This Weekend:

We weren't even expecting to be home at all this weekend due to that cruise WE WERE SUPPOSE TO BE ON, so our calendar was actually clear.  (Weird!)  We came up with new plans....

* Went to Ryan's basketball game.  (they lost)  

One player (who was really"ON") had 34 pts., Ryan got 15 points, 

and the whole rest of the team combined got 6 pts.

(No wonder they lost?)

*Hurried out of there and drove up to Layton.  

Date Night with Matt and our friends, the Waters', at Boston's.

The place was full when we got there....We stayed long after our food was gone, visiting. 

Only a few tables remained when we left!  So fun.  

The men joked that they could go catch a game somewhere and leave Mandy & I there to talk longer!  ;)

*Decided to continue our "Valentine's Weekend Rom-Com Movie Marathon" when we got home

(We began it by watching, "The Notebook" the night before on V-Day)

and put in "My Best Friend's Wedding."  I fell asleep at the Karaoke scene - 

what, is that like only 20 min. into the movie, or something?  I'm pathetic - and OLD! 

*Made it to watch the last half of our ward's Elder's Quorum (adult men in our church) basketball game

Saturday morning - where Matt AND Ryan were playing, due to a shortage of players.

(they lost, too.  Bad bball weekend for our FAM!)

*SATURDAY JOBS

*When it got to be 12:00 noon, ONLY Matt & I were done with our jobs, 

(as in, ALL of our jobs, done right) 

so we were the ONLY ones who earned the reward to go to"Arctic Circle."  

{The car leaves each Saturday at noon and those who are done may go.}

We actually don't care much about Arctic Circle, so we ate lunch

at Cafe Zupas instead.  But the kids think we went to A.C. {smile}

* Ran errands like taking all our newspapers/magazines to the recycle bin, 

picked up books from the library, filled the car up with gas, 

bought $36 "lettuce" at the grocery store for a salad I had to make for Sunday dinner.

I have not-able-to-buy-just-ONE-thing-at-the-store-itis!

* Sent Ryan off on his Valentine's Dance date.

I really don't like being the mom of the boy for boys' choice dances.

I NEVER GET TO SEE THEM AS A COUPLE!

Or get any pictures.  I asked if I could show up at their day activity  (making their shirts below)

or at the restaurant to take pictures.  Ryan informed me I would be the ONLY parent there.....

and warned me, Just Don't Embarrass Me, OK Mom!?

{I guess that was a, "No"?}

I just had to sit at home ('til 1:30AM) and wonder what his date looked like,
what they're doing, if they're having fun, how their homemade shirts turned out, etc.

{"Viva la Mustache, Sweethearts 2013"}

* I had a cute idea for my Sunday lesson to make a handout using the "Now & Later" candy.

[While waiting for Ryan on his date] I went on a quest to find them.

Do you know it is VERY HARD to find them!  Does anyone know WHY?

Did the company go out of business???

I went to.....count 'em.....SIX stores, and Matt went to THREE looking for them!

It proved to be impossible!  

I had to come up with something else.  :-(

* I READ.  

I had actually packed FIVE books to take on the [non] Cruise.

so I was determined to take some time to 

finish at least one of them - gosh dang it!

I did!  woo hoo!

* I taught this lesson to the 12-15 yr. old Young Women at church.

(we combined classes because we were missing quite a few due to the holiday weekend)

Most of the lesson was taken from President Monson's talk, "The Three R's of Choice" 

which was so excellent.  

The talk was originally given to the Priesthood (Men) of the church, 

but it is so pertinent for us women, too.  I love him!

* Took a one hour nap in between making a salad and our Home Teachers coming to visit.
As a side note:  the girl Ryan took to the Dance on Saturday night happens
to be the younger sister of our Home Teacher, so we got the
"full report" during the visit!  :)

* Went to the Brenchley's for [3rd Sunday] dinner and FHE.  

(Thus, the reason for my salad.)

* Slept in on Monday, President's Day, morning 

and called in our "Breakfast in Bed" order again to the kids.

They got creative making a "fruit flower" for us this time!

*I had to go out to the JetBlue offices for a meeting.

* It was Haylee's turn for her DATE with Mom & Dad.

She chose to go to KFC for lunch, the "Wreck It Ralph" movie, 

and then to Pretzelmaker for a treat.

The only problem was when we got to the Kaysville Theatre

20 min. before showtime, EVERYBODY & THEIR DOG was there, too!

Seriously, the traffic was slowed to a STOP on the road directly in front of the theatre.

The line came out the front doors to the sidewalk, turned down the sidewalk half a block 

to the corner, then wrapped around that corner half-way down that block - 

and that's where we got in line.  Many others came after us and made the line even longer!

Needless to say, after standing in line for 20 min., one of the theatre workers came

down the sidewalk yelling that the movie had SOLD OUT.

{WHAT IS IT WITH US and things being "sold out"?}

Afterward, we thought that WAS pretty silly of us to try to go to

the "dollar theatre" on a school holiday and a day parents have OFF work --

and expect to get in!

Matt found another movie at a different theater to go to.....

I came home and they went to "The Rise of the Guardians" and thought is was awesome!

* I made Quinoa Chili + scones for dinner = Navajo Tacos.  It was super good!  

Another recipe out of our ward cookbook.  Maybe I'll post it another time. 

(No one even noticed the quinoa, I don't think, not a word about it!) :-)

* We had a Family Game Night.

We played Apples to Apples (Ryan won)

and

Mille Bornes (Matt won) 

but then we re-read the rules and realized we did it a little wrong, 

so he really shouldn't have won - we'll have to do a re-match soon!  ;)

Now it's really Tuesday, but since it's our first day back to school & work after the [long] weekend, I keep thinking it is Monday -- anyone else confused, too?

I Never Should Have Been Writing this Post

Are you wondering if we got on the Cruise?

Ya know THE CRUISE that was suppose to cure my Winter BLAHS?

Well.......NOPE!

I am back in the hazy frozen tundra (A.K.A. UTAH)

We DID try, though.  We flew down to So. California on Friday night, so we could be on time for the Saturday ship departure - because THERE JUST HAD TO BE A CANCELLATION for us!  I NEEDED to get on that ship, right?!?

We arrived at the cruise ship terminal and every other person tried to take our bags to load them - I would've LOVED to have let them, but we had to tell them that we had to keep them with us since we weren't "FOR SURE."   When we got inside the ICEBOX terminal, we found out there was another couple there waiting, too.  (These strangers we didn't even know all of a sudden became "the enemy" :) - which of us was going to get on?)  The people who worked there told us we just had to sit on the blue iron benches and wait for "the powers that be" to come down and tell us IF there were any cabins for us.

WHAT?!?  My Personal Cruise Consultant - who I stalked on the phone over the last 5 weeks - had told me that I could get through security and up to the ticket counter and they would be able to check me in on the computer and be all ready to go when there was a cancellation or a "NO SHOW."

And with that big Nor'easter storm that hit on Friday/Saturday, I was feeling pretty confident about "NO SHOWS" with literally hundreds of flights that were cancelled and delayed.

BUT.  The "procedure" was quite different at the actual port.  They said that the ONLY way we could get on is if passengers actually called in and confirmed their cancellation.  And they could not let us have the cabin of a "NO SHOW" just in case they flew in to another port of call halfway through the cruise and showed up to get on the ship -- UNLIKELY, but they couldn't fill their cabin with US in case it happened.

So, my brother & sister and her husband were on the inside of the ship harassing the ticket counter and the front desk telling them that we were out there and were part of their group.  They were reminding them not to forget us and asking them how many passengers had not checked in yet.  Meanwhile, I was on the outside calling Holland America headquarters on the phone asking to speak to the ship inventory dept.  (I was denied, but PUSHED, and got the agent to call for me while I held.)  I was getting updates on the cancellations status - in our case, the LACK OF cancellations, but the people on the phone still told me I could buy the cabin of the "NO SHOWS."  My brother was able to get the Front Desk to disclose to him that 30 people had not checked in yet....so we were HOPEFUL.  This waiting and calling and communicating with my family on "THE INSIDE" went on for three hours.  The other couple gave up and left earlier - YES!  (More hopeful!)

But, in the end - no one cancelled!!!  Yes, there were NO SHOWS, but no one cancelled.  So, here's a lesson learned and a PLEA to everyone -- if you're not going to make it, CALL IN and cancel, because you could be helping SOMEONE ELSE.  Unless those passengers had purchased trip insurance (and a lot DON'T - do you?  Or do you just take the risk and save the money?)  they couldn't get any of their money back anyway, so they probably just didn't even bother to call.  I do not know why employees in the SAME company were giving out DIFFERENT bits of information.  There were a few different "Officials" who came out to talk to us -- they had all HEARD ABOUT US :) -- but they all had the same bad news, to which I asked them if they were aware that their phone agents tell their customers something opposite of the real deal.  They were not aware.  Aaaugh!

WHAT A BUMMER!!!

Actually, that doesn't even begin to describe it!  Even though we knew it might not happen.....to actually BE THERE but not be able to get on....and see the ship sail away....to think of what "might've been"....and know what the weather was like back home......it was SUPER, MEGA DIAPPOINTING!

Like we were seriously SADDENED.  LET DOWN.  DISILLUSIONED. BROKEN-HEARTED.  UNHAPPY.  DISENCHANTED.  BEATEN.  DOWN IN THE DUMPS.  HOPELESS.  IN  THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR.

It might sound stupid to y'all, it's just about a vacation, but I REALLY wanted to go at this particular time!

We did have a plan B - to go use our free week in Cancun, but thanks to that same storm that was suppose to increase our chances on the cruise.......decreased our chances for flights.  The flights in & out of the East (the connecting spot to Cancun) were all filled up FOR DAYS with the leftover customers that were displaced previously.

Plan C was just to go home on Sunday.  (It was too late to get back on Saturday evening after the ship left.  THE SHIP LEFT US!!  I can't believe it.)  How depressing!

Plan D was to find another last minute cruise departing out of California.  We found a 4-day cruise to leave on the 11th, so I called.....and guess what?!?  It was SOLD OUT, but the reservations agent happily infomed me that he could put us on a "WAIT LIST" [for a small deposit].  You've GOT to be kidding me, right?!?  This news coming just RIGHT AFTER I spent my day in the icebox on a wait list!  NO WAY!  BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!

We went and got dinner in a Mall Food Court -- so different from the lavish dinner we should've been having in the Cruise Ship Dining Room!  Boo hoo!  Thanks to Hotwire.com, we got a last minute hotel and tried to put an end to this day.

Matt came up with a Plan E:  To stay in San Diego at least a few days so the whole effort wasn't a total BUST.  But, that would cost more money and it wasn't really what we wanted to do.  But, if we went home, that would be worse!  Or would it?  We couldn't decide.  Our minds were too muddled to even know what the best plan of action was.  We would lean one way.....and then the other.  One of us decided one thing, and the other one started to agree, and then the first person would change their mind.  It was so tiresome.

I thought after a night's sleep, I would feel better, but I woke up still disheartened.

My first thought was that I should -- I DESERVED - to just stay in bed all day in my comfy clothes and no bra (my favorite outfit) and do NOTHING, except feel sorry for myself!

But, it WAS Sunday.

I had my iPad with me, and it was super easy to go to www.lds.org and find the closest church to where we were staying.

But, then one of Satan's lies popped into my mind, IF you would've got on the ship, you weren't going to go to church this Sunday anyway, since they don't even have church on the ship.
AND  
You've had a hard day, treat yourself to a day of 'vegging' in your hotel room.

Thankfully, I came to my senses enough and we did go to church.

IT WAS JUST WHAT I (WE) NEEDED!

I felt a little bit better the minute we drove into the parking lot and I caught sight of some men in white shirts and ties.  I felt even better when we walked inside the church and the door greeter gave us the HUGEST smile and a wave.  From there, things got increasingly better and better.

I was reminded of and gained a new appreciation for the scripture in D & C 50:22;  Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.

Guess what one of the speaker's topic was?  HOPE vs. DESPAIR!  Perfect.

It filled me with the right amount of Spirit that had been missing.  Going to church can do that!  Note to self:  Don't forget that! 


After church, we were able to even JOKE about our situation - and we decided to STAY.  We already had work off.  We already had caretakers for our children arranged.  And we had Hotwire.com......which we used to get a Hilton BEACH resort.

 And THIS scene outside our hotel window:

 Was TONS better than THIS scene back home:

 

I even got in a swim suit (with a hoodie over the top of it) and sat by the pool -- because the SUN WAS OUT!

BTW:  My "Personal Cruise Consultant" called me when I got back to Utah - maybe in response to all my voice mails I left her the couple of days before we left? -  to say she was sorry we didn't make it on the cruise.  I told her that she had given me INCORRECT info about getting on the ship if there are "NO SHOWS" and had I known the REAL policy, we wouldn't have even gone down to CA and waited for the DENIAL!  She claimed she didn't know.  Well, it seems like that would be a good thing TO KNOW so as NOT to lead customers (not anymore) astray!  I think the purpose of her call really may have been to try to book another voyage with me, but after she learned of our situation, and that she had screwed up, she didn't even bring it up!  ;) haha.  Smart Girl.

Good Thing I'm Not a Betting [Wo]Man

ONLY BECAUSE OF my and my husband's impending absence next week due to [hopefully] being on a Mexican Riviera cruise, we decided to let our 2 1/2-weeks-away-from-being-17-yrs.-old son get his Driver's License -- TEMPORARILY -- even though he has not obtained his Eagle Scout yet, (the prerequisite in this family) so he could be the chauffeur to and from all the places he and his siblings need to go in an average week - and it would not drive their caretakers absolutely INSANE with their crazy schedule that they aren't used to at all!

TEMPORARILY being the KEY WORD.  He can ONLY drive while we are gone.....when we return, we are taking his Driver's License away until he gets his Eagle Scout - or until we go out of town again - whichever comes first!  :)

So, I called the Driver's License Division to schedule his road test (as per instructions on their website.)  Well, in doing so, we found out that his Driver's Ed Instructor had never entered his results into the database, so they would not let me schedule an appointment until that happened.  I also found out that his Learner's Permit had expired 5 months ago, so he shouldn't have even been driving with us anymore!  (woops!)  But at least his written score was good for one more month and he didn't have to take THAT again (assuming he could pass the road test.)  So, I spent the next little while texting Ryan back & forth telling him to go talk to his teachers.  I, myself, was also calling the school and leaving voice messages on both the teacher of the class and his instructor he did his driving with....because we needed to get him in BEFORE we left town!  I made a few more calls to the DMV and between that all, we got the proof needed entered into the system.  LUCKILY, there was one cancellation this week that they could fit him in before we departed.

Then my son started texting me:
Why do I have to take a road test?

{Duh!!!}  So, they can determine if you're safe/good/smart enough to be out on the roads!!!  (I didn't actually text him that.)

I just told him someone from the State needs to put their "stamp of approval" on his license, if he's going to get one.

Then he told me that NONE OF HIS FRIENDS had to take the test.....that they already did it in Driver's Ed.

Yeah, right!!  (I thought)  These dumb silly teenagers!

I tried to tell him that all those driving hours he did were JUST his driving PRACTICE & EDUCATION, not an actual test.

Are you SURE?  he asked.

Of course!  I'm the Mom.....besides that's just the way it was back in my day when I was 16 (+ 5 weeks!)  I had to take the test.  Your Dad had to take the test.  Everyone has to take the test!

So, I checked him out of school - out of his hardest class, Calculus, no less - for the ONLY available appointment all week to take him to the Driver's License Division.

The whole way there he was complaining about him not thinking this was neccesary, and that no one he knows has taken a road test with some government official.....and that HE'S MISSING CALCULUS!!!
He asked me some form of "Are you sure?" and "Why?" a half a dozen times on the ride there.

In between all his comments, I was coaching him on making sure NOT to speed or drive up into any of the snow banks, or else they would flunk him on the spot.  I also told him he would FOR SURE have to either parallel park or make a 3+ point turn.  AND on top of that, snow had started to lightly fall, so he'd have to be very careful, as well.

I had him clean out the car and put everything into a bag so the "judge" wouldn't get a bad first impression and not pass him right from the beginning.  I also brought a book and other activities for myself and Miss B. to occupy ourselves with during his hour long(?) road test.

We (I) filled out his application (he still doesn't know our new home address) and took it up to the counter......and then I told the receptionist that my son thought he didn't have to take the road test due to having passed Driver's Ed.  Funny boy, isn't he?!?

AND THEN......

.......she checks in her handy dandy computer.....and says, "THAT'S RIGHT.  We've got his "Certificate of Completion" right here!"

WHAT?!?

ALL HE HAD TO DO was get his picture taken and pay $30.00 (well, I did.)  And it turns out he could've done that any dang time of the day -- WITHOUT an appointment -- and especially NOT during Calculus class.  We were in and out of there in less than 30 minutes, with his new D.L. in hand!

What happened to the way things were done "Back in MY day?"  I had to go out alone with some intimidating, uniformed, stranger dude..... and make a U-TURN in our family's big Suburban!  (Apparently, that part IS done as part of Driver's Ed. in the schools these days.  Who knew?  Not me.)


The whole way back to school, my son kept saying, "WE TOTALLY SHOULD'VE BET ON THIS!"

February "Healthy Lifestyle" New Thing

So, I drank an ocean of water for January and I am pretty good on that habit.....
Time to add something new this month to become healthier:
 
Lifting Weights.

Every article I read and every "educational" program I watch on TV and every other Yahoo! home page news story has something to say about the benefits of adding weights to your exercise routine.

Especially for women of my age.

Who's body parts are starting to S-A-G as gravity fights against them.

Who's bone density is decreasing.

Who's metabolism is S-L-O-W-I-N-G down.

Who have a whole lot of wiggling & jiggling going on when we just do something simple....like sign our name!

So, not only am I "pumpin' the iron" (if you can even call it THAT - I'm starting out with such light hand weights that my son made fun of me!  gasp!)

But, I'm going to be seen wearing these babies around all day long:

So, as I go upstairs and then downstairs and then put in a load of laundry and then drive kids to and fro and twirl around the kitchen doing pirouettes, I'm sneaking in a [tiny] weight lifting workout.  Hey!  Every little bit counts, right.

I remember when I used to work at the bank as a teller, a co-worker of mine wore these behind the teller counter every day for a "hidden" workout.  I thought she was so smart!

Now it's OUT THERE.  So, I am accountable.

Next thing you know, you'll see me on a poster for the "Ms. Olympia" contest!  ;)

First Heartbreak

My daughter came home from school yesterday, seeming kind of melancholy, and asked,
"Mom, can I talk to you?"

Sure!  We went into my bedroom and closed the door.

"{insert boy's name} is a LIAR!" she whined.

"Oh?  Really?"

"Yeah.  I asked him to Be My Valentine today, and he said he was already someone else's......AND THEN I saw him go over to {insert another girl's name} and ask HER to be HIS Valentine!"

"Oh no!  How disappointing!"

"And then I walked home from school with {insert same above referenced girl's name} and asked her about it, and she confirmed he DID ask her!"

"What do you think that means?"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Really?  She didn't know?  Because I'm thinking it was as clear as day.  This boy likes this other girl and he was already planning on asking her, but then Haylee jumped the gun and messed up his plans, so he rejected her with a "cover up" and asked this "true love."  Pretty much, it was a case of, "He's Just Not That Into You!"  But I didn't divulge that cold, harsh truth to her.  Should I?  Because she certainly didn't see it that way.

"It's SO confusing" she continued, "I always catch him looking at me in class.  Why would he go ask someone else?"
 
{Background info:  They were already "Mistletoe Mates" from the Christmas season, so she thought this Valentine thing would be a "done deal."}

"Because he looks at me for like 25 seconds!"

I counseled with my resident 13 yr. old young man about the situation and meaning of the male psyche.  He confirmed this boy was trying to say NO in a nice way.  And as for the long looks....sometimes boys just stare into space for a while without really even SEEING anything!

I hugged my daughter and she laid her head on my shoulder as she wallowed in her misery. 

Then she got on the phone with one of her girlfriends and told her the story.  She got off the phone and told me, "{insert friend's name} says {insert boy's name} is an IDIOT!" 
And somehow that made her feel better - she looked a tad bit more content.

And I thought.....that's EXACTLY what I did as a young girl.....talk & talk & talk to my girlfriends about my crushes and how "BOYS ARE SO DUMB!"

Oh dear, It has started with my daughter!

I didn't want her thinking I approved of her "trash talking" other kids, so I told her, "He was probably just trying NOT to hurt your feelings."

"Well, he DID!  He made me cry at recess when he rejected me!"
(Oh, how heartbreaking!)

Then she switched gears and was wondering WHY he couldn't be BOTH her and that other girl's Valentine?  Because rumor has it, that girl that he DID ask was THREE DIFFERENT BOYS' "Mistletoe Mate" back in December.  (Apparently, she is one little Hottie at the Elementary School!)

So, now she's considering polygamy as a satisfactory arrangement?!?

Aaahhhhh.....Young Love.

_______

*Names have been omitted to protect the privacy of the innocent  :)

I Need to Get Out of Dodge

I haven't seen the ground for over a month!  It's been covered with snow or ice continually.  OR, at times, snow AND ice.  In the past, usually it will snow, but then the sun comes out and melts it all in a few days.  Then it will snow again sometime later, only to be all gone within days again.  This year, ACCUMULATION is the story.

UTAH IS FRIGID!

I mean colder than I ever remember it.  I am actually wearing a coat every time I go out.  Mountains of snow pushed to the side of the road and in the middle of parking lots are a common sight. In fact, the width of the roads has been narrowed because the snow banks are spilling out into the outside lanes, and the snow plows haven't had time to clear the entire width of the road, just down the centers.  Our poor cul-de-sac has been forgotten by the city's snow removal crew - they still don't know REAL PEOPLE live in a few of these houses in the construction zone?!  We [foolishly] drove on our driveway when it first snowed back in December, and the packed down snow became permanent.  It was all white for a month.  EVERY house & building has icicles galore - I'm seriously afraid entire rain gutters or eaves are going to bust right off the framework.  Then add the constant INVERSION we've had - a sky full of "gunk" blocking out the sun is depressing!  And hard on the respiratory system, too.

Basically, The Beehive State resembles a frozen tundra.

Currently, anyone who walks anywhere outside is taking their life into their own hands.  The combination of temperatures in the teens, a thick layer of ice, and the sun’s inability to melt anything right now make for a scary combination.

Two and a half weeks ago, school was cancelled - we got THREE phone calls AT 5:45 IN THE MORNING, one to my cell phone, followed by one to Matt's cell phone, and then finally to our home phone.  Yep!  We got the message - we had a SNOW DAY!  That's the first one we've had since my oldest started school 12 years ago - we just haven't had bad enough snow storms in all these years!  I remember having one when I was in High School, but the power was out in conjunction with the weather which made school impossible.

Then last Friday, the ringing of my cell phone woke me again from my slumber.  School was going to start two hours later than normally scheduled due to the ice storm we had the previous day & night.  We're not used to those in Utah and we don't know how to drive (or walk) in them!  I actually could handle that late start for school.  I was totally ready when I took the kids to school and there was no rushing!  :)  But, it was also "early out Friday" so the elementary kids were all back home 2 1/2 hours later - WEIRD!

(Then we had a "turn" in the weather when it rose to a "balmy" 35 degrees for a few days and we were able to chop up the snow/ice [and break our backs/arms] off our driveway and we saw concrete again!)

And then it dumped snow on us again yesterday, and we've got more snow forecasted for the next 3 days.  We already broke a brand new shovel we bought last month!

Winter has always been my least favorite season, but THIS YEAR....Oh, it's been so bad.  It's merciless!

I CAN'T STAND IT!  I need OUTTA here!  I'm going to go LOONEY pretty darn soon!

Even Kyle, who enjoys the snow......

...says he is now DONE with it. NOW THAT'S HUGE when it gets to the point that he'll say THAT!

So, EVERY DAY, I am telling Matt, "We gotta get outta here!"

And he says, "I hear ya."

But, for some reason, we're STILL HERE.  And we have no excuse, with my flight privileges and all!

We are currently on the TOP of a waiting list for a Mexican Riviera cruise that has SOLD OUT but is leaving in 12 days.  (That my siblings & parents happen to be already booked on)  I am driving my "Personal Cruise Consultant" at Holland America crazy by calling every week, even though she has told me she will let me know as soon as a cancellation comes in!  Hey, what does she get paid for, anyway?!  I'm just helping her "earn her pay!"  PLEASE SOMEONE CANCEL!!!  It'll just take ONE cabin to cancel, and we are ON that ship.  Isn't that bad, that I'm hoping for a cancellation, which will most likely be BECAUSE OF an "unfortunate event" for someone else, so that I will have something good that I want!?

If this cruise doesn't work out for us in February, I'm demanding we go to Cancun in March (after basketball season is over.)  We have a free week at an Adults Only all-inclusive resort that we have to use before June 2014 anyway -- but March is so far away!!!  I need to go somewhere warm & sunny NOW!   Waaaaahhh!

See, I'm becoming mentally deranged!  I'm gonna be that lady you see on the Evening News doing something totally crazy & senseless......if my environment doesn't change soon!

Called to Serve

My neice opened her Mission call tonight.
We all went up to their house to witness this EXCITING event.
There was my family of 7 and about 100 other people there, too.  Really, maybe half that many.  Or a third.  I really don't know how many, but there were enough to make quite a ruckous with our cheering and clapping when she read aloud her mission she has been called to serve in.

MADRID, SPAIN

And the shouts continued when she read from her call that she will report directly to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in SPAIN - not the traditional one in Provo, Utah that everyone else in the family has gone to.

And the noise [of gladness & congratulations] burst out again when she read that she will start her mission on June 12, 2013.

I am thrilled for her!

With the new announcement from the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, at last October's General Conference that the new age for women to serve a full-time mission was changed to age 19 instead of 21,  she immediately was eligible since she was already 19 yrs. old!  There is now a SURGE of women submitting their missionary applications -- and I think IT. IS. WONDERFUL.  Sister Missionaries are SO effective and amazing.  They were THE BEST in my mission, but, unfortunately, we were in the minority......but things are changing now with the lower age!  Amongst some of my neice's other "fans" there to watch, there were three other girls who had their mission calls, too!!  It's so great.

Being there tonight, I couldn't help but recall receiving my OWN mission call.

Although, my experience 21 1/2 years ago was very, very different from hers today, it still brought back the EMOTION associated with it..  Tears filled my eyes as I listened to her read her call, just the same as they have the other few times I have been privileged to be a bystander when future missionaries have opened their calls.....BECAUSE I KNOW what it's like to open a Mission Call.  I have been there!  The tears were there when I opened my OWN call, too.  It is SO important and SO profound.  It is SO BIG - a call to serve from The Prophet.

After being a part of her "Mission Call Opening Party" with the masses, Matt asked me if it made me wish I would've done it like THAT.

No.

That may surprise some because I am very much a "social creature" by nature and a "People Person" who loves friends and being around others.  USUALLY.  But, opening my mission call was NOT a USUAL experience.
There is not a wrong way and a right way to do it.  The way I did it was just PERFECT FOR ME!

I chose to open my Mission Call all by myself, in private, out in nature, next to a river in the beautiful surroundings of Logan Canyon in Northern Utah back in the summer of 1991.

I wanted to have my own true, REAL initial reaction to the call - without having to "put on a show" for an audience.

So, when I learned of my call, FUKUOKA, JAPAN, there was no fanfare.  No deafening crowds whooping and hollering.  No eyes on me - at least not of the human kind.  But I felt very, very close to my Heavenly Father & Jesus at that moment - I KNEW They were with me.

(Signed by Ezra Taft Benson, the Prophet in 1991)

Even though I am "Geographically Deficient" and I didn't even know WHERE Japan was....North?  South?  East?  West of here?  Even though I had indicated on my application that I was NOT interested in learning a foreign language....  And even though I [might have] exclaimed, "Holy Cha!" when I read it, I immediately prayed - right then and there on that big boulder I was sitting on out in the open air.  I was surrounded with just the sound of the trickling water, the fluttering of leaves in the trees up above and the occasional chirping of a bird.  And as I did so, I felt The Spirit confirming to me that I was "up to the challenge!"

For DAYS afterwards, it still seemed like an "Out of body experience" to think about ME serving a mission in Japan.  I still can't believe that I did it sometimes, now!   But, that day will always be a tender memory for me.

I did go to my parents home the next day where the rest of my "groupies" had gathered and I "opened" my Mission Call (however I already knew where I was going) in front of them.  Then they were all made privy to the BIG NEWS for the first time -- and they shared in my joy and excitement, too.  So, I got BOTH - a private and a public opening - I've always been one to prolong the CELEBRATION as much as possible!  ;)  haha.

GO Sister Missionaries! 

(This plaque hung in the glass case at our church building the whole time I was gone.)

This Weekend:

*I dug right in and made one of the recipes on my New Year's Resolutions
for Friday night "dinner"!   
^CHECK!^
 (Technically it's an "appetizer", but hey, it has meat in it, so it works, right!)

It did NOT disappoint.

In case you want to indulge, too:

"FAMOUS DIP"

1 lb. Italian sausage

3 tomatoes, diced

2 onions, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

8 oz. cream cheese

16 oz. sour cream

1 can diced green chilies

Cook sausage and onions, then add peppers, tomatoes and green chilies.
When peppers and onions are cooked, add cream cheese and sour cream and
simmer for about 10 minutes.  Keep warm and serve with tortilla chips.

(I didn't have enough tomatoes or peppers on hand, so I used less, and it was STILL DELISH!)

*Went to Ryan's {first} Jr. Jazz basketball game

(the "official" 1st game got cancelled last Friday due to the snow storm and school closures)

I talked most of the time to a delightful young lady who came to watch Ryan & the boys.
It turns out she is the daughter of one of MY High School classmates -
 from all those years ago at good ol' BHS.

{Small World}

*I worked most the day on Saturday -- 9 HOURS!!

(I traded a lot of crewmembers for a [hopeful] upcoming vacation!)

*DATE NIGHT here. 

We thought we'd try it out since it was new to our area -- AND we had a coupon.

It was one of those "Mystery coupons" where you don't know the value 

(anywhere between $5.00-$100.00) until your waitress "reveals" it.

Of course, ours was just $5.00.

The food was good, but their "side" of fries was WAY TOO SMALL.

It was also a bit of stimuli overload.
In our little section of the restaurant (about 9 tables), there were 10 TV's -
 all different sizes, all playing a different station.

*We also went to Dollar Tree to do a little shopping.  (VERY romantic part of date night - haha!)

I specifically wanted to get more CREAMY PETROLEUM JELLY,
and I've only seen it at this location.....and I bought the last 4 tubes off the shelf! 

It's working great on all of our dry skin/hands this Winter.

And, of course, we ended up with about a dozen other random things in our cart, too.

Hey, it's ALL a dollar!  :)

*And because it was soooo COLD outside, ice cream was NOT a good dessert option,
so we went for doughnuts at Bowman's instead.
They are half-price after 7 or 8 'o clock every night.  SCORE!

*Went to CHURCH on Sunday

We are on the new 9:00a.m. schedule for 2013 which has become my favorite time!

My Mia Maid Advisor gave a great lesson to our Young Women about
getting to KNOW Heavenly Father through prayer,
referencing THIS TALK from Elder Richard G. Scott and showing THIS VIDEO.

It. Was. Fabulous.

{and heartfelt}

I think with the new curriculum for youth, "Come Follow Me", we will have more opportunities
to feel The Spirit in our Sunday classes as we share & testify together.  I am excited.

*Meetings after church

* Made School Lunch Peanut Butter Fingers 

for dessert to take to my In-Laws for [3rd Sunday] Dinner & FHE.

Matt said this recipe was SPOT ON to what he remembers from his school days......

and that I should ditch my other recipes I HAD BEEN making the last 19 years!  ;)

*I had time for a 50 minute nap!

*Went to Grandma & Grandpa Brenchley's with 3 other families of cousins!

{We hardly see the children}

*MONDAY = MLK Day

No school.  No Work.

*I slept in....until 7:30ish - how sad!!  Since WHEN did THAT become "sleeping in"?

*I called from my cell phone in my bedroom down to the kids on the home phone
and ordered "breakfast in bed."  This has become kind of a tradition on "Days Off."

They brought us eggs with bacon bits, L'il Smokies, Peanut Butter Crunch (for Matt), & Sunny D.

They wanted to do scones, too, but Matt didn't trust them
on that "high danger" type of cooking...

so he made them for us later as "brunch."

*Went to lunch with Matt at Cafe Rio

then went clearance shopping at T.J.Maxx & Shopko next door.

{the signs on their windows and ads lured us in!}

*Took the whole family Bowling.

I definitely SUCKED IT UP!
BUT after EIGHT straight 0's, I rolled a STRIKE to end the game!

Matt finished first, Katelyn second.

Ryan blamed his performance on a sprained thumb (from a church ball "incident".)
Kyle blamed his on a bum knee (from crawling up the stairs pretending to be a gorilla!)

Our good friends, the Knudsen's, showed up at the same bowling alley right after us -
totally UNplanned - but we got to hang with them a bit, so it was fun.

*Went to dinner at Wendy's afterwards.  (Kid's Choice, obviously)

The newly remodeled/renovated Wendy's has this big, turbo drink machine
that makes like 60 different kinds of drinks!  

It's all touch-screen, too.  I push SPRITE, for example, and THEN,
I not only have the choice of SPRITE,
but also Peach Sprite, Grape Sprite, Cherry Sprite, Raspberry Sprite, Orange Sprite, etc. etc....
and the same for SPRITE ZERO!  All with the touch of an "app."  

WOW.  We think we'll go on a date there just to get drinks one time
and then sit by the fireplace on their new couches and sip our 142 different concoctions --
then be UP all night peeing!  :)

We Aim High Around Here (?)

I found THIS "New Year's Resolution" paper in Katelyn's stuff.....

I wonder just WHERE IS that best set in the shcool found?  In her classroom?  In the Principal's office?  In the cafeteria?  In the Computer Lab?

Is it HARD to "land" this best set in the shcool?  Is it a "First come, First served" type of a deal?  Is it a "reward" for good behavior?  Is it "off limits?"  Is it only considered "the best" by Katelyn?  Or is she just hoping she [luckily] gets assigned to it when her teachers make random seat changes?"

It's obviously a very HIGH "set" that also has magic powers to make your legs grow extremely long when seated in it!   

Maybe it's the orange color that makes it so attractive?

And I wonder why she didn't include SPELLING SKILLS as part of her "aspirations" for 2013!?!  ;) haha.

Whatever the details are, however lofty [or not] her goal is -- good for her.  She's written it down, so it's SERIOUS.  How does that saying go?  "A goal not written down is just a wish?"  Or something like that.

Soooooo, that means I better write MINE down, right?!?
And what better place than my blog!  :)

The first one I made was for me AND Matt.  Don't you love it when other people push their agenda goals onto you?!?  ;)  But, he agreed to it immediately, so it wasn't as bad as it sounds.

Here it is:
We're going to invite another couple* to go out to dinner with us EVERY MONTH.
Hey!  Who says New Year's Resolutions can't be FUN?!?  They don't have to be grueling, sweat inducing, miserable, time consuming, mentally taxing, deprivation type goals, right?!?  Those are coming!)
I'm excited for this; we'll get to know our friends better, and make new friends, too!  We're already 1 for 1 as it is just January still.  We ARE taking a "waiting list" of couples who who like to be invited, so mail in your applications!  Just kidding.  :)
*As in a different couple every month -- unless we get turned down for these dates, and then we'll just stick with the one who says, "yes.")

Here's another one:
I'm going to get ready IN THE MORNING.
As in, before I start cleaning up.  Or paying bills.  Or get on the computer.  Or making my shopping list.  Or planning our vacations.  Or working on Young Women stuff.  Or looking for my ever-elusive cell phone.
THIS is going to be HARD
 .....because if I go into any part of my home, I can always see so MANY projects or duties "calling my name" that I want to start tackling right away.

But, what is my mantra, again?

BUT, I'm sick of being "caught" looking like a rag-a-muffin still too late in the day.  I feel like such a loser when that happens!   

PLUS, it just really makes a difference in feeling "on my game" and being productive.  When I AM doing a dozen other tasks while still in my "morning glory" (PJ's, no bra, bedhead, yesterday's leftover make up and smells), there's always that cloud hanging over my head saying, You still have to get ready! and it makes me feel 'eeeck' -- almost like I haven't accomplished anything, even though I have!  Do you know what I mean?

And, YES, I will have you know, here at 10:45 in the morning as I am working on my blog, I am fully dressed, make up, hair brushed, with earrings in!  Woo HOO!! :)

Which brings me to another one:
I want to write more on my blog.
It seems like ever since we moved into our new home, my posts have been declining.
But, ya know, it wasn't just since then, it was the whole time we were building this house, too.
....AND the entire time we had the old home up for sale - which was entirely WAY TOO LONG!
And, if we want to be really honest, my blog hasn't been given proper attention since I turned 40!  And that was in 2010.
I don't know why that's so, but just because I'm OVER THE HILL, doesn't mean that my "Weekly Gratitude List" should only gets changed every 4 months!
So, my plan is.....well, I don't want to disclose it exactly, so y'all won't hold me accountable if I don't follow it flawlessly......but, in my head I have decided that on certain days every week that I am going to write - of course, while I am fully clothed & READY for the day - and "reactivate" my blog.
And feel free to "motivate" me by leaving comments, I love 'em, so I'm not all by myself in blog world.
I chose the blog goal BECAUSE I really like to write in it (or is it 'on it'?) and I love to have the RECORD and the MEMORIES especially since I'm LOSIN' IT these days seems as I'm getting "UP THERE" in years.  (I get these comments from my kids!  Seriously.)
BUT, FOR REAL, I proved them RIGHT recently....I left my purse in the shopping cart, in a parking lot, at Wal-mart this week.  I unloaded the cart into my car, pushed my cart back to the "cart corral" and then walked back to my car without getting my purse out and drove home.....and didn't even notice until the next morning!  I had no recollection of doing that!  I usually put my purse in the car along with my merchandise at the same time.  I looked all over the place at home FIRST for my purse.  Then Matt told me I should go back to the store, but as I thought about it, I didn't really recall not having it with me - so I thought it was a "long shot."  PLUS, I'm ashamed of my lack of faith, but I figured IF I had left it at Wal-mart, it probably would've been stolen.  I didn't think the "People of Wal-mart" would be the most honest.  Well.....I WAS WRONG, and what a blessing!!!  My purse had been discovered by one of the store's "cart pushers" and returned to the Customer Service desk and was locked up in a back room until I came to retrieve it -- EVERYTHING intact, even my pens, lip balm, and leftover Santa Snickers candy!!!  (the most important things, ya know!)  :)

OK.  End of Sidetrack.

Back to these New Year's Resolutions.
I am implementing a healthier lifestyle.
I wrote down all these things that I can do.  BUT, unfortunately, right now I can't find that paper!  (See above section about losing my mind!)
Here's the good part:  I'm only going to start one new thing a month and then BUILD on each month - so it's not so overwhelming all at once - but after several months, and the end of the year, I'll have MANY good habits going on!
So, this month I have been drinking water.  A lot of it, too.  As in HALF my body weight in ounces each day.  (So, a 100 lb. person drinks 50 oz. of water/day.  A 150 lb. person drinks 75 oz. water/day.  A 400 lb. person drinks 200 oz. water/day.  You get the idea?)  I fit somewhere in there.  :)
I find drinking all that water bearable if I utilized THIS product sometimes:

(Now, please don’t burst my bubble and tell me that adding Crystal Light occasionally to my water isn’t technically water because in my fragile state right now I’m just not ready for that!  I know some super-strict water drinking people are wondering, but I DO fill the bottle up WITH WATER first [with pride] so I’m going to feel good about it.)
The only problem is....here's Murphy's Law in action in my life again....I have ALSO been sick this month with a variety of symptoms, but one of them is a violent cough - the kind of cough that shakes your whole body - or contracts all your muscles & seizes it up, one of the two.  And THAT condition does not go well with a constantly FULL BLADDER, if you know what I mean!  Note to self:  add "Do more laundry" to list of goals.  :)
So I have a couple more weeks to find that "healthy lifestyle" paper of mine, so I can add on the next thing in February.  That will give me more things to blog about later, thus, helping the above mentioned goal, as well.  SCORE!

And, last, but not least:
We just got a new ward cookbook, and I definitely need to make:
Jena Andrus' BUFFALO DIP
Julie Bushman's "FAMOUS DIP"
and
Dee Ann Stout's PINA COLADA FRUIT DIP
...and that's just in the Appetizers section.
I'll go through the rest of the cookbook, too, and try out new things.... of course, it needs to happen BEFORE I implement the "don't overdo it on dips/condiments" part to my healthy lifestyle plan!!  ;)


So, there you have it.  The FUN, the RIDICULOUS, & the HARD goals all mixed together.

HAPPY 2013, EVERYONE!

Behavior Assessment

It's time for the annual IEP at school for my daughter.  The school psychologist called me and said the last Social History and Behavior Assessment they have on file was done almost 8 years ago, when my daughter was just 3 yrs. old, so she wanted to send home a bazillion forms for me to fill out again in order to "update" her file.  I just got done filling out several Behavior Assessment forms.
I was laughing out loud at some of the phrases it uses to describe how children may act.
(I was supposed to respond with "Never," "Sometimes," Often," or "Almost always")  
Eats things that are not food
Fiddles with things while at meals
Breaks the rules just to see what will happen
Sets fires
Argues when denied own way  (don't all children?  Don't they?  You DO KNOW what I'm talking about, right?!?  Hello?  Anybody there?)
Volunteers to help clean up around the house  (BAA HAA HAA hahaha!  You understand WHY I am laughing on this one, too, right?  Yoo Hoo!  Where did everybody go?!?)
Sleeps with parents
Vomits - could this be due to eating things that are not food?


Then I started to wonder......

What if the tables were turned?  

What if some psychologist asked one [or all] of my children to fill out this form ABOUT ME?

I'm afraid I would not "pass" the test.  They would rate me with the "Almost Always" on many of them.

For example:

Eats too much

Is easily annoyed by others - especially children who act like wild animals, swinging from the chandelier while choking another sibling, calling names, throwing balls & consequently breaking something, and spilling beverages all within a 5 min. time frame.

Does strange things

Is unable to slow down - especially when we were suppose to be out the door 10 min. ago and there's still 7 unfound "neccesary" items to get....and girls' hair to be brushed.

Babbles to self

Will change direction to avoid having to greet someone - especially when a "long winded" person is spotted and we are suppose to be somewhere else [across town] in 15 min. and we still have to stand in the check out line.

Acts confused

Avoids competing with other children - especially in games of Chess & Super Mario.

Acts out of control

Repeats one thought over & over - like, "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car!"

Speaks in short phrases that are hard to understand - like, "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car!"

Is unclear when presenting ideas - like, "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car, we're going."  "Get in the car!"

Says, "Nobody understands me"  (as a result of above 3???)

Annoys others on purpose - like turning off the T.V. when NO Saturday jobs have been done.....because that has been the rule for the last 45 years!

Seems out of touch with reality - like not letting children watch T.V. when they've done NOTHING to contribute to the family/home yet that day!  Geez!

Is overly active - like cleaning up the kitchen RIGHT after dinner while everyone else's main goal is to just go "hide" in the basement and/or lay on the couch....and repeatedly trying to convince others to be likewise "active" at this time for some reason.

Acts as if other children are not there - especially when we interrupt her when she is on talking on the phone.

Sneaks around - especially when she attempts to go use the bathroom.

Has trouble fastening buttons on clothing - especially after a 10+ lb. gain!

Hears sounds that are not there - like big, loud crashing noises.  When she calls out, "What was THAT?!" we always are telling her, "NOTHING!"

Stares blankly - especially following a less-than-5-hrs.-of-sleep night(s), or when her children say things like, "We shouldn't have to do any chores."

Says things that make no sense - like, "We are a family.  That means EACH person is a helpful, contributing member of our family."

Sees things that are not there - like "messes" on the stairs, couches, in the mudroom and our bedrooms.

Falls down - it has NOTHING to do with the junk left on the stairs or floor....just her own clumsiness!

Runs away from home - at least she fantasizes about it sometimes!

Acts strangely

Yep, that'd be a dangerous thing for them to fill out the assessment - I'm pretty sure my children would "throw me under the bus" and I'd definitely be referred to psychiatric treatment based on my "behaviors."  :)