was feeling so sick... it was miserable. I was sick and hot. So before taking the girls out to give me some rest, Merrill set out to get the swamper going. He went and uncovered it, yelled down to me to turn the water on... the water tubing goes from our basement, through the walls, up to the attic (more like a crawl space in my ceiling), through the roof, to the pump in the swamp cooler... there was a break in the line, we had a rain storm in our bathroom and basement. Nice.
My dear sweet brother Joe, fixed it for us. We have been kissing his feet ever since.
Fast-forward to today...
Same scenario, well except that I AM NOT PREGNANT, nor sick, but hot. I go and turn on the water, and listen. Nothing, but what I am supposed to hear. I keep listening.... still, nothing... then a few minutes later, I hear a little trickle. Not raining in the bathroom, not in the basement... ummmm... Peyton's room this time. Needless to say, the light in the ceiling turned into a sprinkler... and the basement ceiling began to leak. As Lynn put it, "It's like a pinata without the candy..."
So, no swamp cooler, another hot and uncomfortable night with little sleep, lots of heated tossing though... just not the kind I want ;) At least we can all use our sense of humor in this...
Ha Ha Ha... (sarcastic...)
And Peyton's light is still dripping... drip...drip...drip...

Getting to Know Your Husband Tag...

Min: What is your full name? "Ahhh... I don't know..." (Dixon Merrill Pitcher Junior)
How long have we been married? 8 years
What's your dream job? "Besides something in music... if I were independently wealthy, I would work a new job every month so I could learn... I would work on a cruise ship for a month, work at Lagoon for a month, and then move on..."
Min: "What would be your ideal in music?"
Mer: "Probably produce indie bands... or promoter, that would be kinda cool."
What's your dream car? "I've never thought about that... well, let me think about somethin'... that's gay... some muscle car. You know me.. I don't give two poops about cars..." (He didn't say poops though...)
What's your claim to fame? "I am a Pitcher... People always ask: "Pitcher's Sports?... Dixon/Lynn Pitcher...""
What do you like to do? "What I did yesterday... hang out with Lynn."
Min: "Does that mean Lynn is your favorite?"
Mer: "Ah-HaHaHa... (snooty french snorty laugh)... No, because I love Ash... oh, and Peyton too... I forget that she is here... 'Dear Peyton, your first three months of existence, I thought you were a house cat...'"
What's your biggest fear? "(Repeats the question... twirls a purse... thinking...) Twirls a purse!!!! (he's reading...) Now my biggest fear is that someone will think I am a pussy, or a homo... take it off... Okay... unwed pregnant daughters... (laughs)... No anything happening to my family."
What animal describes you? "(laughing and shaking head...) This is almost as bad as your "Alter Ego" book... a hyena... There you go!"
If you could live in any era which one would it be? "70's"
Min: "Why?"
Mer: "Psychedelic... beatniks and so forth... but if I could go knowing what I know now, I'd pick the 50's. I'd be such a rebel... I'd freak-out the normals. But I'd have to be able to take my music with me."
What's a goal for 2008? Min: "Not having sex all year?"
Mer: "HaHa... Making it through..."
Min: "Are you contemplating suicide or something?"
Mer: "No, but it didn't start off good... weather, economy... just kind of bleak."
What your guiltiest pleasure? "I don't feel guilty about much..." (smirk...)
What do you love about me? "Well, the one thing that caught me about you, was your bubbly personality..."
Min: "Your torture is over!"
I challenge everyone to interview their hubby... and post it, un-censored...

Same Game....

She makes me smile...So you'd think that Sundays are nice and relaxing, right? Umm... not my life these days.
Home life is great. It's that place where you are supposed to be able to go and find peace, refuge, that is making me crazy.
How crazy?
Crazy enough that "my girls" (not MY girls...) and I are planning a Presidency Meeting, really a binge, purge (bad feelings, not the goodies) and unload session...
Geez...
On the comedy home front:
Lynn and Mer got back from their delivery and set-up last night around 8:30 pm. Merrill told Lynn that she did so good, he paid her a dollar, just like his dad did when he was 5 and he helped deliver and set-up trampolines too. They went and got a drink, and he let Lynn pick out a treat, whatever she wanted. She picked a piece of gum... when she hadn't opened it in the truck on the way home, he asked her why not... she answered, "We're not supposed to have teats until after dinner. That's a rule of our house." He was so proud of her.
Later that night, inappropriately enough right before we said family prayers... Mer had said something about money, and I teased him saying what was his is mine anyways. He laughed, "What do you mean?"
Me: "Well I was going to tell you I'd pay you a million dollars to have S-E-X (I spelled it out..) with me, and I'd write you a check... ha ha... joint checking?"
Then Merrill did his annoying, "Ah-Haw Haw Haw..." snooty french snorty laugh...
Then Lynn said: "Why did you spell sex to dad?" She said it, didn't spell it.
Merrill just laughed while I was shocked.
"How do you know that's what I spelled?"
"Why did you say it?"
"To be funny... now tell me that's how you know what S-E-X spells?"
"Family Guy..."
"What does D-O-G spell?"
"I dunno..."
Yup, Merrill has ruined my sweet little girl...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLINT!!!

Wow!!! 21... and to think that you used to be my "Hot Dog"...
We love you...

More for Pey...

Here are the newest...
I am looking forward to many more, since I have re-vamped (ohhh, Edward...) my scrap room... I am excited to play in there now!
I found paper that I forgot that I bought while cleaning it out... that's always fun...

Fun night... aggresive day...

Had scrap night with some fun girls... you know who you all are... I actually got a couple of layouts done for Pey's book, but you can check the other blog for those :)...
Ate some Whoopie pies too...
Mer and the girls had a fun "daddy-daughter night" out. Work, it just put it off, they girls could hardly stand the wait, but had so much fun once it began. They had McDonald's again, they had it the day before for lunch when we went to watch them work on the hotel... so naughty... Mer went and played with Austin. Boys are so funny. I asked him if he wanted to go hang-out with Austin while us girls were doing our "girl stuff", and he said, "What do you think I am gonna do, call him and ask if he wants to play?" I am glad that the brothers can be brothers again.
Ash fell asleep watching "Short Circuit" with her hands down her skirt... that's our Ash. But Lynn was up for the party...
This morning, there were two baptisms that were going on. I didn't get to go to either one of them, no babysitter... Pitcher's Sports in springtime makes that possible ;)... But that's okay, I had a bad attitude.
So I went and finished cleaning out the flower beds with all of my aggression. Long enough for Peyton to get in a good nap and me to get a cute sunburn... part farmer tan, until my wrists, where my gloves gave an awesome stopping point to the burn... I look dang sexy! Oh, and so do my flower beds!
Now Ash, Pey, and I, are watching, "BooBah" on "OnDemand" while we wait for Mer and Lynn to get back from a delivery and set-up in Park City... love the springtime!!!

Flashback Friday...

Flashback: Two weeks ago today... My life was going on just like it normally does, until... Brooke gives me this book. Oh how I did not realize how this book would turn my life upside-down, inside-out, and turn everything else into something not quite as important...
Really...
My house cleaning, totally optional.
Meals became... well... excuses of meals. I had to be able to read while I was cooking whatever I was claiming to cook. Peanut Butter and Froot Loops became gourmet....
Scrapbooking??? What is that?
Lynn has never enjoyed so much uninterrupted computer time.
Ashley got to watch a lot of TV...
They both enjoyed playing outside a lot...
Merrill would often go to bed, and wake up in the wee hours of the morning to me, reading, still.
I became a pro at nursing while holding a hard-bound book.
And sweet Peyton, has enjoyed seeing my face a lot more. I play with her so much more now that there aren't books that are begging me to read them.
But my mind still goes to Edward and Bella...
I just feel guilty that I am not this into my scriptures!
Today on "Good Things Utah", they had Stephanie Meyer on... my life reverted back to a week ago, when I was trying to finish the last book in the series (for now...). Children were not allowed to speak to me, or on my room for that matter while the hosts were talking to her. I had to hear every word! So sorry to my fellow "Twilight" obsessors (fans), I didn't even want to spare the second to call you!
Hopefully it should be on ABC 4's website soon.. It helped to fill my "Twilight" craving.
Oh, yeah...
GO TEAM EDWARD!!!

aaahhhhh... [sigh]

so "the phone call" finally came...
can you say "relief"? boy, i sure can. nothing like having fresh, cleaned-out air! understanding is awesome, even when it takes two days to get it.
it's official... peyton is getting bigger. i had to adjust her straps in her car seat so they would sit just above her shoulders instead of down behind her back...
we went and watched as they poured and leveled the hotel floor. the machinery they use is so cool! the girls really enjoyed watching, it took a while to get them to want to come home with me. i wanted to get my hands around some tylenol, i could feel the beginning of a tension headache... hhmmm... what could have been giving me tension???
ashley's new saying: "that breaks my beelings..." (remember, b = f in "ashley speak"...)

Grandpa's Idea...

So before I totally forget to write this one down, Grandpa shared his idea with us Sunday while we were at the cemetery visiting Grandma.
We are all sitting around the grave, checking out the headstone (the first time we'd all seen it...) when Grandpa, who is standing says in kind of a quiet voice, "I want everyone to get together, whatever little money you are able to and..."
Okay, so I have to stop because I was thinking, does he want us to keep up on flowers for her or does he want something re-done on the headstone?...
So he finishes, "I want you all to put your money into a pool, and each of you guess," now he's tapping the blank date underneath his birth date with his cane... "guess what date will go there. And whoever gets the closest will will the money!" He was quite satisfied with himself, had this grin on his face and was chuckling...
"That way it might help you to look forward to it!"
Never Grandpa... NEVER!

We must love you...

You know that you must be loved when we drag our little family out of bed at 6 am to go to breakfast for your birthday...
Happy 50th Birthday Darlene!!! (And Doreen too...)
Really, the girls were quite comedic with their emotionality. Normal daily emotion + getting up earlier than usual = a lot of crying over stupid stuff...
I did finish the poster this morning around 2:30 am. Oh, how a bad day can throw me off course so horribly! I ate one whole layer of the chocolates. They tasted awful after the first 5 or so... I forced myself to eat more, I was so mad, I just wanted something to occupy me, well, more than the poster was, anyway.
So "the follow-up" phone call never came, big surprise. Even with me leaving a message to remind the dude of "the follow-up" phone call. I decided, after dwelling on it all day, that I am done with being prim and polite, that I need to stand up for myself and make sure that people understand what it is that I am saying, not turning things around into what is easier for them to hear or understand. So my message was kind of curt and to the point... maybe that's why I didn't get a call back... I grew some balls.
Intimidating...
I got my house all cleaned today!!! All I have left is the floors that need to be Swiffered... not too shabby.
This was what I really wanted to do today:
My Mother's day gift, that I have been nagging Mer about it for a year or two. It's a piece of sheet metal, 16 inches by 8 feet long. I attached it to the wall (all by myself, I really should have waited for help...) and now I have a place to put all of those cute embellishments that I buy where I can see them, and remember to use them!
Thanks Jen for the cookies! One of those little things that helped to make this day better than yesterday....

Lofty Aspirations...

Here's the 3 month old...Here's a funny one of her...
See that crazy look in her eye? She's totally gangster, dude... "What? You wanna piece of me?!?", she says...
And this... getting to my post title... THIS is an indication of how my day went... and I had better post about it before it is tomorrow.
So if you have talked to me today (5-13-08) you may want to skim, or you may want to be enlightened as to my shortness and grouchiness...
Yes that is 2 (two) caffeine free Diet Cokes... I am like an alcoholic when it comes to bad days and pop... I need it! ( I don't want it, I just need it, to breath, to fell, to know I'm alive... -TOOL...) I can't always restrain myself.
So...
I got up, got Lynn ready and off to pre-school. Got Ash and Peyton all ready, I was waiting to take a shower after I got Peyton down for her nap which she was going to take after I took the above "3 month old" photos...
Knock-knock...
Surprise!
Visitors.
Me: no make-up, no hair (but a nice greasy mess atop my head...), and pjs...
While they are here, mom comes along...
Surprise! (#2)
So my lofty aspirations of #1- showering and being all ready and decent to go and pick Lynn up from school have been flushed away. Was it rude of me to at least clean my house while they were here? ( which was aspiration #2, by the way...)
Mom went to get Lynn.
She did bring back lunch for all of us. Good thing: I didn't have to argue with the girls what to fix for lunch. Bad thing: Mom wanted to eat outside, with all the kids so they could play and eat... let's just drag out my day more... see, I am still a little grumpy...
Everyone is gone, and my shower is ready to finally begin... oops! Gotta pump, Peyton is asleep, and the ol' milk factory is producing extra these days... Lynn comes upstairs to tell me that Ash has taken a ballpoint pen to one of my CLOTH COVERED SCRAPBOOK ALBUMS.
Aaarrghhh!!!
Hand sanitizer works ok, for future reference, but doesn't take it out completely.
Yeah, I got out of the shower after 3 pm. Started cleaning my house around 4:30ish... My vacuum sucks so bad, it DOESN"T SUCK... so while I am vacuuming my entire bedroom with the hand attachment to be sure to get up all of the lint that bugs me so bad... (red lint on creme carpet...) I notice Ash sitting on the windowsill in their room... her back is pressing against the screen... the bedrooms are on the SECOND STORY.... I get her to get down and explain what "mortality" means... frankly, I have invested too much in this kid (a c-section and kernel removal from the nose...) to have her plunge to her death from a second story window...
So now I need a- a new vacuum, or b- new carpet so my existing vacuum will work correctly, and c- bunk beds, placed away from any windows. If Mer calls me now... this is gonna be one expensive conversation...
Got dinner done! But how hard can turkey sandwiches be???
Got flowers planted, but not all of them...
Still needed to get out to the store to get a project that needs to be done tomorrow, that I found out about yesterday... but Peyton is hungry, and apparently I missed phone calls while out in the yard...
Yeah, that's where the grumpiness kicks in to full gear...
Church stuff...
I wish that leaders would appreciate that I can have revelation too. I have been given stewardship over the Primary, my calling. And they just don't get it...
I do appreciate GOOD FRIENDS who put up with me and help me!!! ;)
But we still have positions to fill, promptings to follow through with, and more families moving away...
So I go to Wal-Mart to get those supplies for that project.... at least I had exact change...
I have my project waiting, my "supplies" to help me get it done, and two missed episodes of CSI on on-demand to help me also...
My vacuum is still waiting for me in the living room.
I don't even want to list what else I had planned to get accomplished for today... and yet I know that so many others have it worse... this is just my kind of crummy though...
See... "lofty aspirations"...

Aaahhhhh...

For two reasons:
#1- Our re-application for insurance was approved!!! We re-applied because our claims were minimal last year, and if you are approved, your premium can be lowered. We were going to be raised to $353, we are paying $298... our new rate will be $264!!! What a blessing! I know that we have it better than others without the new lower rate... but to us, it's a great help.
#2- Peyton has discovered her tongue... She enjoys sticking it out and chewing on it. Ashley's quote of the day: While eating a Soft Frozen Minute Maid Lemonade (delicious, by the way... you can find them by the popsicles in the frozen treat isle...) "This brozen (frozen) lemonade is lemoning!"

Whoopie Pies...

Here's a Favorite...
Maybe I should keep it "Top Secret", but the world deserves to know...Cake part:
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs YOLKS (don't toss the whites!)
1 cup soured milk (1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice)
1 cup HOT water + 2 teaspoons baking soda (soda dissolved in water)
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream the shortening and sugar. Add the yolks one at a time, and mix until well incorporated. Add the milk mixture, cocoa, and flour. Add the soda/water mixture while mixing. Drop by teaspoonfuls (I like to use my Pampered Chef cookie dough scoop) onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes. Let cool.

Creme:
2 egg WHITES (see, they come into play...)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups shortening
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons milk
dash of salt
Powdered Sugar

Cream all together and add the powdered sugar until the creme reaches a thick, but spreadable, consistency. (I usually use about a pound, sometimes more...)
Match up your cooled cookie halves, and spread creme on one side, place its mate on the other (kinda like an Oreo... but better!). Finish for all! I love to eat more than one at a time well chilled with milk and even stash some in the freezer for those unforgettable PMS days... they make a great breakfast treat too :).
Enjoy!

Happy Divine Nature Day!!! a.k.a. Mother's Day...

So I am going to start a petition to call this day, "Divine Nature Day". I know that there are so many women, my mom, sisters-in-law (Promise, Jaclyn, Brookers, Randee, Kaitlyn, Mikell Meow!...), aunts, grandmas, and friends, some who are mothers, and others who have not been given that opportunity, who have influenced my life, and helped me to become the person that I am today. I want to celebrate all of womanhood, not necessarily "mothers"... there are so many awesome women out there that do good...
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

When I went to gather dirty clothes the other day, I saw that Lynn had a bright pink bag hidden in her closet next to the hamper. I was so excited, who else would it be for? She made me a gift and a card at pre-school.
She was so excited! And I love it... of course!
We've had a busy couple of days around here...
We celebrated Mother's Day with our Grandmas yesterday, and a little more today.
We had way too much fun at Mer's parents house last night. We didn't get home until nearly 10 pm. I got a way fun Mother's day gift from Darlene... Will come in use for Lake Powell...
Brooke made us darling headbands to match!
And because we love to be goofy... a picture shoot followed...
We went to church with mom and dad. She hosted a lunch, that was an awesome gift! Not cooking lunch for the fam... well, I kinda still did.
My older brother was asked to speak in his ward today about mothers. He spoke about mothers who have influenced his life, and I was flattered to hear that I was one of those three that he spoke about. I guess maybe I am doing some things that are right!
I am raising drama queens, not by example I must state... Ash dropped a chocolate flower that was on top of a frosted cupcake on her dress today. She had the dramatic "hands-to-the-face" cry going on. She had the dramatic, "I can-hardly-talk-because-I am-sobbing" cry going on a the same time...
"Mm... mmm... my... my... Bbbb... bbb... beautibul.... my beautibul dress! My beautibul dress is ruined!!!!"
And we got to talk to Clint today!!!
Can't wait to see you!!!
Grandma's headstone is in, Yeah!!! So we had a bonus when we stopped by to visit her too...

Prom night[mare]...

here is a flashback friday for your enjoyment...
sophomore year, prom... ugh!
here's the story:
there was this boy, tyson. we liked each other. we expressed mutual interest and prom was fast approaching, exciting, right?
wrong...
he had asked somebody else to prom already, before we had really met. i had just literally had my heart broken by my best guy friend, whose life, my life revolved around, and i was still reeling and feeling unsure of myself, was sure that nobody was going to ask me...
so the guy i liked, tyson, told his friend, adam (the goofball in the picture..) that he should ask me so we could double.
he did. he gave me a goldfish in a bowl with a card that read: "of all the fish in the sea, would you go to prom with me?"
and i said yes, answering him with helium-filled pink balloons decorated to look like pigs with a tag that said: "i'll go to the prom with you when pigs fly... (look up.)"
now i only said yes because i was for sure this would be my only invitation, and at least this way, i could be with tyson during prom's many activities.
four invitations followed his... so maybe i wasn't dog poop...
so i should have known that it was going to suck when, the fish he gave me, died the next day.
and when i got up the morning i was going to answer him, the balloons, with the high-float in them with the helium i might add, were not flying, rather, lying on the ground. dad said that was an omen, i shouldn't go with him...
oh, how i should have listened...
thank heavens i am the only girl with three brothers to teach me how to be tough.
the whole day was miserable.
he was trying to get me to act like his exclusive girlfriend... holding my hand, trying to get me to sit on his lap, putting his arm around me... and then he started in with the "perdiddles"... a game that whenever you see a car with only one headlight, you point, shout, "perdiddle!", and touch the roof of the car. whoever gets the most by the end of the night gets some predetermined prize. he had already decided that for each one he got, he was getting a kiss, from me. i know, annoying.
i made up this game, at the dance, that we were to slow dance during the up-beat songs (not many, heeelloo! prom?!?), and fast dance to the slow songs. i got away from him many a time and tried to stay away from him. he wanted to dance too close for my comfort during those few and far between fast songs. to boot, he wouldn't even let his friend tyson, or any of my other guy friends dance with me. i found that out later. he monopolized me the whole night.
alison, tyson's date, was my sole support. when we went to change, after the dance for our "night games", she was expressing extreme sympathy. she had the whole night, whenever we were alone, while the guys got out of the car to open our doors, and in many a look when we were all together.
we went to play our "night games", and he sent me over the edge...
he tried to keep me alone with him, even though i wanted to be around my friends, he even tugged at my hair trying to keep me back.
i told him to take me home. i had a late curfew for once, but i didn't care, i wanted to be rid of him! he brought up the curfew, i told him i had a headache (and it's name was adam...)
so we got to my house. my friends stayed at the school to play, and he drove me home, alone. once he walked me to the porch, he had the goofiest, most pathetic grin on his face and he had the balls to bring up the whole, "perdiddle" thing, i.e. a kiss...
so ...
i punched him.
it hurt him.
i was happy. and surprised, he had quite a bit of padding...
i told him "goodnight", went in and reported it to my fam...
so you might be wondering why on earth am i thinking about this?
"eclispe", bella breaks her hand punching a similar creep.
oh, how i so do not like jacob...

Let Me Explain...

For those of you still reeling from the candid post I did Monday, let me explain...
I grew up in a home where nothing was off limits. There wasn't a question you couldn't ask, or one that wouldn't be answered. While my parents were very open and honest, they also taught us when the appropriate time would be to participate in that... and I only use that word as to not offend further...
How open?
Remember my flashback Friday about camping? Cereal boxes having sex in the cupboards? That was basically every day at my house. There were questions asked, conversations that followed, always humor... it's not like we are all perverts, or obsessed or something. We knew how sacred it was (and still is... when it's happening;)...) we just didn't cringe when the subject was brought up. We weren't shy to ask, because my parents weren't shy to talk.
There was one time my dad was bragging to me about how knowledgeable he was. He said that there wasn't a question I could ask, that he couldn't answer.
So, I tested him.
Me: "Does it hurt to use a tampon?"
Dad: A brief look of panic, then a smile, cause I got him... "You got me... But the answer is, it doesn't hurt me!"
Another time, at the dinner table of all places (talk happened there a lot too...), we were talking about toys from our childhood. I get my words all mixed-up sometimes when I am talking faster than I can think and I say something wrong, that happens a lot, and I asked dad if he had a erection set when he was younger. Everyone laughed, my friend Teresa was in shock. Then I realized what I had said, then dad answered, "Yep. I played with is all the time!" As if Teresa weren't already red...
Then I said the correct word, the word I had meant to say, "I mean, an erector set..."
Dad said, "Yeah, I had one of those too."
So in contrast, Merrill grew up in a house that wasn't, well, that open. He described his "sex talk" or, "the birds and the bees" to me like this:
His dad: "Son, do you know how a girl gets pregnant?"
Mer: "Yeah."
His dad: "Don't do that."
See... I think that is what affects us now, some of us are more open than others.
Some of us also cope with humor.
So that's why you might be reeling, or laughing...
And no, he doesn't know. But he does know me, he knows that if something is bugging me, it'll get talked about...
So I'd like to say sorry if you are shocked or offended, but I can't, cause I am not, this is the way I am!

My Two Friends...

My cute new running shoes and bananas... helps with all of those sore muscles. I learned that playing basketball in high school. Could have really helped me running track in junior high!
Brooke and I run/walk 3 miles every other day (well, at least we try...). Today it was a run the last bit... Peyton woke up. I told Mer he can't be pissy with me, I am trying to get "something sexy going on around here". He just laughed and said it was okay. He's good to help me so I can go early, he can be there for the girls. It probably wouldn't be very easy taking all three of them out...
So I did talk to him about the post he'll never know about ;)... He really says the mood just hasn't struck him. And that he's gay... just kidding. I was teasing him even more tonight. But we did talk seriously, seriously. I came home from visiting a lady in our ward who just had a baby, to find him, watching the Oxygen network(?!?). "When Harry Met Sally" was on. He claims that Billy Crystal was saying something funny... Yeah right, he just confirmed all of my suspicions. Again, kidding...
I am doing really well. This is my treat cupboard. pretty much empty. If you know me, this is usually full, so full that opened bags are stuffed everywhere, on top and between each other, wherever I can make them fit. Unopened bags don't stay unopened for very long... I can survive on sugar... now it stores emergency stuff, lantern, weather radio, camcorder... yeah, like I'm going to have the presence of thought to bust that out to film an emergency...
As Ash was going to bed, she came and told me, "Goodnight mom, don't let the BIG bugs bite."
I love hearing her say such silly things.
Oh, and I started the third book in the "Twilight" series, "Eclipse"...
Can you say "late night"? Maybe "cookie dough"...

Princess Pasta

Wanted to celebrate Cinco De Mayo yesterday...
Kinda didn't get to the store...
This is so not Mexican, but is so yummy! With a name like "Princess Pasta", how can my girls refuse it?
2 tablespoons butter (or margarine)
1 tablespoon minced onion
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces of ham, cut in thin strips
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1 pound short pasta (I use penne, mostaccioli works too)
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divide 3/4 cup, and 1/4 cup for garnish

In a large pot, cook pasta according to directions on the package. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add onion and salt and saute until translucent. Add mushrooms. When those are cooked, add ham and parsley but remove from heat. Do not cook ham.
When pasta is done, drain completely and return pasta to the pot on medium heat. Pour in cream and stir until cream begins to bubble. Add 3/4 cup of cheese, and stir well. Remove from heat and add the ham/onion mixture. Garnish with some parsley and cheese.
Yummy!

She laughed at ME!!!

So Merrill has made Pey laugh... I could get her on the brink of laughter, Jen got her to laugh Sunday during Primary, which was so horribly unfair!!! (but cute none the less...) And I have been working on her every day...
Tonight, she laughed at me. She thought the word "giggle" was funny. I kept saying it, while begging her, "Giggle for mommy, please! Giggle! Giggle!" She obeyed my wishes... now if I could only get the three other people in my home to comply...
Ash, Pey, and I went to Lowe's today, I wanted to spruce up the front of the house. We got flowers and silly me, I got some cheap little plastic kid gardening tools for the girls.
Ash was more excited about just owning the tools, not so much about using them for their correct purpose... and Lynn... she wanted to plant the flowers so badly, she couldn't leave me alone. I was trying to get Peyton to take her nap, a much needed one, but Lynn kept on tracking me down, making sure that I had not gone outside without her knowing, and started with out her. So I gave up on giving Pey her nap. We went to plant.
See Lynn...
Sparkly shoes, skirt, perfect hair... yeah, she wasn't really into it. Just the idea of it. She kept trying to wipe the tiniest bit of dirt off of her shovel when it got on it, and planting flowers, it was there, always...
I did get most of them planted.
Tomorrow I start the treacherous task of getting the planters off of the deck, which is ready to collapse, by the way...
Maybe I'll be posting from traction tomorrow...
And running... well, walking mostly. We can't talk about "Twilight" when we are all running and out of breath! We go quite a distance, and it doesn't kick my butt, but doing my Carmen Electra DVD, "Fit to Strip", see I am working to alleviate the aforementioned issue... that, that kicks my butt. It hurts to sit, walk, eat, get up, laugh, stand, think.... okay, I am exaggerating, but it is doing it's job.