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. :)

L/O, new-to-me sectional, and I WANT A/C!!!

Debbie Hodge predicted that I would go digital by the end of the year ... and decided to play & see how it was. I loved that there was no mess to clean up and that it was just about pictures & text. I like that. Still, I love touching the pictures & paper & embellishments & crafting. Don't I spend enough time at the computer already?



Yesterday, on Craig's List I found a sectional & called right away. The family was super nice & we were both happy with the transaction. My friend Michelle & her husband took me over to pick up the big couch & YEA! I love the look of sectionals & have been looking for A LONG TIME~ checking Craig's List 3-4 times a day & reading through countless listings of "great couch, beautiful condition, only 50 years old!!!" Finally, I hit the mother lode. Just what I wanted. :) And the best part of all? I can buy/make cute pillows & they won't slide off!!!

This couch is a project-maker though - the wall color & the curtains are very close to the same color as the sofa so we will be painting & getting new curtains. Still cheaper than buying a new couch!



On Memorial Day Scott & the boys played football & then went to help a friend move. He had a little incident with a light fixture & should have had stitches on his leg. A neighbor/nurse fixed his leg with steri-strips so he dodged the ER visit. I was so impressed by our missionaries - they were there on their P-day helping somebody move. Very cool! We have loved Elder Carlson & he loves Jared's smile so he let me take their picture together. He is from Alaska & now is moving on to a ward near Orangeburg. (Elder Adams is standing on the porch in the background.)

And finally, the house... we had drywall put in the basement yesterday - they put it up in 3 hours - the whole basement!!! And our furnace is not working - No A/C & the temps have been miserable. I have been dyingggggg! I am so glad that I was not a pioneer. It isn't really cooling off at night. Thanks for sticking with me through this whole long post.

Uncamping?

Last weekend was craaaaazy-busy for our household & it just happened to coincide with the annual Fathers & Sons campout. We talked to the boys & told them that we will go UnCamping instead. The boys are bike riding a 25-miler in preparation for the super activity this summer. The ride starts at 7:30 a.m. in Simpsonville - so by the time we get set up & cleaned up it would be time to be home.

We are breaking out the Dutch Ovens & making pizza & fruit cobbler & s'mores, playing in the woods, & then driving home late at night & sleeping in our own soft & fluffy beds. Love it! I will try to post some pictures (after we go of course).

We hiked around the lake, through rocks in, walked near the waterfall, almost stepped on a snake, & made our Dutch oven delights. The pizza was a little burned but the cobbler was divine. The kids mostly just wanted to play in the fire. Mission accomplished.

Scrapbooking

I have been (supposedly) participating in a class at Debbie Hodge's web-site. I won a copy of her book & then did nothing for 4 classes! (Don't tell...) Anyways, she had a challenge to use a sketch & make a page about a PLACE. It struck a chord with me so I did two pages. I have resigned myself to the fact that I can't really figure out where to put embellishments on the page. I am trying to let go of perfectionism & just getting some pictures onto the paper. Done, not perfect, but memories preserved just a little bit more.

BTW If you click on the picture, it will zoom up in full size & sharp. Somehow I skewed the image when I was trying to get it right.

I have my snapshots in 3-up albums that hold 300 pictures. Each slot lets you shove extra pictures in so in the end each album probably has about 500 pictures. I have at least 31 albums (yes, I just went & counted) so 31x500 = 15,500 printed pictures !!!!! Holy guacamole! I need to let go of perfectionism & just start slapping pics to paper.

Thanks for sharing this stunning moment with me. (OK, stunning is the wrong word... any other ideas?)

Drama

I don't know if anyone who would know any of the situation reads this post, but can I just say that I HATE DRAMA! No matter how compelling both sides of the argument are, I still don't want to be involved. I endured junior high (middle school) from 1977-1981 and lemme tell ya ONCE WAS ENOUGH! In high school I had some girl friends, but I mostly had boy FRIENDS. They just don't overreact like the girls.

I would have to say that I am probably a little dramatic at times. And I am truly sorry to put my friends through that agony. Thank you for putting up with me!!!

Oh yeah! The real reason for this post was to figure out to do hyperlinks so that I can tell my fellow blogger Liz how to do them. Now I know!

Let the scrapbooking begin!

I think I might have mentioned it before, but I am taking a class called Scrap Your Events at Debbie Hodge's web-site. The first lesson went up on the blackboard today & I am ready to sit down & get to work. Since I started taking on-line classes, it seems that I do most of my scrappin' in response to a class or a challenge. Whatever it takes, right? I was surprised to see Debbie's new book on my front porch from B&N. Hip hip hooray! It's a happy mail day.



Also, today is one of my YSA's birthdays. Happy Birthday Mary Armbruster! (Jared always calls her by her full name.)

Today is the neighborhood garage sale & ...

I really, really, really hate selling things to people -- especially things that should maybe just thrown in the trash. It's almost 9:35 & we have sold $2.65 worth of stuff & the rest is still just sitting on the table. The cure is to just drive on over to Goodwill & kiss this stuff goodbye.

Usually we go walk around the neighborhood & buy some other people's junk with the $ that we made from our junk. This year we will just stay home, haul our junk away, & not add any more.

I think that there are one hundred better ways to spend a Saturday morning, including getting teeth pulled, having an appendectomy, and scrubbing toilets.

Now you know how I really feel.

Lucky I guess

Sometimes I just feel lucky.

A few weeks ago my sister Jennifer posted a link to a questionnaire at www.fiskars.com about sewing. Now, I am not currently the most active sewer on the planet, but I do qualify by virtue of my large fabric stash, Elna sewing machine, & Elna serger. I took the online survey, left my email addy & name & just blew it off. A week or so later (long fallen from my conscience) I received an email saying that I won a $50 American Express gift card to spend anywhere -- luckily not just on sewing. I used the $50 & then some on a Bamboo fun tablet . The best (?) part of all was that the tablet comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 & a few other nifty programs. Super dooper excited to figure this gadget out.

Last week I posted at http://debbiehodge.squarespace.com/ Debbie Hodge is a WONDERFUL online scrapbooking teacher. She explains everything in easy-to-understand detail. She gives generously in her handouts. Her style is very clean & copy-able. She is approachable & real. (i.e. She answers emails and keeps up with the class forum & comments on your LOs!) She is also the mother of boys so I get that. She is having a drawing every week for someone to win a copy of her book. I entered the drawing with this entry:
I can't wait to see your new book. I have loved all of your class materials!

1) Last event scrapbooked? Science Fair. I had to dig for a while; I have been in a scrappin' drought lately. Hopefully, my 1000 six-cent picture order from WinkFlash will cure this.

2) Last everyday life ? I worked on a Twelve of Twelve LO for a challenge at http://twelve-of-twelve.blogspot.com/ on April 12th (well, the 13th).

3) Do you every scrap about yourself? Yes.

Sorry no pictures -- full hard drive & LOs got erased. Hopefully, I will buy a new laptop today. (= Family Tax Preparer's fee)
_________________
Jenna
sorry about the hard drive but love the FEE!


I checked every day (multiple times!) and then finally gave up on Saturday & didn't check again until last night (Tuesday). I got on to see the April 14th winner and read:

Congrats to justjenna!!! Email me your address, Jenna, at debbie at debbiehodge.com ---- or, let me know if you want to convert the win to a class pass. Congrats!!!


I was so excited that I was screaming, "I won! I Won! I WON!!!" Christopher & Jared both came running (Ryan was playing baseball) & I got to share my excitement with them. Yippee! Debbie is sending me a copy of her new book.

If you get a chance, surf on over to Debbie's site & see her work. She has free sample classes on the right hand side. They are called 11th Session Freebies. If you sign up & register in the forums to win, you never know -- it just might be your lucky day.

05/02/2008 Luck stuck again. :)

I am a green ESFP. What are you?

My friend sent me a personality test http://web.tickle.com/color . I guess I am GREEN. The test is pretty sensitive though & I was occasionally YELLOW. I think that these tests are kind of funny. I can find qualities that I agree & disagree with on every one.

The Meyers-Briggs seems to be a bit more accurate (longer, time-tested, etc.).

ESFP - "Entertainer". Radiates attractive warmth and optimism. Smooth, witty, charming, clever. Fun to be with. Very generous. 8.5% of the total population.

Take Free Jung Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

On a not-so-self-centered note, I am off to play at Paris Mountain with the YSA -- capture the flag & flag football maybe, a cook-out, & other yard games. Sounds fun (but have you checked the weather???). It will be chilly.

Twelve on the Twelfth

I saw a cute LO idea on Cathy Zielske's blog who got the idea from someone else's blog. Take twelve pictures on the twelfth of every month & make a scrapbook page about them. Here's my take on the day:There were many, many pictures that did not get taken. I kept forgetting that I was participating. (Why is this underlining???
Jared is finally not coughing tonight after 12 straight days of being a sick kid. He is convinced that the nap that he took at rest-time today in K-5 is what cured him. I'll take it!

Okay, too many late nights in a row... boring, short, but finished. Pictures for last post still in the works. And so are the goodies.

Happy General Conference!

Pictures will be coming soon. Or I will send goodies to each & every person who leaves a comment before I get the pics posted. *Unless I get sick & then I get a bye.

We were so happy to be able to spend time this weekend listening to living prophets & apostles teach & guide us. Considering we watched all four sessions (five for Scott & Christopher), the kids did really well. I especially loved the talk by Elder Ballard to young mothers. (I can still count myself as a young mother, right? Jared is just 5.) I have a testimony that President Monson is the prophet of God -- it was wonderful to see that mantel fall upon his shoulders & to hear the difference in his messages.

Jared has been really sick this weekend. He had a fever of 104.5 yesterday!!! Even my usual laid-back-ness on illness has taken a back burner as I have worried about how sick he has been. I just offered to give him Tylenol a while ago & he said, "No, Mom! My throat is NEVER going to feel better." Funny boy.

This morning we had waffles, bacon, strawberries, whipped cream, & OJ. We were supposed to have the YSA come over yesterday but with Jared's fever we canceled. We will definitely have to have a rain check. I love fancy breakfasts!

New Multi-grain Waffle Recipe: *(You will not believe how good these are!)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup each corn meal, whole wheat flour, & oatmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
some sugar (have to check on this as I'm typing from memory)
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
2 T oil
2 eggs
1 t vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients together. Combine buttermilk & milk in 4-cup Pyrex container & microwave for 30-seconds (to room temperature). Add eggs, vanilla, & oil & combine well. Stir into dry ingredients & mix with a whisk until just combined. (Don't over mix & make a smooth batter. Waffle batter is like muffin batter -- too much mixing is bad news.) Drop onto waffle iron & cook until done. AMAZING!!!!! These somehow taste really buttery.

Wowsa! This only made 4 or 5 waffles... and they were all promptly eaten up by the family. Everyone voted them better than Krusteaz! (And we're Krusteaz loyalists.)

Here's crossing our fingers for healthier days ahead.

Service is fun!

Today we had a stake YSA activity at Paris Mountain State Park here in Greenville. I worried & fretted that no one would come but was so excited at the great turnout! They all worked super hard -- even after the rain started coming down. (There is a reason the weatherman calls them Rain Showers!) The crew hauled & spread mulch & rocks & made a path. The ranger was delighted with all of the hard work & impressed that they completed as much work as they did.


I just feel so blessed to be able to work with the YSA in our ward & stake. They are such great people & I love to be with them. I love the chance that I have to work on something with Scott rather than staying home & keeping track of the kids all the time. It has been a year this April & I keep crossing my fingers that we get to stay where we are. (I should write some fancy disclaimer here about being happy with whatever we are called to do but I really, truly love what we're doing now!)

Today, Ryan & Jared were able to come & work with us. They did a great job hauling rocks & staying out of the way. Jared even made the Crystal Light -- it was as delicious as possible. Chris & Scott & Ryan went on a bike ride this morning. Christopher took a bad spill so he stayed home to let his open raspberries heal. OUCH!

Embrace the Puke???

Okay, so whenever I go to Cycling at the gym, I push myself too hard or get too hot or something and ALWAY feel like I am going to throw up. I finally came up with the motto "Embrace the Puke" to just see how far I could push myself before I really, really threw up. It hasn't happened & I have been able to work out a little harder.


Yesterday, Scott took half the day off work & we went up to Asheville to go to the Biltmore House with the kids. HUGE house & always lots of people. We had an annual pass so we were able to go in for free with the kids. In front of the house is a huge lawn and then some stairs and finally another huge hill with a statue on top. The kids decided to go up to the top & so we all went up & saw the view. From way up there, the house looks a wee bit smaller.


Jared started rolling down the lawn & it started a revolution (pun intended). Kids everywhere were climbing the hill and rolling down the lawn. There was evidence of deer in the area but the kids sort of steered clear. One group of kids included a high school boy who was encouraged by his friends to roll down the hill -- he bounced and landed finally with his pants falling down. Our Ryan started at the top of the hill and somersaulted and rolled the whole way to the bottom!!!

All of this rolling around left Jared feeling very, very queasy. He threw up & I got sick about the same time & eventually threw up in the car. AWFUL! We're hoping that this brush with sickness is all that we have for the year.

Here's to good health!

Bowling with the YSA

Some pictures of the boys --