Is It Spring Yet?

I guess not.

7 more inches of snow last night.

We're all getting anxious to take our new (to us) trailer on an excursion.

There's just one tiiiiny little problem:

But~Only 35 days until SPRING BREAK!

Note to husband  self: If the house you are interested in buying comes with a snow-blower...

Just sayin'...just sayin'

The Best Laid Plans...

So...how's everyone doing?

Are you like me? Up to your eyeballs in Christmas projects & preparations?

This is one project I am G.L.A.D. to have finally finished...

and it's not even Christmas related!

(Why do teachers plan big projects for students in December? I know school must go on...but why not wait until say...March for this one, hmmm?)

Last week was Wax Museum for Shane's class. He's been working hard since early November on this project.

We finished the report (he wrote, I typed) and I simply had to make a Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls Jersey for him. ('Cause the only ones you can buy are very expensive).

T-shirt, Iron on's. Easy Peasy.

Attempt # 1



White shirt is scorching a bit. Grrrr! I realize I should have used a pressing cloth. Too late now!

Some "minor" scorching can be overlooked, right?

But wait~ not only did I scorch the shirt...I also put the wrong word on the back. The back of the Jersey should have the player's name..."Jordan".... Dang!

And there is just that minor incident of the backwards "B". I like to call it artistic. I was hoping Shane wouldn't notice. Frantically run to JoAnn's to get more iron-on's.

Which brings us to attempt #2:

Emily had a black t-shirt that she let me use. I had to pick out the sleeves and then wash and dry it.

By this time, it's about 1:00 in the morning. Then I get to work with the iron-on's. And I use a pressing cloth this time, just to be safe.

The numbers would not stick. It was a mess! They adhered to the backing paper...not so much to the shirt, though.

 So much for the easy peasy project. It's gonna be an all nighter.

Emily & I run to Wal-mart for more shirts and more iron-on's. I hate iron-on's.

I have to unpick the sleeves, then launder the shirt. This is getting ridiculous!

Finally! We have a winner. It only took me until 3:40 AM to get this easy project done.

Here's the front of the shirt. At 3:20 AM I realized I could only do the red outlining on one side of the shirt, since it had to dry for 4 hours. So only the front got outlined.

And here's the star of the Wax Museum

He looks exactly like Michael Jordan too.

Except he's short

He has hair

And, uh...he's white.

But other than that, he looks exactly like Michael Jordan, right?

All that matters is that the project got done. On time. And Shane had fun & was happy.

Christmas projects? Not going so well.

I've decided to give up baking~ so now I have to come up with another Neighbor Gift idea.

(I am really thinking it might be the altitude here. I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies last night. I've been making these for years. They are sorta my specialty. They came out thin & flat...my baking confidence is shattered!)

Can't find the stuff to make the teacher gifts I wanted to make...it might be a mug/ornament/candle gift after all.

Have a few people that are difficult to buy gifts for (mom & dad...I'm talking about you!)

But...The tree is up, I hope to finish up the shopping by Saturday...and I have not been sick (hope I didn't just jinx myself)!

Hope everything is going fantastically in your neck of the woods!

Well, Hello!



Hey there, October! When did you get here?

Perhaps while we were enjoying sunny, warm (snow-free) SoCal?

(Disneyland Highlights, anyone?)

This is typically my favorite time of year...

But not this year~ no siree!!!

I'm digging in my heels! I'm not ready for it to be Fall yet!

And why is there snow? Where is Fall anyway? And in that same vein...where the heck did my summer go? 

School year has not gotten off to a good start...(17 year old Not. Doing. Well.)

I don't want to deal with another cold and flu season. Or really, life for that matter (I mean, while I'm complaining, might as well get it all out there, right?)

And who is supposed to be in charge of the unpacking?  (Ann?)

I want my mommy. Or Summer. Or both!

I Need an Intervention!

A vacation?

Medication?

How about a Dr. Pepper and a nice, warm bath & we'll call it good? And maybe throw in some non-sick kids for good measure? That would really sweeten the deal for me!

Hold on! I'm gonna ramble!!! (And maybe whine) You have been warned.

Remember I was whining about being sick???

We have been sick almost constantly since mid February. I really am at my wit's end.
I tied a knot in the end of my rope weeks ago!!!

Yesterday was the first day in 2 weeks that I have felt like I was finally mostly better!
I still have a little cough~ but the fatigue seems to have finally abated!!! Yay!

The boys are still sick, though. Shane has a pretty nasty cough & they both have upper respiratory symptoms, had low grade fevers…as well as fatigue. So kinda like an Influenza but not really.

Spencer has been sick since last Monday, and he has been sick so much the last month and a half that he is failing school. So that is causing a huge amount of stress. (Mostly for me). I am trying to work with the administration & his teachers… but the end of the term is Friday. And I think this may be contributing to him being sick…I think he might be um…embellishing a little? But I was sick for 2 weeks, so who knows?

We've all 3 had similar symptoms. I was on an antibiotic for possible sinus infection and some stuff in my lungs…I was feeling better after a couple of days on the meds, but had the lingering fatigue until Monday. Seriously, was barely functioning. So, I'm thinking we have a strain of Influenza??? (Kind of wishing I had gone to medical school, ya know?) Our symptoms have been similar enough that I think we've had the same thing…but Shane & I have developed complications? Mostly I am telling myself that we've had the same virus because I have totally been freaking out about getting sick! I am a little bit of a germaphobe, but this go round I have been really having a lot of anxiety about it!

Plus~ my kids are driving me nuts because they do not wash their hands, or use hand sanitizer. I am constantly hounding them about sanitation, so they think I am CraZy! They say I have "Sick Sense" instead of "Sixth Sense". And instead of dead people... I see germs!!!! Yeah, they are hilarious, aren't they?



But seriously, if I get sick again…it might just be the thing that finally plunges me over the edge of sanity. Have I mentioned I'm having a little anxiety here????? I can't even tell you how many tubs of Clorox wipes I have gone through! (It's an embarrassing amount!) I am wiping down my house Every. Single. Day. (maybe more than once, but I'm admitting to nothing!) Maybe I am a little CraZy!!!???

Anyhoo…

I called the Doctor today to see what she recommended. She asked me to bring them in to be seen.

Shane: she's worried about the cough. Sounds a little like Whooping Cough. (cringe).
His immunizations are current, but he is due for a booster around 5th grade/10 yrs. old and immunity to Pertussis wanes around 11 yrs. old or so. Lovely. She starts him on Zithromax and wants him home from school for at least 2 days. After that he can go back as soon as he feels up to it. I am hoping the meds do the trick and he'll be feeling better sooner than later. Personally, I don't think he has Whooping Cough. But I do think he has a lung infection of some sort, just like I had. On a side note~ his best buddy has also been sick with the same symptoms, but has recovered just fine. No nasty cough for him~ lucky!

Spencer: He seems to be getting better. His respiratory symptoms have improved somewhat & then have "flat lined". She thinks he should be feeling better by Friday. If not, he gets a round of antibiotics too. She also mentioned the "M" word. As in MONO. (Cringe again). Although I think he's just suffering from the same fatigue that has had me down for 2 weeks. That's what I'm telling myself, anyway.

So, I'm sure you won't be surprised that I just wanted to cry after we left the Doctor's office. I'm not dealing well with the illnesses here, people!!! And on top of that, I had to go to the store, go pick up Shane's prescription, and run a few other errands….so I didn't get my house wiped down today so I am freaking out about that!!!! Sigh. Kinda hating life right now!!!

Started Shane on the meds tonight. Doctored him up with Advil & some Triaminic, and some Mucinex (we're like a walking pharmacy around here!) I thought he had eaten recently enough that he could take the antibiotic…20 minutes later he is crying because he has a bad stomach ache and feels like he's going to throw up. LOVELY!!!

He has finally settled down and is sleeping on the office floor. Thank heavens. Tomorrow night I'll make sure he takes his meds with food and milk. He'll have a smaller dose too, so hopefully he'll be fine!!! So other than the stomach pain, love Zithromax because it's 5 days & you're done!

To top off my day~ when I was picking up the Z-pack from the pharmacy, I asked if they had any recommendations for strengthening the immune system. And I got a 7 minute lecture from the pharmacist about eating healthy and exercising regularly. He actually was quite rude. I kept my cool~ but really wanted to reach across the counter and choke him. I assume that because I'm a little pudgy & I looked like crap (Hello??? Does he have any clue what kind of day/week/month I've had???) That he figured I needed a lecture? I was so MAD! I burst in to tears as soon as I left the store. Really? Like I needed that today!!! I just wanted a recommendation for a good multi-vitamin or something!!! He really said to me: "Ya know, don't feed them McDonald's for dinner every night". Ha! We had Panda!!! So there!!! (And grabbing dinner tonight pretty much saved the little bit of sanity I'm hanging on to!) Good thing I like the pharmacy techs… Cause the pharmacist? Not. So. Much.

The good news for today is that no one else in the family has gotten sick. I'm crossing my fingers that that is a good sign!

Rick's business partner is sick though~ I told Rick that if he had the same thing we've had, to just lie to me about it! 'Cause if he got sick from us, then there is absolutely no point to hand washing/sanitizing/wiping every surface of my house down with Clorox wipes multiple times a day. Really~ I am the most anal person in the world about the sanitizing/washing/cleaning/germ thing. Just ask my kids! Honestly, I don't know how Spencer got sick from me, either. Oh man~ this stuff is just making me CraZy!!!

And…I'm done!
Thanks for coming along on my ride of insanity!

P.S. Daylight Savings Time...also driving me nuts!

And, my thoughts and prayers for the people in Japan, what a devastation for them. (And trying to not freak out about the nuclear/radiation stuff going on. I watch way too much "24").

Random Whining Ranting



It's been quite a week~ Oh boy! Has it been quite a week!!!

First. I hate the time change. Hate it.  Spring, Fall, doesn't matter...I hate it.  Really throws off my groove, or my chi, or whatever!  I hate it even more after living in Arizona for 4 years~ they have no such barbaric practices there.  It was lovely!!! Really, why must we do this???

In the last week...

My husband has switched jobs.
He is temporarily working from home.  He is on the computer. A lot. Get my drift???
He's much happier now, so that is a good thing! But he's gone a lot more right now (except for the whole at home/on my the computer thing).

Our ward was split. We are still teaching Primary~ yay!!! I've really been enjoying Primary. I team teach with Rick...even better!

Rick's younger sister and her son were in a terrible car accident. Thankfully, they are both okay.
He had minor injuries, but she got broken up pretty badly.  She'll be recovering for a while.  She's pretty darn lucky! (I know she's not feeling too lucky right now, her injuries are catastrophic, but could have been so much worse). She broke her pelvis/hip/sacrum area in several places. OUCH!!! The doctors are optimistic that she will make a full recovery~ it will just take time.

My Emily has had a rough few days. She had a trip to the ER for chest/arm pain. She's also seen a chiropractor, a massage therapist and our regular family doctor this week.  (The chest/arm pain has just gotten worse since Monday. Her heart is okay~ it looks like it is probably muscle related). She is just in a lot of pain right now, kind of inconclusive as to why.  Hopefully the current treatment will help everything settle down.  And unrelated to all that...She will be going for a follow up visit to her cardiologist on Monday. She has an irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) and low blood pressure. She's had this since she was 13~ but it has gotten worse. She had to wear a heart monitor for 2 weeks & we'll be doing the follow up for that. Hopefully with some treatment options to get her feeling better. (That's why she had to be evaluated in the ER earlier this week, just to rule out that her heart was not causing the pain).

My house is in utter chaos...I don't function well when my environment is out of control! :) 
Let me tell ya, I am beyond ornery and  I have been so stressed the past few days...I had a complete emotional breakdown because I had to buy a new cell phone!  I was crying about a cell phone, for Pete's Sake!!! It was just one more thing that I did not want to have to deal with, ya know??? I'm fine now. And I did get a new phone. :)

I still have a Halloween post or two to do. I realize that it's way past Halloween right now, but I'm finishing them up anyway! Hopefully this weekend some time.

And on a little more serious note: Thanks for all the kind comments on my last post about my sister-in-law, Amy.  I was trying to thank everyone "personally", but got a little waylaid with all the dramatics of the week.  So please know that I appreciate each of you for your kindness.

Next week is bound to be better, right?  Hey~ at least there's not another time change for another 6 months or so!  I should be fully recovered by then.

Right now I think I am going to go relax in a nice warm tub and then go to bed. 'Cause I think I need a time out.  I am a little irritable. (Might be a gross understatement). Oh...someone beat me to it. There goes all the hot water.... :)

Whining Over

ABC's of Me!

A is for age: 44

B is for burger of choice: Patty Melt (Barry's in Spanish Fork is my fave!)

C is for the car you drive: A white, 2008 GMC Envoy

D is for your dog's name: Sorry, no pets at our house.  I had a 3 legged dog named Tuffy-nutnut when I was a kid

E is for essential item you use every day:  Dr. Pepper,  Lotion & Burt's Bees lip balm

F is for favorite TV show at the moment: 24! And it's the last season!!!  The good news is, last season
was the first one we watched, so now we can go back and watch seasons 1-6! Yahoo

G is for favorite game: Skip-bo, Toss Up. I like most games except I don't really care for Monopoly (probably because I always lose!)

H is for home state: Utah

I is for instruments you play: Piano, but not very well!

J is for job title: Domestic Engineer & Chauffeur

K is for kids: 4~ Curtis (22) Emily (19), Spencer (15 going on 21), Shane (9 in one week)

L is for last restaurant at which you ate: La Carreta Peruvian Restaurant, for Spencer's English project. I found the food rather bland

M is for your favorite Muppet: Kermit, Grover, Elmo

N is for nicknames: I've never had a nickname, and I go by Valerie, not Val

O is for overnight hospital stays: 4~ 1 for each of my kiddos being born

P is for people you were with today: The family

Q is for what you do with your quiet time: I am unfamiliar with this term! Sleep? Clean?

R is for biggest regret: Don't really have any. I do wish I had saved a piece of the quilt Rick's grandma gave him for graduation. It wore out and I tossed it! Most of my "regrets" are things like that.

S is for status: Tired. Actually, very tired!

T is for time you woke up today: 7:15

U is for what you consider unique about yourself: I'm a good listener & can keep confidences.

V is for vegetable you love: Zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower

W is for your worst habit: Sleeping in & spending too much time on the computer

X is for x-rays you've had: Hmmm…dental, also my back, my foot, and my ankle (not at the same time)

Y is for yummy food you ate today: Left-over barbecued ribs and this yummy pasta salad. I think the feta cheese is what really takes it over the top. My kids won't eat the feta. They refuse to eat anything that smells and looks like baby spit-up. Pansies!!!  So I serve it on the side. 

Z is for zodiac: Aquarius

I meant to post this yesterday, when it seemed like a much better idea...but we were visiting the doctor's office.
Shane's been sick all week, with a mild virus.  He thinks our doctor is the coolest because after listening to Shane's stomach and bowel sounds, he predicted mild diarrhea would be next.  Later, Shane informed me that "Mr. P" (the doctor) was right!  So, now you know!  And, Shane has pink-eye! 
March totally kicked my butt, however April seems to be starting out much better. Sore throat, stomach ache, diarrhea, pink-eye...and that's just the beginning of yesterday's adventures! It doesn't get much better than this folks!  Whatever. 

Oh Yes, He Did!

Groundhog's Holiday

The second month, the second day,
We know is Groundhog's Holiday.
The keeper of the local zoo,
Photographers, reporters, too,
Anxiously await together
Woodchuck's forecast of the weather.
Each year this time he leaves his hearth,
His home beneath good Mother Earth.
He wiggles out to see the sun
And sure enough - ask anyone-
Should he perchance his shadow see,
Back to his home again he'll flee.
And that sign's still the surest thing
Six weeks must pass before it's spring!


Darn it! :)

Celebrity Sightings

Celebrities are common, every day folk...just like us!
As proof, guess who I saw recently at our local WalMart?

Google Images

I know, I know... Why was he shopping at a Utah WalMart? Stranger things have occured. Maybe he was here a bit early for the Sundance Film Festival?

In all seriousness, it was not really Willie Nelson, but a mighty uncanny resemblance, that's for sure! I think I made the poor guy a little uncomfortable because I couldn't quit staring! :)

I have actually run into a few real celebrities...

Footloose was filmed at my High School when I was a Junior~ so I saw Kevin Bacon...in real life!

I sat a knee's length across from Donny Osmond at the Dr.'s office.

Gary Coleman (aka "Mr. Brody") was in the hospital the same time Curtis was...I have a few funny stories about that. Let's just say his reputation is well deserved and leave it at that.

He was also in the room next to Curtis in the rehab unit...and my dad saved his life! It's true...He insisted on keeping his door closed, for privacy~ which is not always a good idea in a rehab unit! One Sunday afternoon we heard a loud thud coming from the room next door...we waited for a few moments...nothing happened. So, my dad went to the nurse's station and asked them to check the room. Sure enough, he had passed out and fallen in the bathroom, that was the thud we heard. So, we joke that my dad saved his life. Too bad he can't stay out of trouble (Gary Coleman, not my dad).

And for all my joking about Celebrity Sightings at WalMart (read more Here), I did get to meet a "Celebrity Blogger" at WalMart! It was fun and unexpected, and a great treat for me to meet Camille from Make It Work Mom, and Sassy Scoops.

See, WalMart really does meet your needs for one stop shopping! (If only their doughnuts were as good as the ones at Maceys...on second thought, probably a good thing that they are not!)

Fascination

Shane was only 4 when we moved to Arizona. As a result, he really doesn't remember much about Utah.
These are just a few of the things that are fascinating to him right now...

This is a "park" in the middle of our neighborhood. In AZ, we would call this a greenbelt. When we say that here, we get confused, blank stares! Most the kids call it "the field". Fascinating also, is the fact that he can just run outside and there are tons of neighbor kids to play with...and more fascinating still? That he can play outside! (AZ = either too hot...or not safe!)




Heater. Vents. Hours of fascinated play for an 8 year old boy! Yes, yes, we had these in AZ too, but they were in the ceiling, not the floor. I've already had to fish several toys out of the vent in his room. Awesome hiding place for action figures.

Grass. Green. Soft. No further explanation needed.

Our (ugly) mailbox. We had a community mail box in AZ. (The ones with all the little individual boxes). He loves to get the mail. Thankfully, this fascination has died down somewhat as he usually just brought the mail up to the front porch and left it there!

Mountains, mountains and more mountains! And if you look closely, you will see there is snow on the top of this beauty! He can't wait until it snows in the valley! He does think it's cold here though! (He ain't seen nothin' yet!) :) Awww, he's such an Arizona boy!

Speaking of Chickens

When Emily was in Kindergarten, she learned a cute little song about a Silly Chicken.

I Had a Little Chicken
(Tune: Turkey in the Straw)

"Oh, I had a little chicken

And she wouldn't lay an egg.

So I poured hot water

Up and down her leg.

And she giggled and she giggled,

And she giggled all the day.

Then, the silly little chicken

Laid a hard-boiled egg!"

She sang this song at the ward talent show. I can still see her, standing up on the stage in front of the microphone...shimmying up and down and flapping her elbows like a chicken! The 2nd verse was just a series of "bock, bock, bock, bock-bock...bock, bock, bock, bock"...she was such a cutie! She has always loved to sing and perform, and has never suffered from stage fright.

She is, however, afraid of chickens, as evidenced in this video:

(Both girls are, in fact, named Emily. Scaredy-cat/ "chicken" Emily is the one wearing her hair down...)
(And does she really say, "Those are hens, not chickens!")?

Chicken Phobia

On the other hand...Shane is kind of shy and does not like to perform in front of others. He doesn't even like to be in the yearly Primary program. You would never catch him performing in a ward talent show!

But, he is not afraid of chickens!

He and a few of the other boys in the neighborhood, have been going to the Smith's house to help "pick" (gather) fresh chicken eggs. (These are very patient and kind neighbors!)

Last week, he brough home a dozen fresh eggs. He is fascinated with the variety of size, shape and color.

He also enjoys the whole process of "picking" the eggs. And is quite disgusted that, in his words;

"Chickens eat their own babies!" He dropped an egg that he had gathered and the chickens flocked right to it and gobbled it down. He thinks that is pretty gross!

He asked me to scramble some of his eggs for him. He told me exactly how to wash them off before cracking them. The first batch of eggs, he took 2 bites and said they "tasted weird". Later he admitted he was just thinking about where they came from & was worried that there might be baby chicks in the eggs and he didn't want to eat a baby chick! This was partly from a family conversation the night before, wherein Rick and I recounted instances of cracking fresh eggs...and finding forming chicks inside...and from his sibling's constant, "Ewww...that's gross, I'd never eat a fresh egg" comments.

He is now over the squeamishness and has eaten (and enjoyed) fresh scrambled eggs. I'm still working on my squeamishness!

When I was a kid, my grandma had chickens. I have fond memories of staying at her house and helping with the chickens. I got to help shoo the chickens in to the coop at night, and also helped gather eggs from the nests. I wasn't as brave as grandma, she would have to shoo the hens away for me to be able to snatch up the eggs. Those hens peck! (yeah, I might have a chicken phobia myself!)

Below is a picture of grandma's chicken coops. If I remember correctly, the large one was the "Hen House" and the small one was for the Roosters. They have not been used in a good, long time. (The coops, not the roosters...well, those too!)

I remember too, a few times of witnessing a Rooster meet his demise on the chopping block! It's a funny (and slightly disturbing) sight to see a Rooster running around the pasture with no head!

And, we (the grandkids) liked to chase each other with the chicken feet. After they were chopped off, you could pull the tendon and make the foot curl up. This really grosses me out now!

Chicken Coops in Grandma's Pasture

My grandma used to make the best chicken and noodles!

I tried this recipe for Lion House Chicken Noodle Soup a couple of weeks ago. I didn't use the dehydrated ingredients. And I added 2-11 oz pkgs of "Grandma's" brand frozen homemade style egg noodles. Oh, it was beyond delicious and totally reminded me of grandma's chicken and noodles. There was very little "soup" to it! But it was oh, so good!

And that is all I have to say about that.

For today.

Oh, My!

Pumpkin Cupcake

An "Ode to Fall"

Pictorial Essay

The. End.

All My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready To Go!

We are all packed! (Well, almost!) The past 3 days have been a flurry of activity, getting everything finished up. Hopefully the computer will be packed last! :)

Tomorrow is "the" day. Good thing, cause I am pooped! :)

Not looking forward to the long drive tomorrow. (Bleh)!

And, my 2 oldest boys went at each other in Wal-mart today! It was more fun than a barrel of monkeys! I may just drop them along the side of the road somewhere (just kidding...sorta). I've resigned from being their mother for the rest of the day. (yeah, whatever!)

"To the Left, To the Left"...

"Everything you own, in the box to the left..."

OR
What I've Been Up To...
OR
I Hate Moving...
OR
Send Help Now!!!

Yep, this is my current project...

10 More Days! Ten more fun filled days packing up all our junk belongings!

Today I've been working on the office. Thought it would take a few hours...I was wrong!

A few other notes:

Those U-Haul Boxes that are supposed to be good for 4 moves...NOT!

Packing tape doesn't stick very well to previously used boxes...

It always takes more boxes than you think...

It always takes more time than you think...

There is not enough Dr. Pepper in the world to soothe this stress!

I asked Emily if she thought we were half way done...she laughed hysterically!

Rude!

Not. Even. Half. Way. Done.

What I'd rather be doing:

Relaxing in a beautiful hotel overlooking the ocean

Chillin' at a picturesque cabin in the mountains

Getting a pedicure

Reading

Taking a Nap

Getting a Massage

Blogging (wait, what? I am doing that...shhh!)

Having bamboo shoots shoved under my fingernails...I'm just sayin'!

Se7ven Random Things About Me!

I got tagged by my pal, Connie.

So, without further ado, here are 7 things about me!

1. My first car was a 1966 Ford Mustang GT. Competition orange body with a white hardtop. It was my grandma's car and I bought it for $1,000 dollars. The one condition was that it remain in the family...so I sold it back to her a couple of years later...for $1,000 dollars. Later, my cousin bought it (for, you guessed it, $1,000 dollars) and restored it. It was one sweet car, baby! I wish I still owned it today. One of those situations when "hindsight is 20/20". (I do still own the original gear shift knob...oops)!

2. As a child, I had a black, three-legged, Cocker Spaniel named "Tuffy Nut-nut". I also had a blind Siamese cat.

3. I don't really care for chocolate all that much. (or do I?)

4. I've never had a broken bone. Although I think I am the queen of random, bizarre injuries. When I was pregnant with Spencer, I hurt my tailbone when I coughed while walking up the stairs! Another time, I fell on a piece of glass while digging for a box of clothes in our basement. I cut a rather nice gash just below my hiney, which required numerous stitches. And I got lots of razzing about that one! (If you are familiar with the "Hello Operator"/"Miss Susie" song...well, you'll know what I mean!)

5. I'm a computer nerd. I love the computer, the Internet, blogging, email...all of it! I have a bit of a reputation for being able to find just about anything online. I also love collecting fonts and digital crafting graphics like these at PCcrafter or these cute alphabets at Lettering Delights. They come in handy for crafting, church callings or for adding some pizzaz to my journal (which is also on the computer!)

6. I love the ocean, but not the beach...firstly, I don't really have a "beach body" (beached whale, maybe?) and secondly...I don't like to get dirty! All that sand...yuck! But I really ♥ the ocean.

7. My hubby is my best friend. I have known him since 2nd grade. We went to school together from 2nd grade all the way through High School. We even lived in the same ward for about 4 years. We became really good friends in HS and the rest is history! Like me, he's a pretty quiet, private person. Once you get to know him, he's lots of fun and wickedly funny!


And I tag: Amy, and let's see...ummm...

*crickets chirping*...

(quit laughing, Connie!)
Well, that's all I got!

Are You Who I Think You Are?

I went grocery shopping last weekend. Oh, the excitement! As I was leaving the first store (yes, there was more than one store involved) I thought I saw someone I knew. I was starting to move towards her, ready to make eye contact and offer a friendly “how are you?” When she turned and I realized she wasn’t who I thought she was at all! Yet, the resemblance was uncanny…which got me pondering about this phenomenon of seeing-people-who-resemble-people I know. I do this a lot! When we first moved to Arizona, I kept seeing people who strongly resembled friends from Utah…then a few months later as we were visiting Utah, I thought I saw people from AZ…I would start to say, “Oh, there are the Awerkamps”, then I would realize WRONG STATE! Is this strange? Do other people do this? Why are there so many people that look alike?
On a different note, I also saw a lot of strange people. I was beginning to think it was “Meth Addict” shopping day. I wonder if all the stores were sold out of Triaminic?

So, while I am in a quandary over all these strange sights…who do I see walking out of Wal-Mart? Marg Helgenberger! I swear it was her, just a little blonder and a little um...trashier? Let’s say if it was her, she was definitely “slumming”, shopping at the local Wal-Mart and all. We both ended up returning our carts to the little cart return thingy at the same time…she smiled and said to me, “Oh, we are such good girls, aren’t we?” I laughed, but the whole time the dialogue in my head was something like this: “Is that her? What if it really is her? Should I say something? Should I ask her if she knows she strongly resembles Marg Hergenbelger, uh…Hershenburger….uh Hersheybar… that lady from CSI…whatever?”
Thank goodness I didn’t say anything, just laughed and smiled politely. I like to play it cool! :)

A few weeks ago, at the same Wal-Mart, I am pretty sure I saw Mike Tyson…

Pretty. Sure.