Catchin' up..

So, everyone is better, me included ;), and we have been doing summer all week!
Let me tell you a little of what we've done..

Went to the parade..

Went swimming..

And more swimming...

The only person who still needs the aid of a float or life jacket is Peyton.. Ashley and Lynn are both all over that pool floaty and life jacket free!! YAY!!
Keeping an eye on the garden..

I now know why "ear wigs" are called "ear wigs"..

Harvesting some yummy things from our garden..

And eating our yummy harvest..

Yesterday, we went school shopping.. found all needed supplies for both Lynnie and Ash and also found Peyton these cute flip-flops at Target.. I felt so bad putting her sandals on her, it had been a while, but she is no longer a 4..

And today, we went to the splash pad with some new friends..

And Peyton showed all her belly button. ;)

The girls enjoyed getting wet, then sitting on the cement and made "butt-prints"! They would look at the wet mark, and decide what it looked like.. some were hearts, some were bunny heads, complete with ears, and some looked like, well, butts.. it was a fun day! Thanks Kaycee...

Still have projects going on around here.. can't wait till it is all done!
I also got a new toy, but won't post until I get better acquainted with it. ;)

Eeeasy Key Lime Pie..

So..
I am participating in a "Flavor of the Month" over at Bake at 350..

July's theme: Pies.
Me.. personally love 'em. EVERY kind, ala mode, please..
I chose to do a favorite of mine, and wherever I seem to take it.
It's perfect for summertime.. the flavor is so refreshing, and it is soooo easy to make.
I hear it is popular in Texas.. ;)
Here ya go..



Crust:
I like to use a graham cracker crust, pre-made is awesome, but you can crank out your own favorite if you so desire. It is tasty with both! I usually do it the easy way in summer.. more time to play!
(If you are using a smaller, traditional size pie shell, you'll need two.. just warning you! ;D)

Filling:
1- 16 ounce tub of Cool Whip
1- 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (Hello!! Whole milk + sugar.. how can this get any better.. I'll have a can!)
1/4 cup key lime juice (I like to buy it in a bottle, pre-squeezed and all.. Nellie and Joe's is my fav.)
green food coloring (optional)
whipped cream and limes for garnish

Here's why I LOVE this recipe..
IT'S EASY.
NO slaving over a juicer.
NO standing over a hot stove.
NO oven necessary.
It comes together so fast.
It's great for BBQs and other spontaneous events.
See.. perfect for summer!

Dump your Cool Whip into a large bowl, add the sweetened condensed milk, the key lime juice, and the food coloring (if you are going to add it, do it NOW!). Fold all ingredients together thoroughly.
Spoon it into your pie shell, and let it set in the fridge for an hour.
Slice it up, garnish it, and enjoy!

I have made both, a traditional in the kitchen for a day Key Lime Pie, and this.. love 'em both, but I will totally take this one in the summer months!

Thank you..

I have been trying to get over my boo-hooish-ness.. I had a little pity party, someone knew I was having a rough time..
I have angels all around me.. this particular angel chose to remain anonymous...
To whoever you are, wearing that halo, thank you.

Gettin' it done..

Silly me, wondering where the hey the month of July has gone..
Figured I had better get some more done.. I have been busy crocheting a scarf of ALL things to be doing in July!

Bloggable..

After all of yesterday's drama, I got to go and run errands CHILDLESS!!
Sam's club was a breeze, I even got pics printed off to re-do the wall and shelf in the dining room. It was especially nice to not hear two little girls whining and begging for a new swingset.. they love the wood one at Sam's, even thought they have their own that requires no sanding or staining every year, on behalf of their parents.. our is no maintenance, no slivers, yet the grass is greener on the other side..
I had to go to Lowe's and what is in the near vicinity of Lowe's?
Old Navy.
I took Emily's advice (thanks girl!) well, and Merrill's too, and went jean shopping (he just wanted to go too and make a date out of it)!!
I usually have zero luck in Old Navy when it comes to jeans.. skirts and shirts, okay, but usually a big fat no on the jeans.
They had a new fit out "The Dreamer" that is bootcut, classic rise, and a little stretch.. even a little extra in the tummy area.. great colors too.
They fit like a dream!
They were also buy one get one half off..
See, it keeps getting better.
I am even happier now that I am back in a 4, the sun was shining down on me that day..
I still had to get Merrill's okay..
When I put them on, his jaw dropped (that is always good..) and I got two thumbs up.
I asked him if that was truly how he felt, or if he was being nice after my breakdown on Sunday..
He's so sweet.
Now if I could do something about the above the waist situation.
I swear.. if my bra flips up one more time..
We also enjoyed a good swim last night, I am actually sore form it!
Oh, and to keep the perpetual sick ball rolling, Ashley threw-up this morning.. :D
SO fun!

Mondays.. here we go..

I started out my week, and my Monday morning in the least pleasant way possible.
I upped my InstaCare count to 4 for the month.
Ashley wanted Peyton to be up on her bed with her and PULLED on her arms, pulling one out of socket. I did what I knew to do, and it didn't help. She wouldn't move her fingers, wouldn't hold her sippy cup.. her trademark position of sucking her fingers on her right hand, while twirling her hair with her left hand wasn't even happening. I was rushing to get everyone ready to go and visit our own personal money pit, thinking, "I'd really rather not take the other two.. who could I call..."
Names were going through my head, knowing full well that I have MANY around me who would help, and then I hear the front door shut.
Merrill is home?
He forgot that he gave another one of his guys much needed hours, and scheduled him for today.
Prayer answered. Merrill stays home with the two older girls.
I take Pey to the doctor where they immediately order x-rays. The tech tells me what this usually is, Nurse Maid's Elbow, and that one of the x-rays positioning usually fixes it.
Sure enough.
As soon as it's done, there goes that left hand to her hair, twirling away while she sucks her fingers.
The doctor wanted us to stick around, see if everything was really back to normal. We played a bit and laughed. She loved looking at the x-rays of her elbow. Should have taken those home as our souvenir.
Two guys, a father and son duo, walk in looking pale and sickly, like they hadn't bathed in a while, and masks over their mouths and noses. I checked to see if Pey could give me double "high fives" and "bumps".. she could and we high-tailed it out of there.
Guess what the picture of the day is?

I'm spinning..

Really.
I didn't get the full-on version of this illness that others in this house have gotten, but I have seemingly been enjoying the end of it.
Dizziness.
It's great...
I am spinning even more after listening to the Barbie/Polly Pocket story lines that my sweet daughters come up with.
*Please let me just make clear before I dive head first into this, that I DO NOT WATCH SOAP OPERAS..**
The other morning, while Ashley was in the tub, playing with a rubber duck who just happened to be married to Prince Charming, there started a dialogue that piqued my attention.
Duck: "I must go back to the sea.. I live in the water."
Prince: "But I LOVE YOU!!! I have to live on the land.. I cannot live in the sea.. (sigh)."
Duck: "Oh! Here come my children.. I must go.."
Prince: "Your children?.. are they mine? They don't look like me.."

Then, Lynn dreamed up another storyline this morning.. creepy.
"This girl (doll #1) married this guy (Ken doll). She wanted to be a mom, but he didn't want to have kids, so they got separated."
How on earth my 6 year old knows what a separation is, I have no idea.. but it gets better.
"So after they separated, she (doll #1) had her (doll #2). Then she growed up, and started to date this guy (Ken doll)."
Creepy, eh?
But it gets creepier..
"Then, they fell in love and they started kissing, ON THE LIPS. But he didn't know she was his daughter, cause he didn't want to have kids and she didn't know he was her real father.."
See, creepy.
Merrill began to help her tie up the loose ends of her storyline, which included a pivotal conversation that took place regarding his still not wanting to have children, and his disclosure of a previous marriage ending due to his feelings. Coincidentally, her mother had had a similar experience, and only after exchanging names, did the two connect the dots.
They both ended-up in therapy, at the same facility, and after they bumped into each other there, one of the players in our little story hung their self with bed linens.
(That was all Merrill, I just listened.)
Jerry Springer, here we come...
Is anyone else dizzy now?

Goings on..

SO much..
Lemme tell you...
We are the proud new owners of new rain gutters, downspouts and fascia.. so lovely! Hopefully our basement is finished with it's leaking phase with these new beauties..

Merrill is still doubtful of the black color.. :P
It was so awesome! These guys did an awesome job. AVS contractors, if you need ANY service at your home, call them. They came out, tore off faschia, scraped off the hornet and wasp nests hiding underneath :O and then put up new. The trimmed out the garage door frame, and then another guy came solo today to put up the rain gutters and downspouts. It took only a couple of hours, and he did it all by himself!! It was cool to watch, they are seamless, so he had a big roll of aluminum, and he fed it through an extruder of sorts to mold it into my new, seamless, awesomely BLACK rain gutters.
We harvested some zucchini from our garden..

Peyton helped me unload the dishwasher..

Also slightly notable, but geeky.. we got a new phone book!! I was so excited (see, geeky, I know..) to see our name (hopefully nameS..) in there.. they FINALLY got it right: Merrill and Mindy Pitcher. Sigh... I've been trying to get that fixed for YEARS!!

A Card..

We are going out to dinner with Clint's bride-to-be as a pseudo bachelorette party..
Can you guess what her gifts might be? ;)

Little Climber

I realize that Peyton would have eventually acquired these skills, but to have an older sister demonstrate, and then assist her in learning this new skill, prematurely, has made my life as a mother, prematurely more exciting..
Peyton has known how to get on top of whatever her little heart desires, to get whatever her little heart desires.. Okay, not EVERYTHING, but just about.. she has chairs and beds managed. She didn't have couches managed just yet, until Ashley "helped" her. Now Peyton can get herself on to the couches, and even better, on the front room couches, to stand on the back and access the railing that separates the dining area from that room.. SO FUN!!
One more thing to say "no" to.. one more thing..

In the mood...

These came together quickly using some of the new tips and techniques I learned in my recent class.. I still can't believe that I am doing digital!!
I am, however, excited about some recent purchases at a Stampin' Up! party I went to.. does anyone else out there get excited over a new paper trimmer? ;)

Living..

Trying to get to the point were I just live life again.. stop thinking and dreaming about the what if's and the what to do's or the many possibilities of what I can do, or can learn how to do. I have made myself take a break from the computer for the greater part of the day today, to get something done. To have something blog-worthy..
I feel in many ways I have run into a wall. My brain has had all that it can take as far as new information goes for awhile, and I just need to be still.. let things happen, and stop acting, doing things.
Yeah.. this might not make any sense, but I am talking about building the site. It is fun and sooo exciting, but I don't know much about what to do, and I am googling my heart out!! I just want it to be perfect..
See, I need to relax..
I have the guys here, tearing down old rain gutters and faschia.. putting up new, BLACK. :) Merrill is still doubtful of my color choice, but he was for the basement and the dining room.. he just needs to trust me.
Still having some bids come in on other things, just happy to be getting some projects DONE!!
Lynn is tormenting Ashley, calling her a "little girl wuss" and a "baby", because Ashley is afraid of a hornets nest (dead.. I sprayed it.) that Lynn wants to preserve in a ziploc baggie.. she is so fascinated. She should be in heaven once these guys get all of the trim down. There will be dozens of those babies laying around!
Ashley has been asking about "richness".
"Mom.. are we rich?"
"What does rich mean to you?
"Like the Jefferies are rich.." (Jefferies are friends of ours, they have six kids that are all too fun for words. We LOVE playing with them!)
"How do you think the Jefferies are rich?"
"Because they have a lot of kids."
"They are rich.. you are right Ash."
"We are POOR!"
She is so funny...
Peyton is a pro at waving "bye bye" and saying it too. She also loves to blow kisses, pat her bum, and say "haha!" That goes along with the diaper changing song we sing: "Feet up, pat her on the popo.. let's hear her laugh.. haha!" So fun that she is getting things now.

Still Pluggin' Away..

I am still working away at my new site.. so exciting!

Have I ever mentioned that I have A+ blood type, and that reflects in my anal-ness? I want it to be PERFECT, I want it to be my own. There is a lot to learn, so much to figure out, and I will just say that google and youtube are my new best friends. :) (I hate emoticons!!!)

Lynnie-Lou is coughitous till' vomitous.. :( I so want everyone to be healthy here..

Until then..

I will be working away, while taking "play" breaks.

Collages..

Sadly our lessons for this class end today. :(
I haven't done today's lesson yet.. I am dragging it out as long as I can!
Here is yesterday's project:

Lessons Learned..

Today was a good day. I got through my lesson, with the help of prayer, my front row of supporters, oh, and one in the hall. ;)
I am so thankful for family and good friends, who know me, love me and support me.
I did come to a realization, one of those lessons you already know, but then the light bulb flashes on again.. and you are reminded that you know this..
The rest of the fam (sickies I call them..) stayed home from church today, which allowed me for quiet, reflective time, during the sacrament service today. That was awesome. As I was thinking of the words from today's sacrament hymn, and the symbolic nature that the sacrament is, it hit me..
Even though I have my friends and family who love me, support me, and uplift me, none of them know EXACTLY what I am going through, know EVERY DETAIL of what has gone on, or FEEL EVERY FEELING I have felt these past six months..
Christ does.
His atonement wasn't only for MY SINS, or to redeem MY LIFE, but as it says in Alma chapter 7 verse 12, it was also for my infirmities.
He has felt EVERYTHING I have ever felt, ever endured, or will endure, and He understands.
That brings peace to me.
And so do my ever supportive friends and family.. love you guys!
Now I'll go back to my nursing duties.. kind of bummed that we are going to miss out on the traditional Weber State fireworks night tonight. We might do a drive by, but will not place our selves with the public to infect them.. I don't think Lynnie could walk that far anyway.

Some fun numbers..

While I am prepping my old blog to be slurped and then burped, I have come across some fun numbers that I would like to share..

655 posts - not all of them published though. ;)
1991 comments - thanks for the good times.

I will be public for a little while, but then will most likely close it, have it be private until my triumphant return.. if there is one!

We can always keep in touch..
mindypitcher@comcast.net

Flashback Friday..

It wasn't all that long ago that I got my new phone..
So many fond memories that I have with my phone that didn't take me back to the early days of telephone technology and Alexander Graham Bell..
Then it entered the pristine waters of the pool with me.
Ice, isn't nice on phones, or so the salesman told me...
Rice, is nice.
Had I placed my phone in the rice, I might have saved it.
That's right, I had to get a new phone..
Water damage was too bad..


It is the color I originally wanted, but they didn't have one in, so I got what I wanted. :)
It did have a price, because I wasn't thinking about poolside days with my new phone when I bought it in March, I didn't get the insurance.
Today, I bought 2 years worth of insurance. :)
And now Peyton has a new "toy" cell phone, that happens to smell like rice.

Storyboards..

Day 12 has brought yet another invaluable technique..
Storyboards.
I think I might just enter the throes of depression when this class ends..

3..

Yay! I am up to three...

Day 11..

Today's lesson was on selective coloring.
I had already figured out another way to achieve this look, but she taught a new way, that is much easier as far as being able to edit your mistakes at the same time.
Like I have said a gazillion times before: she makes it so easy and so fun!

Pristine Condition..

We received a phone call last night to come and visit.. "the pool is in pristine condition" Dixon told us. As soon as this message was relayed to the girls, there wasn't much time between the "YAY!" and the event of swimsuits being put on.
They came out of their room, arms around each others shoulders, singing, "Matching swimsuits!!" in stereo.


It was a nice break, and even funner to have had the call go out to all of the kids.
Grandpa flew the kids through the water..


Bucky Horse also came out to give rides to the kiddos..


It was nice to wear out the kiddos, get them off to slumber land a wee bit faster.
I think that they had fun.


Sad part..
My phone ended-up taking a dip with me.. :(
I was just keeping it close, anticipating a couple of important phone calls.
It has spent the night in the freezer, and is now relaxing in a bowl of rice. I hope all of these quick fix-its, that I am told "really work", do just that, "really work". Otherwise, this was one expensive mistake..
Merrill is home today, not feeling well.. so on it goes...

Optimism..

It feels like we have had so much going on around here!
We are keeping busy working away at constant home improvement, which is fun, I like that kind of stuff.. and the kids are playing away, Peyton helps us with our work though. :) She is an awesome rock sorter. She now carries a rock around for a buddy.
We hope to get swings up, soon, and make our "swing set" an actual "swing set".. it hasn't had swings on it for the whole 3 years we've had it. Blasphemy considering Merrill's former occupation.
We are actually getting to spend some of our hard earned and saved cha-ching.. many people are coming to give us bids on improvements that are long overdue.
- A gate, that actually latches, keeping kiddos IN THE BACK YARD.
- A pump for our sprinkler system.. dragging a hose around the front yard when you have a sprinkler system SUCKS.
- A new front door, with no storm door. :)
- And last but not least, updated glass. Woo Hoo!! No more amber glass!!!
And with that, our seventies abode will be updated. :)
We'll just have to see if the bank can take it all..
Merrill has been out, pluggin' away in the yard with just about every spare moment he gets, and the girls love making mud or coloring with the chalk while they are out there with him.
Last night, Peyton kinda biffed it on the cement out on the patio. She came inside whining and rubbing her hands. I usually try to kiss her better, and she hasn't gotten it, she'll pull her hand away and clap them together or even shake them, to lessen the pain I guess. So last night, I attempted to kiss her hand better. I brushed off the dirt, and then kissed her hand. She looked at me like I was crazy! Then she looked at her hand, then smiled, and giggled at me. I think she gets the concept now. She has come to me since, holding out her hand like she needs a kiss.
A highlight of my week was speaking at Jaclyn's enrichment night last night, that's where the flowers came from.
The topic was optimism. I had the past month to study, ponder, and prepare, and it all came together so well. Many prayers were answered.
I really am a dork.. I ENJOY that kind of stuff.. I love to study and learn, I love teaching in RS.
The funny part, is how a bunch of crap tried to rain on me the day before. Trying to tinge my optimism with the smell of poo.
Seriously.
There is a someone out there who has issues with me, and off and on they try to start stuff. I choose to leave it alone. It's not my issue.
They decided to try to start it all again on Monday.
That one post, you know, about praying, it really does help. I could go from reading one of the e-mails or comments submitted by a cohort of theirs, and it would roll off my back.. like water off of a duck's back. :) Thank you, awesome power of prayer!
But I don't think they know how much I do not care about it, at all. Ignoring the e-mails, comments, and remarks, doesn't seem to get the message across to this person that I don't care. (Perhaps this will?)
I know who I am. I know the truth. Those who know me, know me.
Telling untruths about me, attempting to slander me, taint my reputation.. none of it phases me. The truth will shine through, and those who choose to believe what this person has to say, will one day know.
It did not not affect my optimism. :)
That was just one of Satan's tools to try to thwart me and the message I was asked to share.
By the sound of the feedback received last night, it was a well-received message and one that was needed.
Score: Satan - 0, Me - 1

Oh, and those flowers.. they are loved by all the females in this household! One look or whiff of those babies and the sunshine is turned on full blast here!

Homework is SO fun!

The only homework that I ever remember really loving to do, was art class. Maybe that's why I love this class so much!
I had some catching up to do, and I was looking forward to doing it..
So here goes!


And now, onto the quilt, again...

It's what fun is...

We had so much fun as a family yesterday..
We crammed in a lot for one day, and the kids enjoyed every second of it.
We got a ride passport for Peyton. After weighing all of our options, it was well worth it to have her ride on more than just 3 rides.. she was kind of freaked out at first, but loved it by the end of the day.
Ashley loved the newest ride, "Jumping Dragon". She rode with me, and laughed so hard! She kept saying, "This stinkin' ride is makin' me laugh!!" But all time favorites are still her favorite: Bulgy the Whale (she calls it the "fishy ride") and the boats.. those dang boats.. we waited in line for those longer than ANY other ride the whole day...
I took Lynn on the Colossus for her FIRST TIME!!! We were so close to getting the FRONT SEAT for the event, but no such luck, last row joes here.. she was kind of nervous, I remember I was my first time. I was worried that dad's hat would fall to the abyss of the track below, you know, when you get up-side-down on the thing? She did great though.. she yelled that she was keeping her eyes closed because she was too scared, just as we were going up-side-down for the first loop.. I kept my hand on my hat. ;)
She and Merrill have "their rides" the ones that they always do together, the Screamer is one of them. She loves the rides that get her wet and the ones that go fast...
It's funny, with all the action there, we always end up in Pioneer Village, and we spend quite a bit of time there. We love it! I guess it is the idea of a simpler time, we wish to be there..
Yesterday we enjoyed ice cream there, and found some cool spots to snap some pics.. I think my family got sick of me saying how cool the walls and colors were there.. but they are great for the new photo editing stuff I have learned!!
These and the water ones were my absolute favorites.. I hope to get a lo done soon with all of the pics I took..


The promise of a run through the fountain at the end of our day, along with a bag of cotton candy, had them going strong.
Can't wait till we bounce back!