The Time in my Life for BIG Hair, Pegged Pants, Suntans at-any-Cost, and Blue Eye Make Up

The 1980's.

I gave Matt this 80's puzzle for Christmas, and we've just finally completed it.

Both my husband and I are "Children of the 80's" AND very nostalgic.
But, that decade...man, it was pretty great!
Looking at all the different parts of puzzle was a trip down Memory Lane.
We were like,  Oh, ya....remember....

• ...that one scene in Top Gun that is FOREVER ingrained in your mind whenever you hear the song, "Take My Breath Away"......and was totally uncomfortable for Matt to watch with his parents when he saw the movie for the first time!
• ...how we could NEVER solve the Rubik's cube, so I just disassembled all the pieces and put it back together with all 6 colors/sides done up right!
• ...The Facts of Life was the best show on television, and I wanted to be "Jo" when all the other girls my age dreamed more about being "Blair."
• ...that Different Strokes, The Dukes of Hazard, The Love Boat, and The Cosby Show were pretty darn good shows, too! :)
• ...how you could record movies that came on T.V. onto a video tape, and then watch it again and again later - which I DID with the movie, Grease, whenever a new friend came over to my house.  (Note: only later in my adult years did I get a "real" copy of the movie, and.....it was quite different [read: shocking and not-so-innocent] than my recorded edited-for-T.V. version that I watched all those years!)
• ...I was sitting in my High School cafeteria having lunch my Sophomore year when a boy came in and told me that the Challenger Space Shuttle had exploded!  He tried to tell a joke, "Do you know what NASA means?"  Me: "National Aeronautics and Space Administration."  (jk, I didn't answer that - I wasn't that bright in Science!)  Him: "Need Another Seven Astronauts."  Is that weird that I remember the punch line after all these years?  I think I was so appalled by the tasteless joke, that it stuck in my brain.  Oh, high school aged boys -- they're just so sensitive, aren't they?  ;)
• ...I just wanted a stereo for Christmas, nothing else - and I got one; and it practically took up one whole wall of my bedroom!
• ...it was SOOO fun to play Pacman/Ms. Pacman at Pinocchio's Pizza [or insert any other place that had arcade games] when we went for mutual.
• ...Ronald Reagan was all the rage: my family was soooo EXTREMELY pro-Reagan.  We were THAT family who had the "Reagan/Bush '84" bumper stickers on all our cars....AND our toy wagons, Big Wheels, and dog house!!!
  

{In fact, my older brother did an internship in The White House, and he pulled some strings.....

and I received this graduation card in the mail from the President, himself!}

• ...Bruce Springstein, Michael J. Fox, Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayzee (and Dirty Dancing!), Jane Fonda, Tom Cruise, Cindi Lauper (her part in We Are the World, "Whoa-whoa-waah-let-us-realize."), Molly Ringwald (Sixteen Candles/The Breakfast Club/Pretty in Pink), Mr. T, and more!

And for your further flashback enjoyment, here are some of MY "best shots" (Get it?...as in Pat Benatar's, "Hit me with your best shot") :) from that Excellent Era. (Get it?....as in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure?) 

 (1st day of 9th grade for me, on the left) 

 (a cordless phone for Christmas for my own room - on a humongous clock radio base!)  ;)

 (how's that for an I'm-so-annoyed-you're-taking-my-picture-again,-dad look?)  ;)

 {Hi [li'l bro] Mikey!}

 (Lip Synching to Tears for Fears', "Shout" for my sister's school class, I'm on the left.)

AND look what I'm wearing on my feet; Chuck Taylor Converse high tops! 

What are my children talking about when they say my era was so OUT of it?!!?

 (getting ready for Senior Ball, my Sophomore year)

 (I think my "crush" was probably in that crowd of kids somewhere, and my mom was trying to

catch a photo of me talking with him after our choir concert.)  ;)

 (The "Nerd" Dance - ya it was BIG thing we did.) 

Also, notice the big phone (with a coil cord) that sat (and had to stay) on the kitchen desk  -

and the awesome wall paper in the background!)  ;)

 (my [19 yr. old!] sister's wedding breakfast, I'm in the red/white dress)

 (my 17th birthday)

 (a group of my friends waiting in my room - and freakin' out - to go on a group dance date, I'm the one standing)

 (Yes! It was a REAL thing; tied bows around our collar!)

 (graduation from BHS, 3rd over)

 (my brother's wedding)

(gotta show a car from the era, too!)

OK, so maybe these were more like MY not-so-best shots.....but Welcome to the 80's!!!

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.

Ya Gotta be Sherlock Holmes to be Able to Go on a Date

There was a knock at our front door tonight.....

And we found this on our doorstep.  It was obviously for Kyle, and he wasn't home at the time, so we left it there until he returned.  I KNEW he'd want to discover it for himself; he has a BIG birthday coming up next month (16!), and he has been greatly anticipating it!  Because then the whole world of dating is going to open up for him.  (Our kids wait until they are 16 to date - it is a family rule and a standard of our church).  Kyle will turn 16 on October 20th, and lucky for him, the Harvest Dance (Girls' Choice) is on October 24th!

When he opened the box, he found some delicious-looking harvest-themed cookies inside.  We figured the letters would spell the name of the person who was asking him.  Except it was not so evident to us; the 4 vowels were throwing us off!  Was it a first name and a last name?  Was it the first name and the first initial of her last name?  Or was it only her first name?  But, what first name has 4 vowels and 4 consonants?!? (Unless it's Hawaiian?  But, he couldn't think of anyone.)

So, we just started to move around the cookies.

Was it.....

"Lima?"

Could it be...

"Chem?"

Perhaps it's...

"Elm?"

I know!  It must be...

"Ace?"

Or was it the....

"Mice?"

Maybe he won't get to go on his first date, afterall, if he can't even ascertain WHO he's suppose to answer, and go with!  ;)

CAN YOU FIGURE IT OUT?!?  

Compelled to Spill the Beans

TONIGHT (just ONE DAY AFTER last night's "closed lip" incident, mind you) while I was in my office working, I heard my son come in for the evening and say to his dad, "So, about tonight..."  

My first thought was, No way!  Was he involved in another accident tonight?  (I hadn't even had a chance to tell my husband about the first accident!)  Sometimes, it's like that, ya know?  For y'all, too, right?!?  Hello?
So, I took a break from work at my next opportunity and came out and asked my husband, "Did Kyle have another incident tonight?"
To which he replied, "Another???  When was the other?"  hahaha.  So, I filled him in on the one from yesterday, then he called Kyle up to fill me in on tonight's.

It turns out, it was NOT another car accident.  As in a crash, but.....

Kyle and his friends went to McDonald's.  As they were leaving McDonald's, the car Kyle was in drove by "Female friend 1" [same one from yesterday], who was walking out in the parking lot, so Kyle threw his drink cup, that had water/ice in it, out the window at her.  (I don't know WHY???  To be funny?  'Cause it's not funny.)

WELL......there just happened to be a cop behind them who saw this and he immediately turned on his flashing lights and pulled over their car.  The cop asked WHAT HE WAS DOING.  He told him he was just messing around with his friend back there, SIR.  Then the cop gave him a lecture about littering and respecting women/girls.  He then asked for Kyle's name and phone number, then asked for his dad's name and phone number!


The news spread like wild fire through texts/social media and Kyle started getting all these texts with people commenting and asking questions!  ;)

And here's the kicker: it was the SAME COP from the night before at the accident!  Kyle is not sure if the cop recognized him since he didn't say anything, though.

Kyle did come home and immediately told his dad about this one, and then later me - better for us to hear it from him since he knew we'd find out anyway since the cop had his dad's contact info!  (BTW, Matt never got a phone call!)  So, we've figured out how to make Kyle start yakkety-yak-ing: a cop's scare tactics!  ;)

Close Lipped Kyle

Last night, Kyle went out with some friends.  I knew he got picked up from our house by his two friends, "Friend 1" and "Friend 2."  But, then later, at the end of the night, when he texted asking if I could come pick him up, he was at "Friend 3's" house.
While I was driving him home, I was asking questions about his evening, curious as to why he was no longer with "Friend 1" and "Friend 2" who he started off with, and how he ended up at someone else's house.

Me: "So, you guys just decided to go over to 'Friend 3's' house?"
Him: "Ya."
Me:  "All three of you?  'Friend 1,' 'Friend 2,' and you?"
Him: "Well, I think 'Friend 1' went home."
Me: "And 'Friend 2?'"
Him: "He must've walked home." (he lives closer to this kid)
Me: "Just now or earlier in the evening?"
Him: "Just a little earlier."
Me: "So, did 'Friend 3' call you and invite you over, or did you guys just show up?"
Him: "We just decided to go over there."
Me: "Did you go there right after they picked you up, or did you do something else first?"
Him: "Almost right after."
Me: "So, what did you do when your friends very first picked you up from our home?"
Him: "Well, first we went driving around."
Me: "Driving around where?"
Him: "Well, we were going over to see 'Female Friend 1' at her house."
Me: "And, did you?"
 
We talked for about 5 whole minutes about what happened (which wasn't totally making sense to me, thus, LOTS of questions) BEFORE he finally [and casually] mentioned that "Friend 1," the driver of the car he was in, got into an accident while they were on their way to "Female Friend 1's" house - towards the beginning of the night!!! 

(Everyone was OKAY).
Did he just experience a "slip of the mind" about the accident during my previous 20 QUESTIONS, or what?!?  ;) 
The cops came to the scene to fill out an accident report and everything.  (And they did test "Female Friend 1" to come outside...to see them, BTW.) Then, "Friend 1" had to go home to face "the wrath of his mother" whose nice car he happened to be driving.  And, that's why Kyle was no longer with him, and was at "Friend 3's" house instead - "Friend 1's" evening out with friends was over, and he had to drop them off somewhere else.

Had I not had an "inquiring mind," he maybe wouldn't have even "disclosed" that slight, little detail of the evening!  It's just one of my many roles in my "job description" as a Mom: INVESTIGATOR.

What a contrast, though, he is to his older brother who, at times, was too much of a chatterbox - in fact, we actually have had to say, "Stop talking" to him sometimes in the past.  Whereas, Kyle tries to get away with as few words as possible - as if he believes he only has a limited number of words in his lifetime, and he doesn't want to use them all up too early!  ;) 

If You Confuse the Gas Pedal for the Brake.......

......you end up with this:

{And a traumatized teenager.}

It was a "Perfect Storm" that played a part in the "incident":

• The State of Utah says they can get a Learner's Permit when 15 yrs. old....so he's old enough to get a Learner's Permit, but not old enough to enroll in the actual Driver's Ed. class, yet.  (Which means he's just suppose to practice driving with his parents in the meantime.)
• He had only had three practice driving sessions under his belt so far; one in the church parking lot, two on a real road.
• His dad is not equipped with a voice that can carry with enough volume when yelling the word, "STOP!" or "TURN LEFT." OR with a quick reflex, in his state of shock, to reach over and crank the steering wheel away from the brick column.

Oh, the joys of having teenage drivers!
No wonder the cost of insuring a TEENAGE BOY is sky high!

To make it [kind of] a little bit funny.....on their drive (just a minute before the "incident"), they passed one of our son's friends who was walking home, and Matt yelled out the window (jokingly), "Sam, stay off the roads!"
Needless to say, when the brick column tumbled over, it made a very loud noise.
Sam heard it, but didn't see it, from down the street where he was still walking and he (jokingly) texted our son, "What was that noise? Did you run over another curb?" (because that's what happened on a previous practice drive).
Our son later texted him back, "Not quite."

You Can Tell I'm Not a Teenager

Earlier today, I wanted to use my cell phone and I didn't know where it was.
(THAT'S the first clue that I'm NOT a teenager!!!)

I checked all the usual places (purse, nightstand table, car, kitchen counter, charging station, etc.) but it wasn't there.
Oh well, I thought, I guess I won't use it right now.  I had work to do anyway.
(THAT'S the second clue that I'm NOT a teenager!!)

During a break at work, I called Matt on a land line and asked if he knew where my cell phone was.  Nope.  And we talked about the last time he'd seen me with it.  I'd had it at the School Musical last night, but neither of us could remember it since then.  And that had been 16 hours prior.  A whole 16 hours without a cell phone?!!?
(THAT'S the third clue that I'm NOT a teenager!)

I decided to call my cell phone number in an effort to locate it.  And a woman answered, "Hello.  Farmington Jr. High office.  This cell phone was found in the bathroom here at the school.  Whose is it?"  (The performance was held there last night)
"It's mine!" I replied.
Oh, yeah.....I HAD gone to the restroom after the performance, and as a precaution, I'd taken my phone out of my back pocket so it wouldn't fall out and take a "swim" into the toilet.
And, thankfully, an honest soul had found it and taken it to the office!  Alright! Farmington teens have redeemed themselves from their last stunt.
The office staff took down my name and told me they'd hold the cell phone for me.  I told them I'd try to come pick it up sometime that day.
"Sometime" ended up being 2 1/2 hours later.

When I did go claim my cell phone, the office staff & I were joking about how I am NOT a teenager.
The sure signs:
* I didn't even realize it was missing for 16 hours!
* When it's whereabouts were discovered, I did NOT RUSH right on down to get it!
* I had NOT gone absolutely "batty catty" during the separation period we had experienced!
* And, although there were some missed calls and texts that had piled up during my absence, the number of them was still in the single digits!

I'm one of the 6%.

In Case I Want to Hang Out on My Porch All the Time....

I'm all equipped with a microwave out there....

...ya know, for popping my popcorn, making hot pockets, melting cheese, and heating water for my cocoa.

Heck!  I'd never have to leave the porch!

But, wait!  WHY is there a microwave on my porch?!?
The truth is....it just randomly appeared there this afternoon.

At first I thought, Oh no!  Is Kyle getting asked to a dance?  He's not 16 yet - he won't be able to go!  (We don't date until age 16).  No, that's not right - the next High School dance is PROM, and that's boy's choice....

But then I saw the tag was addressed to, "Kevin" and I was like, Oh...they got the wrong house!

But then Kyle informed me that he goes by that name sometimes.  WHAT?!?  Well, that's news to me!

So, I'm standing there looking out onto our porch in utter dumbfoundedness, and Kyle is completely amused by it.

He said this microwave was definitely for him.  (Apparently, it's a inside joke.)

It looked all clean and new, though - doesn't somebody need this?  Is some teenager's parent wondering at this very second, as they're trying to make some cup-o-noodles, Hey, what happened to our microwave?

So, Kyle attempted to explain.....it has something to do with him wearing yellow jeans and a whale tie to school, a fictitious business he owns selling microwaves (with a partner), discussions about the proper name to call your boss, and another family renovating their kitchen due to a short in their [faulty] microwave.

{Huh???}
CLEAR AS MUD, right?!?

Anyway, I guess it doesn't need to be returned (he figured out the 3 girls who did it, and they said they don't need it) - so we're now officially the proud owners of a porch microwave to make our house look REAL NICE (said in Cousin Eddie's [from Christmas Vacation] accent/voice!) and white trashy.  ;)

If You Know Who the Pink Ladies and T-Birds Are.......

.......you're a girl/boy after my own heart!

I happened to check in at The Pioneer Woman's blog tonight for the first time since Summer started -- have I mentioned before that Summer really kicks my butt?!?  ;)  HERE and HERE and HERE for just a few reminders. Especially THIS ONE as I was getting a missionary ready to go?  And we went on back to back to back vacations/trips.  (unpack, wash, pay bills, pack, repeat!)

ANYWAY, so, although I love her blog, I've been a little preoccupied!  BUT ON THE DAY that I return to it, to my great delight, she is doing a movie quiz, which she does periodically, but today's was on the movie, GREASE!

Oh, I got giddy!  I could hardly start it fast enough!

You can check it out here:
 The GREASE quiz

I am pleased to announce that I DID NOT even use Google to help me with any of the questions (my 1st time ever on her movie quizzes).....AND......I was done lickity split (also, my 1st time ever!).....AND I scored a 100% on my own!

You see, when I was in my teens, "Grease" happened to be on T.V. one night, and my family recorded it on our VCR!!  We tried to remember to pause it for the commercials, but some still got recorded on the video tape, as well.  So, when we watched it in the future, we had to fast forward through those. But, I loved it!  (the movie, NOT the fast forwarding!)

In fact, I looked for ANY excuse to watch it.  WHENEVER any friend came over, I'd be like, "Hey, do ya wanna watch a movie?!!?"
And they were like, "Sure."
And I was like, "Cool."
And then I proceeded to get the GREASE video tape out and watch it myself AGAIN play it for them, and introduced them to the greatest movie ever!

In fact, when I threw a Surprise 40th birthday party for Matt, we had Karaoke there.  NORMALLY, I wouldn't do that, but they had, "Summer Nights" - so what d'ya know?  We ended up singing it together!

***What I didn't know THEN, was that the movie I repeatedly watched in my youth had been edited for T.V., and years later, I was given the real movie as a gift, and I watched it again, and I was like, "WHAT?!?"  OH MY!  I don't remember THIS!  Did they change it?  Because none of these naughty/improper/crude/irreverent parts/lines used to be in it!  Apparently, they had done a thorough editing job!

And because I had so much exposure to it, I can quote many, many of it's lines.

Sandy: Danny?
Danny: That's my name, don't wear it out.
Sandy: What's the matter with you?
Danny: What's the matter with me, baby, what's the matter with you?
Sandy: What happened to the Danny Zuko I met at the beach?
Danny: Well I do not know. Maybe there's two of us. Why don't you take out a missing person's ad? Or try the yellow pages, I don't know.
Sandy: You're a fake and a phony and I wish I never laid eyes on you!
As she throws down her cheerleader pom-poms and runs away to cry!  (I may or may not have acted out this scene a time or two - "just for fun.") 

BUT, even though, Danny was a "bad boy" and a jerk, and Sandy did start to date a "nice", athletic, (but kinda boring) boy, in the movie, I was still pulling for Sandy & Danny!  WHY?!?  'Cuz in REAL LIFE I don't want my own daughters - or my young women - to go after those types of boys.  It sucks ya in, I tell ya.  This movie had POWER over me!  ;)  haha.
Also, I could ramble off these:

“Men are rats, listen to me, they’re fleas on rats, worse than that, they’re amoebas on fleas on rats. I mean, they’re too low for even the dogs to bite. The only man a girl can depend on is her daddy.” – Frenchy

“She looks too pure to be pink!” -Rizzo

Marty: Do you think these glasses make me look smarter?
Rizzo: No, you can still see your face.

“Tell me about it, stud.” -Sandy

It was a fun quiz! Any other Grease lovers out there?  If you're a serious Grease fan (like ME!), I bet you could score a 100%, too!  (let me know your score!)

In the end, when Sandy changes for Danny (becomes an "edgy girl"), and Danny changes for Sandy (a letterman sweater-wearing, clean-cut guy), I KNOW I should've been disgusted that she gave up who she was for a guy (because my mom always fed me that message about the movie!), but I actually thought Sandy looked GREAT/HOT with her curled & teased hair, black leather outfit, & her RED SHOES (Let's be honest, I was probably 90% swayed by the RED SHOES!) and I was happy with the ending!!!  Even though, AGAIN, in real life, I don't want my own daughters or young women lowering their standards because of a boy!
 

But, again, the movie gets to ya - right to your heart!

I'll always have a great fondness for GREASE.
{But, for the edited version a little more than the real one!}

This Weekend:

*We celebrated Valentine's Day with our traditional dinner with our kiddos on Thursday night, since many of us had plans on Friday.

Unfortunately, Ryan's missing dinner with us a lot lately due to work and studying.  :(  

I guess it's getting us ready for when he goes on his mission!  :)

(And we watched some Olympics)

* For Valentine's Day, the 6th Graders at our Elementary School

always do a lip sync for their "party."

Matt & I went and saw Haylee's group perform,

"Let it Go" from the movie, Frozen.

{And she wore a TIARA - gasp!}

* While I was in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, Matt sent me a text, Can I reserve you Feb. 14-15? I jokingly replied that I was already busy that day........

Duh! OF COURSE, he could "reserve" me!!

He gave me instructions to pack an overnight bag, but no other details.  Matt came home from work early and we started heading north in the car.  After a while, he had me open an "agenda" printed on pink paper and folded into a "scroll".......later I saw he'd set up a "gift basket" in our hotel room.

 We had reservations at the Marriott in Logan

which included the Valentine's Day dinner buffet at the adjoining restaurant.

(We'd been to that restaurant 2 weeks ago at his Grandma's 90th birthday party, and I saw the signs advertising this Valentine's Day event.  HE saw ME looking/reading the signs, so he decided to book it for us!)  The boy is SMART -- I've trained him well!  ;)  haha.

There was a ton of things on the spread, but my favorites were:

hummus & crostini's

lettuce wraps

stuffed mushrooms

asparagus - with a yummy cheese sauce

coconut shrimp w/ sweet chili/mango dipping sauce

Prime Rib

Matt had about 254 chilled shrimp & 59 coconut shrimps and topped it off with 6 desserts!

Then we ROLLED back up to our hotel room.........  ;)

(And we watched some Olympics)

*  I totally slept in on Saturday morning until 11:00ish!

(Of course, I'd stayed up way late the night before)

* The "plan" was to go to BREAKFAST at The Crepery, 

but due to my late rising, we hit the LUNCH rush there instead - still VERY good!

 There were these delightful hanging chairs to sit in while we ate my savory crepe. 

(It made me want to buy my own crepe maker!)

*Since we were in Logan (the place we met & dated) we decided to visit a few of our old stomping grounds!  First Stop:  A & W for root beer floats.
(Although the big fireplace in the middle with bar seating surrounding it has since been removed.)  ;(

 Now THEY really know how to do a float!  ;)

*Then we went up to the campus of Utah State University, the place

of Matt & I's first meeting (Fall 1993).  We walked around

and found the classroom in Old Main where we had our

Japanese class together.

 Then we hung out in the Student Center.  

We're real nerdy sentimental like that!

(It was DEAD, though.  What?  Everyone wants to stay OFF campus on a Saturday?  Everyone at the Aggies basketball game?)

There has been so many changes/additions to the campus....it was kinda sad for us, 

we feel like we want it to remain the same, but we understand it has to grow with 

its student body and the times!  

(Back in our day, we didn't even have all this technology stuff that needed rooms & buildings to house it!  Email was new.  I didn't even use it, yet, but I knew of some real "cutting edge brains" who were experimenting with it!)  :)

* We stopped by Gossner's and stocked up on some Cookies 'n' Cream and Strawberry shelf stable milk.

Our plan was to just put it in the cold storage room, without telling the kids we had purchased some more,

and see how long it took them to discover it.........since they can't seem to NOTICE the same DANG dirty sock & Fun Dip wrapper that has been sitting on the floor/cedar chest/window sill for A WHOLE WEEK.  

They found it in less than 24 hours!

* We went to DownEast Home looking for some chairs for the Great Room.

The problem with this store is that, while I like their stuff, they only have ONE chair

of a particular kind....and I'm looking for TWO!
We ran into Matt's aunt & cousins there, though!  Fun!  That's very likely to happen in Cache Valley!

* We drove towards home by way of Brigham City (the place of our first residence when we got married)

and ate dinner at Peach City.

* As soon as we got home, I started making treats for Ryan's dance group, who were

coming to our home after the Valentine's dance.

(And we watched some Olympics while preparing)

  {Ryan & Abby - they made their shirts}

Ryan's Sunday School teacher had lent him his sports car convertible for the dance, and unfortunately, kids from his rival high school (I'll say it - it was the DAVIS DARTS!  Sore losers from their basketball loss the night before, I guess) had come into the parking lot during the dance and put peanut butter, egg, and mustard all over a bunch of cars - including the one Ryan had borrowed!  OH NO!  NOT COOL!!  So, the first item of business was washing cars when they first arrived at our home.

10 couples came!

This is what is looks like [in shoes].  ;)

* Sunday morning, I had myYW class presidency meeting before church at my home - WITH cinnamon rolls.

{Ya gotta get 'em there!}  

* Churchy Church on Sunday.

Ryan actually spoke in Sacrament Meeting -- an assignment I knew nothing about, and Ryan had

actually FORGOTTEN until 1 hour before the meeting started!   That was when

he woke up and still had to shower/dress.

We, his parents, could tell it was "on the fly" and, at times, he was just "filling time", but quite a few people came up to him and us afterwards and said how great he did and they were impressed with his ability to do it last minute. 

(Let's just say his High School Debate team experience competing in the "Impromptu" category really paid off!)
I taught THIS lesson in Young Women and handed out this candy quote card:

(On orange cardstock because that is the color that goes with the YW value, "choice & accountability")

* Dinner and FHE at the Brenchley's.

We got to stay later than normal because of NO SCHOOL on Monday.

(We came home and watched some Olympics)

* On Monday, Matt had the day off work for President's Day, so we got serious about looking for some chairs.  We went to three stores and found a couple of things
WE WEREN'T SHOPPING FOR, and were seriously considering buying,
but then we figured we better get Matt fed before we made a major purchase.....

(because those who know him, know he CANNOT FUNCTION when he goes too long without food!  

I KNOW!  It happened the first few times I was in labor, having a baby.....because my labors last SO FREAKIN' LONG, and he didn't want to leave the hospital room.  

We finally learned our lesson and started packing food for him or mapping out the local eateries ahead of time!)  ;)

OK - back to the weekend.

*Lunch at C & B Maddox in Layton

Their menu has the same turkey steaks and fried chicken that is served at my favorite restaurant, 

Maddox Ranch House, which happens to be [too] far away.

So, we can eat there and it "hits the spot" - AND I get my Maddox Turkey Steak fix!

* So, then we returned to chair shopping.

We found just ONE (of course) at this furniture store, but they were able to find ANOTHER one at a different location.

{Score!}

 So, we now have one less empty space in our home.
(I've left the tags on them because I have "commitment" issue, I guess!)

 Because of the pattern, we are either calling them the "eyeball" chairs
or the "UTES" chairs.  (See the "U" in the middle - and they're more red than this pic depicts!)

* I was getting multiple texts & calls from the kids asking what was for dinner, so 

we stopped by Panda Express and got the Family Meal for take out on our

way back home.

* We had Family Night and Haylee gave a lesson on stealing.

She shared a story out of The Friend magazine about a girl who stole a pop out of a cooler

at a public place - and THEN felt awful, etc. etc......

OK, so we all agreed that THAT example IS stealing and is wrong.....BUT we are a house

divided on the subject of whether or not it is considered stealing if you take something [that's not yours] from your OWN house.  

NAMELY:  Us parents say it is stealing.  If it is NOT yours, it's not yours.  AND it's not yours!!!  End of story.  

The kids say it is not stealing.  [BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES DOING IT, THAT'S WHY!]
They claim that since they didn't KNOW whose the (fill in the blank with whatever it was they took) was, AND it was just laying out in plain sight when they took it,
that they did not "steal." 

{Do you understand their logic?  Because I don't!}

When presented with that argument,  
I asked, "Was it yours?"

Them:  "No."
Me:  "But you took it anyway...."
Them:  "Ya, so?"

Me:  "Then it's stealing."

Them:  "No it's not."

Me:  "Let's look at the definition of stealing:  

to take (another person's property) without permission or legal right and without intending to return it.

What do you think?!?

If they won't take it from their parents, will they at least believe Webster?!?

(Oh!  And we watched some more Olympics)