This Weekend:

* The "Ladies" spontaneously put together a breakfast on the spot Friday morning; 

 we went to Sill's Cafe. 

(home of the scones as big as your face)

By the time we left there, they were serving lunch to all the tables around us!  :)

* I was planning on going to the temple afterwards - I'd gone to breakfast dressed for it...

But, first I went to a store,

then to get gas,

then to a grocery store,

then to drop off two garbage bags full of stuff at the D.I. from our closet clean-out.

And by that time, the kids who'd gotten home from school were calling me.....

So, I returned home.

* I sent Kyle off on a group date he had planned with his friends.

The went to the Ice Castles up in Midway, UT.

(sidenote: this girl's mom was one of Kyle's preschool teachers!)

* Matt & I had date night at Sizzler.

We were seated in THE SMALLEST booth ever!

There was NOT enough room for me, my coat, AND my purse.

* On Saturday morning, I took Kyle and Katelyn to go audition for 

the Farmington Youth Theatre upcoming production of... 

There was quite a long wait to get in to audition,

and some good silly, young teenager watching in the meantime, too!  ;)

The fact that Kyle is a 16 yr. old MALE auditioning, made him very noticeable to the directors!

Not a bad position to be in at auditions!  :) 

* My official [write-on] calendar was finally delivered,

so I spent the afternoon filling it in with all the things we have going on this month/year.

It felt so good - I've been a bit unsettled without my "brain."

* Matt & I went on a group date of our own - I think you'd call it a quintuple date.

Our friends had reserved a court at the Rec Center and we played wallyball.

We first did girls vs. guys - I was told that it was so the girls

would actually get a chance to touch the ball!  ;)  haha.

After that, we mixed it up - and I quickly learned it was very 

advantageous to be on Matt's team!

We were reaching/lunging/jumping/hustling in ways we

are not accustomed to.....and boy, have we felt it in our bodies ever since!!!

#gettingoldstinks

Two of the couples had to return home to their young babies/toddlers,

but the rest of us went to Dairy Queen for "cool treats" 

and visited for another hour - or two....

* Church-y Church on Sunday.

This year we changed to the 9:00 a.m. time block - my favorite [at this season in my life]!

* We watched our 2015 Year-in-Review 

slideshow that Matt makes for us every year.

Always fun to reminisce!

(BUT do I REALLY look like that lady in some of the photos???)

* Brookelle got on a crazy-hair kick,

and did her own hair first....

...and then she moved on to Kyle!

* We got a surprise visit from Grandma/pa.

* I ended the day by writing my weekly email to our missionary.

My Brain was Delivered Yesterday

I have ALWAYS used a calendar.

I have to write everything down on a calendar, or it doesn't happen!  Like, the event doesn't even exist if it's not on my calendar!

When I am away from home (and my calendar), and people ask if they can schedule something with me, I direct my eyes upward and try to picture my calendar on the wall to see if anything is written on it.  I'll say, I THINK that's OK, but I can't ever give them a firm commitment until I have a chance to come home and actually look at it.

I've never understood how some people can just keep things in their heads....and remember!

I go over our calendar for the week with everyone during "Family Business" time.  And then I also [try to] look at it every night for the next day - even though I have to look at it again the next morning to remind myself what is happening that day.  AND, it's also a good idea if I look at it again during the day because sometimes (often) by afternoon, I will have forgotten, just since the morning, the things I had going on that day!
BTW, remember when I asked if anyone had found my mind, yet?  Have you?

I usually get a calendar for Christmas, but this year I didn't.  {gasp!}  So, I ordered one myself.  It's "the calendar" that I have used, and my mom has used, for like 30 years.  The only problem was.....FedEx was ALSO affected by the SAME Winter Vortex that jetBlue was, and their deliveries were WAY SLOW & BEHIND.  It took two weeks to be delivered to me - and that was 2 1/2 weeks too long for me!

I didn't know WHAT was going on!  For 15 days!

I felt out of control.  In chaos.  I had no grip on life.  A loss of reality.  I couldn't get organized!

In fact, Ryan would text me a couple of times asking if we had anything on a certain day because his boss wanted him to work, or friends were planning something.....

I would text back, Idk, I don't have a calendar!

To which he responded by text back, This is really messing up my life!

I finally resorted to printing the generic calendar template off the Excel program on our computer and sticking the piece of paper on the wall.

But, YESTERDAY, all that nonsense ended with a much awaited delivery! 
Here it is!  What a beauty.  I practically cried to get a real calendar up on my wall.

I've always really liked writing things on my calendar, too.
For instance, when I get a new sports schedule for one of my children, it gives me such satisfaction to write it all on the calendar.
I think I've come to the conclusion that the reason is, not because I like to be busy, in fact, I've shared before that I LOVE when the calendar square has NOTHING written on it for a day!  So, the real reason is this: It takes a load off of me! It's such a relief that I no longer have to store it in my memory - it is written down.  I feel all organized when I can depend on my calendar to tell me what to do, instead of my [lack of] brain to tell me!  That's why I call my calendar "My Brain."

So, guess what I spent most of today doing to my brand new [blank] calendar?!?

Aaaaaahh!  I feel so much better!

I can sleep at night, now!  ;)