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. :)

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!