Happy Anniversary! 1988-2008

Scott & I have been married for over twenty years now. It does make me feel a little old - but I'm happy to have known Scott for over half of my life. He is truly the greatest guy I have ever met - strong testimony, loving, dedicated, hard-working, great dad, good person, & fun to be with.

We went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming during the Yellowstone fires in 1988. I would love to be able to share a lot of pictures but I opened the camera & exposed the film & ruined our honeymoon pictures in the middle of the trip. (I can still remember the exact spot!!!) We went to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on a little mini-second honeymoon (and I took enough pictures to make up for the first time). We stayed at The Inn at Christmas Place in a very swanky room - complete with fireplace, jacuzzi, & private balcony/porch overlooking the garden. We ate a great steak dinner, played miniature golf, & hiked to the top of the highest peak in Tennessee - Clingman's Dome. We will still take a cruise in a few months, but it was lovely to be together and away for a little over 24 hours. Very refreshing.

Anderson Midnight Flight run

Scott's birthday was Friday & we celebrated by doing a fun run with some friends. Scott's friend Ken & his wife Mimi came down to run the race & support Scott. I ran the race as Chris (hurt ankle) & Bryce, Jacob, & Lisa ran as well. The goody bags were awesome, yummy snacks, & good race helpers at the end who realized that you wanted to have your timing chip cut off of your shoe even if you couldn't remember the word "scissors". I improved my 5K-time from the last run by 4-1/2 minutes!!! I even took a detour along the race route to run through the sprinklers (seriously). Scott & Ken ran 47:51. This was Scott's first race & he did great! The marathon is less than two months away and he is diligently training 3-4 mornings per week. I am glad he can do it - I have no desire whatsoever. We loved doing the race with Lisa & Jacob & Bryce, too. The YSA make us feel younger all the time.




The next afternoon we went to the Atlanta LDS temple with a bunch of YSA. I was able to gather some names from the new Family Search web-site & submit them for vicarious ordinance work. I was able to be baptized in behalf of my 3rd great-grandmother and a few aunts. I believe that the work that we do in the temple allows the ordinances of salvation to be available to those who died without the opportunity. The temple is beautiful, sacred, & reverent. I always come away feeling renewed.

Miniature Golfing & the Rankins farewell

 
For Labor Day we did not labor at all - Scott & the boys played flag football with the greatest turn-out ever. Then we went to Red Robin for burgers & fries (in anticipation of the upcoming diet) and then miniature golfing at Frankie's Fun Park. We didn't keep score & miniature golf was much more enjoyable (for the usual losers of the family).


 

Greg & Joyce are a GREAT family who lived in our ward for many years. Bro. Rankin just got a new job in Virginia & so they are moving away. :( We are sad for many reasons - we love them; we love their kids; Brother Rankin has the best laugh ever!; Christopher has learned a lot from Bro. Rankin in his priesthood classes. We went to Wasabi with a bunch of ward members as a farewell dinner. It might sound trite but - the food was great but the company was better. Joyce was recently diagnosed with breast cancer so we are sending lots of prayers & good wishes their direction. They are really some of the best people we have ever known.

I am planning on doing the breast cancer walk/run in October - anyone else want to join me? I am not the fastest mover on the block but it is a really fun & moving event.

Tag. I'm it! It's safe to read on.

I was tagged by my friend Liz. The 3 things tag:

3 current goals:
1) Take my Children's Lit final & pass the class with an A. Today.
2) Finish the basement by selecting tile colors, design & order before Monday.
3) Exercise every day except Sunday... I wouldn't usually write this as a goal because I know that it doesn't quite meet the criteria... however, I have lost my big motivation so this is a step in just moving along.


3 current obsessions:
1) Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips
2) Facebook
3) Diet Coke ... I know, I know, I know!

3 fears:
1) Mice
2) Snakes
3) Spiders


3 random facts:
1) My last 5k time was 38:40. In case you're wondering, that's NOT a good time.
2) When I was a freshman in college, I had a 23-inch waist.
3) I met my husband in a physics class on April Fools' Day. He said, "Haven't I met you somewhere before?"


I hereby tag: my sister Jennifer, Crystal (newest blogger on the block), & Alisa.

I hate the airline that sounds like a kite name...

completely and thoroughly.

Breakfast on the Run

OK, with our new & crazy school schedule, I need some ideas for on-the-go breakfasts. My oldest is out the door before 6 a.m. What can he eat that will hold him over until lunch at 12:30? (with the stipulation that the food is braces-friendly)

We have one of these cool egg mcmuffin toasters - . You put an English muffin or bagel in the toaster part, some water, egg, & bacon in the egg part & you get a 5" egg-muffin. Great - but I can't eat these every single day of the week for the rest of the year.

Any ideas?

Kylie

 

This is my sweet 4-year-old niece Kylie. Last night she was kicked in the head by the neighbor's horse. She was rushed to the local trauma center and has had thirty stitches right behind & inside her ear. We will be praying for you, sweetie!

Update: Breathing tubes are out & Kylie is waking up. She seems to be doing fine. :)

Back to School

We did it! Chris started school last week and seminary this morning. Ryan & Jared went off to elementary school. I can't believe that summer is over. The weather still feels way too nice!!!

Jared was SO excited!!! He was giddy-upping around the house this morning & wanted to be dressed extra handsome, have his hair combed, & be sure that his teeth were brushed.

Ryan was okay about going to school but is pretty sure that he got a classroom full of the boring kids. I am sure that he will find new friends. He is on a great baseball team so that will help alleviate any friend concerns.

Olympic Fever has struck!

We have LOVED watching the Olympics as a family & cheering for great performances. Tonight, we watched the marathon & cheered as the Romanian chick led forever. We kept thinking that she looked like she would collapse & then she would just keep going. We enjoyed watching her take lap after victory lap as she cooled down. Also, Paula Radcliffe kept running even though she was in AGONY. I don't know all the details, but the pain was carved in her facial expressions.

And then we watched Michael Phelps make history. So much fun to see him succeed - seems like a nice guy. We just loved cheering for the Americans.

Not the wittiest of posts but just know that we love the Olympics!

 

How did Chris get old enough for High School???

Today was Christopher's first day of high school. He was excited & I was nervous. We love the fact that he is going to a small school and that he can run cross country. Seminary will be the greatest! We are thrilled to death with his teacher, Sister Terry. His days will be long & busy but we're excited for his new adventure.

But really, wasn't he just a little kid going off to kindergarten???

 

Happy Birthday Jared!

Jared is a bundle of sunshine (with a few occasional cloud-bursts)! He still says "hug hug kiss kiss" every time we leave and carries around a blanket. He likes reading (but only for his teacher). He loves the scriptures & is usually the one to remind us that it is time to read. We are delighted that he is our boy - very fun!

Park City day

Today we drove to Park City, rode the Alpine Slide & saw the Olympic Park. There were aerial ski jumpers going off into a pool, 90 meter jumpers jumping over the hill, & a 2002 Olympic museum donated by the Olympic Committee. It was very cool - made me realize that part of what I love about Utah is the Mountains - capital M. Tall, majestic mountains making me feel small.



On a cheerier note :p
Jared threw a rip-roaring 60" temper tantrum because he ONLY got to go on the Alpine Slide twice. He is a little spoiled I'm afraid or maybe just trip-tired. He took a nice nap on the way down the canyon & was much more pleasant to interact with for the rest of the night.

Jared fell down the stairs backwards at his grandparent's backyard tonight. We were all standing around playing croquet when he suddenly started going end-over-end-over-end down the stair-well. SO SCARY! Luckily he was fine - Scott & Grandpa Smith both raced to get to him quickly & save him. :) Sweet but let's not do that again, okay??? [Update: Ryan watched the whole thing happen in slow motion - the croquet mallet kept being behind Jared's head so he hit the mallet instead of the concrete twice before Scott got to him. Nice protection - thanks!!!]

We're goin' to Boise, Idaho! (from the RM)

My parents moved to Middleton & later Nampa about seven years ago - Salt Lake was just too crowded & they were ready for a change. Boise feels very country to me - like the South but not as friendly. (Sorry to any Boise-ites who may be offended.) I keep walking around feeling like I am in a foreign country because of the lack of a Southern accent. I keep hearing restaurant workers speaking & thinking, "He sounds just like Elder ---" - whoever was from Idaho.

My sister Jennifer & her two kids Cameron & Kylie are living with my parents temporarily so they have been coming to everything with us. Makes for grand adventures.

I am done like toast - toasted, buttered, spread with jam, & face down on the carpet. Ready for a nap & seeing my honey again!!! (It's been since Wednesday since I saw Scott. I love my family here but I really really miss seeing my sweetie.)

Later days faithful blog readers. I should just permanently sign my name,
Pictures Coming Soon (-er or later 8.19.2008)

 
 
 
 

Travel Log

 
 
 

On Wednesday we drove to Charlotte and flew to Chicago and then on to Salt Lake City. I just read today that I was stuck in the Chicago airport at the same time as Heidi Swapp (scrapbooking super-star). I would have probably been too chicken to say anything even if I did see her.

The next morning I rented a car (a sporty black Mazda 6) and drove to Boise to see my parents. I don't want to jinx myself or anything but six hour car trips are pretty easy for us now. Get in & drive, stop at 2 hours for snacks & potty, drive, stop at 2 hours for snacks & potty, drive & arrive. Longer than six hours requires serious kid entertainment - and I left the DVD player back in SC.

See ya later.

Whew! We have been busy!!!

Here's a quick summary of what's been going on around here:

Christopher - braces & youth conference
Ryan & Jared - birthday/swimming party
Dad - work, training for a marathon (Scott), high council & YSA stuff galore, Dark Knight
Mom - Queen Sandwich Maker, student (class due soon!), YSA stuff galore, Mama Mia!

Six Flags, climbing, Dark Knight, Lake Day, Mama Mia! Sunday school, & fireside.

Did I mention that we visited Courthouse Falls too?

Off to Utah & Idaho for family & fun.

Brandon and Rachel's Wedding Reception

Even though we missed the wedding the week before in the Portland Temple, we were able to go to Florida for Brandon & Rachel's reception. (We LOVE Rachel by the way - she is a perfect match for Brandon). JeaNette's friends from the ward spent the entire day getting everything decorated beautifully for the reception. It was a fun idea - have an ice cream bar similar to the famous mix-in places. Everyone loved it! The cake was the best cake of any kind that I have ever had - definitely a groom's cake (chocolate through & through). We wished that the weather would have cooperated but luckily it started raining in time to set everything up indoors. Scott helped out in the parking lot by pointing people in the right direction.

Happy Independence Day!

We love family & friends & travel. So this has been a pretty fun vacation. We drove to Florida to attend our nephew's wedding reception. He & his new bride were darling & so in love. Cute, cute, cute!

On Sunday we attended church & then drove up to Litchfield Beach (Pawley's Island) in South Carolina. We spent three nights and three days with our friends the Sammons who moved to Arizona last last Christmas - and four other families/friends.

Then we drove back south to Florida to spend time with Bret & Nette's family. Yesterday, we went to the beach. Ryan got really good at the skim board & found a HUGE shark's tooth!!! (& a bunch of smaller ones) Meanwhile, I went to Japanese food with Nette & her friend Tracy for her (Nette's) birthday. Today, we went to the Lake House & spent time there & then watched fireworks from the dock. Tomorrow, more beach, more driving, & then home sweet home.

Hopefully, I will post pictures soon (but no promises).

I've been tagged by Debbie Hodge!

Debbie has taught several on-line classes that I have taken. She is very generous in her time & her class materials. I love that she always makes comments on my layouts & finds great things to say. She has two sons and lives in New Hampshire. I love that her New England life is so different than my South Carolina life - but that we both have boys & that life is as much the same as it is different. Thanks for tagging me Debbie & here are my answers:

Ten years ago I was a 31-year-old mom of two, including a six-month old charmer nicknamed

cryin' Ryan and a ready-for-kindergarten 4-year-old! We lived in Maple Valley, Washington & I was teaching tole painting at the Renton Community Center. Scott & I were getting ready to celebrate our 10-year anniversary!

Five things on today's "to do list"
1) get a pedicure so I will be ready for my nephew's wedding reception on Saturday in Jacksonville (not a frequent event, just a necessary evil with strappy sandals)

2) make banana chocolate-chip muffins, blueberry muffins, & sour-cream coffee cake muffins for Saturday morning breakfast at my sister-in-laws (she has lots of guests & a reception to decorate for)

3) deposit checks in bank from the boys' super activity to West Virginia white water rafting & bike riding

4) print out assignments for independent study class that MUST be finished by August 1st. (No more extensions available!!!)

5) make a packing list & do laundry from our trip tomorrow (if I do it too far ahead of time...?)

I enjoy my family, keeping in touch with old friends, and travel. Scrapbooking is pretty fun when the desk is clean enough to get to it.

I have lived in Utah, Washington, & South Carolina. I have a great husband, fun kids, and a great life.

I tag Alisa, my sister Jennifer, my sister Julie Liz, Mary, and Rebecca.

P.S. It's now tomorrow & my computer has been cursed with the blue screen & I am running in Safe Mode with Networking. I got the pedicure done & will now do #2-5 + buy stock for Scott tomorrow!

P.P.S. I watched "Dan in Real Life" & really enjoyed it... even though I had to watch it in 25" increments between banana-muffin batches.

Scrapbooking

Here are my two latest creations. I have been taking classes at Debbie Hodge's web-site for quite some time. And one of the consequences of interacting with someone who is so good at digital scrapbooking is that it has made me want to try it for myself. I am still rough around the edges & cannot for the life of me figure out how to embellish a page without handling buttons & ribbons & brads & such... it's kinda fun.




"Ready" was created today after I watched a tutorial on how to scrapbook a page using a digital template. I think it probably took me 1.5 hours. "Inspired" was created yesterday with the same template and took me 4 or 5 hours. It is totally amazing that reading or watching directions can make such a difference!!!

Homesick

We have lived away from home (Utah) for 18 of our 20 years of marriage. Until we moved to Greenville, we visited Utah two or three or four times a year. Now, life is a little more complicated (5 tickets) & airfares are no longer $100 round-trip! We are lucky, really lucky if we can fly back once a year. We are planning on taking a trip and so I called two of my sisters-in-law to see their plans. Talking to them & then peeking at my niece and nephews blogs made me miss everyone & everything Utah.

I count myself very blessed to love my family that I was born into & my family that I married. Great people who live great lives. I am inspired & learn a lot all the time.

The news & politics & other unmentionables

A few of my fellow bloggers have had rants today about how crazy people are, and I will have to agree with them. Both stories involved accidents and bystanders either under- or over-reacting.

There are a few news stories that have recently affected me - the first is the tornado that ripped through the boy scout camp in Iowa. When this happened, my husband & son were in West Virginia on a scout outing. When the news story came on CNN at the gym & I started reading the teleprompter, I just started bawling - right there on the elliptical with the guy that looks at me weird & all the other people at the gym. That same night Verizon didn't let my husband have a phone call home so I was a wreck... what if? what if? what if? They're fine & all is well.

The other story that affected me is the flooding up & down the Mississippi River. A few summers ago we were able to go visit my in-laws in Nauvoo where they were serving as missionaries. It was beautiful & I definitely felt a special spirit there. I know that Nauvoo is between Ft. Madison & Quincy & those towns were mentioned on the news this morning (at the gym again). I was able to do an internet search & find pictures of the streets of Nauvoo & to see that no damage has been done there yet.

Finally, I had a busy day today. I went to the gym and did an iTrain workout - iTri - treadmill 20", elliptical 20" with intervals, bike 20", and then treadmill 20" with sprinting at the end. We then went to the elementary school & helped the librarians move the hardcover fiction & over half of the nonfiction books & way too many dictionaries, almanacs, & class sets of books around. We picked up Jared & then went to WalMart for mulch for the vegetable garden & the front beds. The boys were very helpful - especially Christopher at hauling the mulch, opening the bags, & then spreading it around.

... okay so what does this have to do with my post? I sat down, exhausted, & put my feet up on the coffee table to watch CNN Headline News & was greeted by a screaming woman - she was the anchorwoman & whenever the guest commentator would start to talk, the screamer would interrupt her & go off on a rampage. Very unprofessional. Should I write a note? Already did. I feel better now! Politics make me antsy anyways & when people start screaming, I turn off the tv.

12 on the 12th

I found a fun blog with a challenge to take pictures of 12 aspects of your day (including an obligatory self-portrait) on the 12th of every month. In the two short months that I have participated, I have really enjoyed it. I created the layout in PSE. I am not very good but I think that I am learning a thing or two - (and yes I will show my friend Liz how to do it!)

My favorite picture is the gas pump - it is also my self-portrait. See if you can spot my reflection. The rest is just sort of real life - minus the messes and chaos. At least I kept the typos - I couldn't read them & there wasn't a spell checker.

10 Random Things

I saw a challenge at my friend Alisa's blog to take pictures of 10 ordinary things (specifics). I put everything together in Photoshop Elements. It would be cool & efficient if I could ever figure it out!!! It takes me forever.

1. Kitchen sink
2/3. Refrigerator inside & out - needs some serious cleaning
4. Kids doing now? then they were playing stratego, now they are fighting
5. Favorite shoes - happen to be wearing them, found them at the mall & they had my size. Why don't I go to the mall for getting things? The prices are about the same & they usually carry exactly what I need.
6. Laundry - a big basket full of swimming suits & workout clothes that will shortly make the trip across the house to the laundry room
7. Toilet - pretty shiny & white, huh? Thanks to T&T all four toilets are usually presentable.
8. Favorite room - the family room now that we found our sectional sofa on Craig's List. It is so comfortable & once the curtains & the pictures go up, we will have one room that feels like what I want it to be.
9. Closet - we each have a 6x6 walk-in closet & this is mine. I don't really have a good dresser so the baskets hold all the t-shirts & stuff that don't hang very well & the long stuff is hanging behind the door.
10. Self Portrait - in the powder room mirror so that no other messes are reflected with me. ;)

Beach Trip and SO THANKFUL!

Yesterday we went with nine of the YSA to the beach at Isle of Palms near Charleston. We (most of us?) had a great time. We had footballs and kick balls and frisbees and played all sorts of fun games in the water. Chris and Ryan got burnt to a crisp (and so did several of the YSAs). I have one bad foot but other than that my coloring looks unchanged. We took three cars down - two of ours & one of theirs.

While we were driving down, a double-trailered semi started swerving and almost tipped over. Scott was just passing it and I was just pulling out to the left to pass it. Scott said it was the closest to one of those trucks tipping over that he had ever seen. I was amazingly calm. I had the distinct impression that we were protected from an accident. So grateful - love my family and the YSA - and my life!

Rock On!

We went climbing as a YSA group on Friday night. I wore nice clothes - expensive necklace, sandals, light-colored pants - so that I didn't have a chance at climbing. And then it happened - I just decided that if they could do it, I could do it! And I did!

I had secretly decided that I would never do it or I'd wait to lose 20 pounds or when the gym was empty. Well the gym was empty. I didn't look down, I just hurriedly jumped up & did it before I could think too much. I was stuck for a moment on the white doughnut-shaped rock at the top & then (Ryan probably helped a little) I made it up to touch the chain.

My only regret is landing on my behind at the bottom - my legs were SO tired from working out with Jenn earlier in the day that my legs just buckled when I hit the ground. Lucky me - Lisa was taking pictures & didn't take that one. :)