Out of sorts

The little kids are still gone to Hawaii until Sunday afternoon, so it has been just Sierra & I for a whole week. It has been fun to spend extra time with her. She is so busy that I cherish the few moments that I get to spend with her during her hectic days. She has had a couple of performances for drill this week and we have been able to go out to dinner with Jim a couple of times. We've watched some tv, and had fun conversation. I am so impressed with the woman she is becoming. She is doing well in school, she's polite & gets along well with her friends. She has made wise choices and continues to excel in whatever she puts her mind too. I am so proud of her. It will be nice when the little ones come back and we can have our family unit together again. Then hopefully we won't feel so out of sorts.

Justice & Montana are having a blast in Hawaii. They have called daily and give me the update. Swimming, sunset watching, Polynesian cultural Center, snorkeling (Justice had a snorkel full of water/panic moment but was fine), more swimming, shopping, extinct volcano exploring??, and more swimming. So glad they are having fun! Although I can't wait to have them home again!

With the kids gone or busy, I've had a lot of free time that I've been able to spend with Jim. We've been shopping, watching movies, having dinners, lunches, and just enjoying a lot of time together. He's so good to me. It's nice to be with someone who appreciates everything about you. I'm so thankful for him. So it will be an adjustment to get back to normal life next week. But I can't wait to squeeze & kiss my babies!!

December Madness

I am so far behind...let's see if I can catch up on the last 10 days. It's been crazy busy in our home.

Mom asked me several times what I would like for Christmas. So I decided to have her give me paint for the house. So for a solid week the house was turned upside down & I was scaling up and down a ladder painting. I painted the living room, family room & part of the kitchen that hadn't been done earlier in the year. It still needs touch ups but I am loving it! It makes such a big difference. My friend Diane has been so good to come and help me with this process...she is a master painter & absolutely loves it. Without her it never would have gotten done before Christmas. Thanks girl!

Sierra's drill team had a Semi-Formal Christmas Dinner. The moms made the food & dressed up like waitresses in black and white. We donned the tables in fine china, tablecloths, real silverware, and fancy glasses. It was a lot of fun doting on the girls and they loved it. We had Santa come & the girls had the funnest time. Singing at the top of their lungs and being silly with Santa. I made 4 pans of peach cobbler for the event and it was a hit.

Sierra also had another drill team competition, this time at Jordan High. It was a huge competition and a lot of fun seeing all the other teams from pretty much the whole state. They placed 4th in their dance routine. It's amazing to me that they can look soooo good and still not place. But it is brutally competitive. They have a couple more competitions in January so they are trying to revamp things, keep working hard, and hope to place better at the next two. The injuries and illnesses keep plaguing them so hopefully they will be rested up & good to go after the holidays. Sierra is totally loving drill team!! Go get 'em hon!

I took Justice & Montana sledding a couple of days ago. They were in hog-heaven. Justice is quite the dare devil. He was going head first down the steepest hill, with a giant smile on his face!! Lots of wipe-outs, snow in the face, cold toes and hands. But all in all a good time! We came home and had some hot chocolate & snuggled on the couch to watch Christmas Story! Our favorite family holiday movie. Good times!







I've been dating a really fantastic guy for the past few months. Jim has been spoiling me like crazy. It's weird, and fun, and I'm enjoying it. I'm just now introducing him to the kids and things are going really well so far. We have fun together and he makes me laugh & feel special. Everyone has been asking about him but he has requested that I keep him out of my blog writings. haha. So there is the brief skinny.

This past week has been a whirlwind of shopping, gift wrapping, getting the house ready for Christmas, more shopping, more wrapping, parties, and spending time with friends. It's been totally crazy but when the big day comes...it is always worth it. The kids loved their gifts and seemed to get all the things they wanted. I love seeing the smiles on their faces and in their eyes as they open their gifts! Such a fun time. I had to hold back the tears because it has been such a crazy year...but things have seemed to work themselves out despite all of it. We are so blessed & I am so thankful for everyday I get to spend with my kids, my amazingly supportive & loving parents, and my sweet man. Merry Christmas everyone!

A novel

Wow! I don't think I have gone 10 days without blogging in the last 3 years. I kept putting it off because not much was going on...now I have a novel to write to catch things up.

Today would have been my brother John & his sweet wife Amy's 20th anniversary. Amazing. They are both on my mind. I can't believe it has been that long...and yet it does seem like a life time ago that he was here with us. We miss him like crazy. Can't wait to kick his butt in the next life!! I love you bud & you too Amos!!

Justice has taken up piano lessons with my mom. I suggested that Montana take them and he ran with it. So he is plunking away every chance he gets now. I started looking for a teacher close by, but he insisted that Grama be the one to teach him. And she is fabulous. He is doing soooo good in school. He & his sister both are great at math and spelling! So we proudly display all the 100% papers they bring home. He is still riding his bike everywhere, and he especially loves riding it to school.

Montana is growing up so quickly that it is honestly like watching a movie on fast forward. She is very diligent about reading and keeping up with her homework. I don't have to even ask her to get started. Of all three kids she seems to be the only one who actually ENJOYS reading and can't wait to go to the library to pick out a new one. She runs around with a pack of girls. It is pretty funny because they can't do anything one on one...it's the 4 of them or none of them. They are good kids.

Sierra just attended her first high school dance. She went to Homecoming with Wesley, who is a cute kid, but despite all the great things I have heard about him, he is 18 and it makes me nervous. She also was FINALLY able to perform with the drill team, and twice in one day. They had a homecoming assembly in the morning and then also performed at the football game that night with the dance co. & cheerleaders. I am working on pictures and will post them soon. She is still dancing with Stars too so it is dance 24/7 with this chick. She absolutely loves it.

I am still enjoying my new job with Fox. It is challenging in every way but fun too. The people I work with are fantastic and make coming to work something I look forward to. I am getting sleep while the kids are at school and life seems to go on as normal. We are all still adjusting to mom working out of the home, and having to shuffle kids around while I work, but it will get easier. The kids have been great about it are learning more about life than I would like them to at their tender ages...but, it is something they would have to learn eventually. My parents have really been fantastic about watching the kids at night while I work, and helping get them to & from their activities when I can't be there. I am so thankful for them...they never complain and are willing to step in at a moments notice. What in the world would I ever do with out them.

On a sad note...I spoke with a friend today who's teenage child attempted suicide by hanging. Luckily he had texted a friend prior and his mom was able to rush to his side and help him until police & paramedics could arrive to offer medical treatment. He survived with only moderate injuries...however, of course the emotional trauma is insurmountable. I am having a flood of emotions for my friend, for her son, and their family. They are working with a counselor, medication, and family therapy as well. Even though I have lived through a very similar situation, it is so easy to forget how quickly our family can be snatched from us. Life is rough, icky, and downright dispicable sometimes. But we can not let it get us down. If we let it & work at it...life can be tender, fun, beautiful, inspiring, and full of love. My new motto is let go & let God! May He be with us all thru our ups and downs and carry us through the difficult moments when we think we can't go on. The sun will shine on us again, if we allow it! <3 <3 <3

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life. I'm back to a regular job...where I have to leave the house, arrange for the kids to have babysitters after school and be taken to their activities & whatnot, and I hate missing precious time with my kiddos. It has really been hard...but next week I will get on my regular grave schedule and I will feel better about only being away from them while they are sleeping.

I got the news today that my second job (babysitting my nephew) has been down graded to "maybe" one day a week, and it was nearly full-time. They were able to enroll him in a Montesorri school and he can start right away- it will be so good for him. But, this is a huge blow for me. Being able to watch Skyler has helped keep me afloat during the last couple of years...it was a major blessing. I was so excited to finally get my finances in order, and now...it looks like I will need another part-time job to make ends meet. But I am praying that somehow it will all work out and I wont need to do that. I am trying to see the bright side of this...but to be honest, I am in a complete panic. So I am praying for another perfect job to come my way. One that I can do from home...so that I don't miss any more mommy time!

I don't know if I was overwhelmed from learning 8 million things at work or if my head was just cloudy with worry from the days affairs...but I made a MAJOR mistake while filming the news tonight and got my butt chewed on by several people and they weren't nice or giving me any leeway for being a trainee, and the F bomb was uttered three times! I was trying really hard to hold it all together. But after the tongue lashing I had to take a break and pull myself together. I know that everyday can't be sunshine & puppies...and I will learn from my mistakes...but I'm telling you I am so glad this day is over. Wish my kiddos were home to hug on! So I am really excited and so ready for our Bear Lake trip this weekend! It will be so nice to get away after all this drama! I'm praying tomorrow will be a better day!

Oh...I almost forgot! Sierra got asked to Homecoming tonight. He made a sign that said "It would be CHILL if you would go to Homecoming with me" then she had pop balloons that had an ice cube inside. Then she had to melt or break the ice cubes. Inside each ice cube was a letter. She then had to unscramble the letters to find out who was asking her! It was really cute. It was Wesley---she has been talking about him for a while now---so it wasn't a surprise that he asked her...but now it's official! So that will be in the next couple of weeks!! Yay! My babies first homecoming! He better be a good kid or we will hunt him down like a dog!!!

The New Job

Yesterday I was so emotional. I was so very grateful for finally finding employment, sad about not being home with my kiddos, worried about doing a good job, and excited that things were finally falling into place. The tears kept sneaking out and I wondered if I would be ok.

Once at work, I was thrown right into training. Most of it is very familiar and not too complicated. Mostly it's just new fangled machinery that does the work I use to have to do by hand...which is soooo nice and saves a lot of time. But there is triple the work! Then I started training to do the camera for the news. I honestly thought they would work with me for a few days and then I might try it for a few shots, and then go for it. But they were short someone who was sick, and so I was given instructions for about 10 minutes and then I was actually running the thing LIVE!!! Luckily, it really is easy to do. The hardest part is just following the list of camera shots/news stories, and listening to the director who is on the headset. It's very last minute and crazy--"scratch that story, camera 3 will now shoot story 39". During commercials everything is really relaxed, the anchors are super nice and were very funny. They all went out of their way to make me feel at home and chit chat with me a bit. I was a bit star struck watching the whole newscast unfold. Watching how they do the weather, toss to live reporting on the scene, patching in phone calls, getting the teleprompter prepared, setting up the lights, mics, etc. It was very exciting and nerve-wracking. Somehow I was able to do it.

So I was happy with my first day. I still have so much to learn, but I am feeling a lot more confident and excited about all I will get to do. No tears today, just a happy heart.

Fox

It's official! I'm a workin' girl again! I was hired by Channel 13 (Fox) as a Master Control Operator. I will work in the tape room 3 nights a week and in the control room 2 nights a week. They will also train me to do the camera for the News at 9:00 show--which is the number one rated news in the state. What?? and they want a newbie on the camera? It must be easy or they wouldn't do it that way--I HOPE!

So I start on Monday! The 6 month unemployment drought is over!!! It worked out perfectly and I couldn't be happier with the job, the hours, the benefits. I can still be home for my family when they need me, I will have time to sleep, and I can keep babysitting as well. Which also means I can keep my bills paid and food on the table. It's all good! I'm breathing a gigantic sigh of relief!!

Mini Drill 09 Pt. 1

Yesterday was the first day of the big Mini Drill Fundraiser. Montana was registered to participate and then at the last minute Justice decided he wanted to do it too. There was another boy participating in his age group and he thought it would be fun. Sierra warned us not to do it, but he really wanted to. Once they started learning the dances we decided it was WAY too girly and so he decided to ride his bike instead. We had brought it for him to have fun on while the girls danced. Turns out, it was a good idea. So he was just supporting his sister.

Montana was having the time of her life!! I think she was so excited to have a friend in her class (one of our neighbors) and she was showing off a bit. I love seeing her smile and enjoy herself like that! It will be fun to see her dance at the game on Friday!

Sierra was teaching another age group that neither Justice or Montana were in. She is a very patient teacher and really enjoys it. It was fun to watch her in action. A few moms and I helped with registration and getting people & t-shirts organized. After that I just cruised around taking pics of all the kids. Fun night! We will repeat classes tonight & then the kids perform at the game on Friday night! I will post more pics then!

My 39th Birthday Blowout

Mom & Dad had been saying they were planning an all-day surprise for my birthday, but wouldn't tell me anymore than that. So when dad showed up on his Harley and in his bike gear...I wasn't sure what to expect.

We ended up going on a Harley Ride For Life/Poker Run. I had never done anything like this but it was amazing. You get a sheet, then you go to 5 different locations around the valley, pull a card from the deck, they mark it on your sheet & then you go to the next location for your next card. After going all over the valley we went back to the Harley store for lunch, raffle drawings and to find out who won the poker hand. There were tons of prizes and lots of good food. It was all to benefit the Ronald McDonald house. I know they made at least $10,000 just in the raffle/auction alone...let alone the entry fees for the Poker Rally.

Then all the bikers had a police escort to the Trace Adkins/Toby Keith Concert at the Usana Amphitheatre and a dinner sponsored by Texas Roadhouse-yum! Totally the perfect end to a perfect day!! The weather was great all day...super hot...and then to have it cool down for the concert was heaven!!! We had a fantastic day and I'm so glad I got to spend it with my amazing family!!!

Us at the concert...chillin on the grass!!

A total surprise

My dad stopped by unexpectedly the other day. He was here with a new dishwasher for my birthday & he was ready to install it!!! I was so surprised and excited. Our old washer was completely falling apart and not cleaning the dishes at all. I guess I complained about it one too many times and my parents ran with it. So dad and I decided to install it right then & there.

We spent most of the day taking out the old disgusting washer and installing the new beautiful one. I'm so glad my dad is handy because I wouldn't know the first thing to do. After hitting his head on a drawer a couple times and the counter once, we decided we would try electrocuting him. I had turned off the breaker that was label dishwasher disposal...but apparently it was labeled wrong. He yelped pretty loud, and scared the crap out of me...but luckily he was ok. And luckily I had just wiped up the puddle of water that had leaked out of the washer!! So after the handyman was finished...we loaded the washer and waited for the magic to happen. And it works fantastically!!! Thanks sooooo much mom & dad. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness!

An adventurous day!

Yesterday Montana, Justice & I woke up and were ready to get out and do something. I didn't want to spend a lot of money so we looked on line for things to do in Salt Lake that are free. The weather was a bit rainy and overcast so we decided it had to be indoors as well. We all decided on going to the Church Museum downtown. We had gone there a couple of years ago with the primary and the kids really enjoyed it. Since admission is free (my favorite word), I thought it would be fun to take Trax (the train) downtown since the kids have never been on it. Well I think Tana went once when she was still in a stroller, but she doesn't remember it.

So we bought our tickets and patiently waited for the train to come. The kids were so excited. When the train came by Montana grabbed and hugged Justice thinking he was going to get run over. It was really sweet but of course he was totally annoyed by her grabbing him. I had to laugh. It wasn't very crowded so we easily found our seats and let the adventure begin. There were lots of colorful people all around us...girl with nasty dreadlocks and face full of piercings, homeless looking guy with rainbow belt, rainbow bag & rainbow t-shirt who repeated all the announcements along with the loudspeaker, and all other walks of life. The kids didn't even notice...but I was afraid they would say something as they have not mastered keeping thoughts to themselves. They waited with anticipation for our stop to come. When it finally did they stood up and held the pole just a little to early, and then when the trained really stopped they both almost fell down...it was cute and everyone around us laughed.

We bounded off to the museum and had a really great time looking at everything. So much history there and so many artifacts to look at. We were able to see a lot more than we did the last time we were there. The kids had a blast in the I'm a child of God section. They played with baby dolls at the pretend hospital, did CTR rubbings in 100's of languages, built temples with blocks, played dress up in the nativity area, walked through Lehi's tree of life vision/dream (my favorite part), put together stained glass window puzzles on the wall, and so much more. It was hard to drag them out of that part. Another of my favorite sections was the prophets exhibit. They had a little section for each of the prophets with memorabilia and photos or video. I loved Brigham Young's sunglasses. They were rectangle and wrapped around the side with dark green lenses. I also loved President Kimball's conference microphone that hooked onto his glasses (it reminded me of my call center days), and it was oh so 70's. Technology has come a long way. Then we came to the President Hinkley exhibit and I was overcome with the spirit and admiration, and the tears started flowing. Maybe it's because he died so recently or maybe just because I really loved him, and I'm a total sap. He was truly amazing. We spent several hours looking at everything. If you haven't been it is really interesting and worth the trip.

We took the train home- and it was just as adventurous. I was surprised how easy it was to get exactly where we wanted to go. No transfers, no train numbers. Just get on the train going the right direction and get off when you want to. The kids definately want to do that again. I think we could just ride the train all around town and they would be happy!

We spent the rest of the day finishing our school shopping and having dinner. We are all set! The kids found out their teachers...Montana has Kirby and she is NOT happy about it, and Justice has Nafus. Nafus was Montana's second grade teacher too and she will whip him into shape. So hopefully we will have a good year! Sierra needs to register this week and she will get her schedule, locker assignment/combo, and all that jazz.

Speaking of Sierra, she called at 2:00 last night but I didn't hear the phone ring. So when I got the message this morning about a car on fire in front of her dad's house, I panicked a little. I called immediately and woke them up-sorry! I guess it was across the street but was popping loudly and was pretty scary. They are fine and no damage to their house. But I don't know all the details yet. I guess it happened by some of the homes that are still under construction. Weird! So hopefully they will get to the bottom of that.

So I think that was enough adventure for one day!

All good things must come to an end

Went to see Julie & Julia last night with Mom & Montana. It was fantastic. I thought the way they combined the two story lines was fantastic. I became especially intrigued with Julia Childs love life. I am looking for the book "My life in Paris" which outlines her journey through Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School and the relationship between her and her husband. According to the movie Julia was a eternally optimistic and lovable person. She was especially devoted to her husband and he to her. They were not able to have children although she desperately wanted them. I guess the thing that intrigues me most is how she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. She just kind of drifted around until she fell into what she loved to do. And then she became a huge success. I guess I'm hoping that's a bit how my life will turn out--not expecting the success part though.

Here is the update on my job search adventure. I have applied for so many jobs I have lost count. For the most part, they email back and say that you did not get the position...but most you just don't hear back from. I applied for three different Master Control positions with local stations here...was turned down by two and still waiting to hear from the third. My most promising opportunity is with IHC in their phlebotomy program. They took applications from 535 people and chose 75 to interview. From there they chose 30 for a second interview. I was so shocked to get that call back! They only have 12 positions to fill. So I have about a 50/50 chance. I am keeping a positive attitude that this will work out. It would be a fantatic job. I will fill you in on the details when thing work out!! I am excited that I have gotten this far.

School starts on the 24th and we are all so excited!! Sierra is starting High School, Montana will be in 4th grade, and Justice will be in 2nd grade. For the most part they have just had a super lazy, do nothing summer. Sierra has been busy with drill, but then she comes home and is so exhausted that she sleeps most of the rest of the day. So we are ready to get back to normal. They are all on each others nerves and just ready for friends, learning, and some place new to go. I'm so thankful that we have had all summer to hang out together. But I think summer has overstayed it's welcome!! Just like my unemployment!! All good things must come to an end.

Home Already

The kids had an absolutely fantastic time up with cousins in Wyoming. They hiked, rode horses, rode ATV's, cooked on a campfire, and played their little hearts out.

Montana does not do well away from home...I was hoping that she would have so much fun that she would be ok. She did have fun, but she is such a momma's girl that she couldn't think about anything but home. Justice really wanted to stay until Friday but I told him they were a package deal.

So Holly and I arranged to meet in Logan for the pick-up. It was a beautiful drive and brought back so many memories. I went to school at USU in Logan for my first year of college. Driving up the canyon I could picture myself in my roommate Angie's old Blue Honda Prelude...both of us singing old 80's tunes. It put a smile on my face.

We met at Wal-Mart and exchanged kiddos. Holly is a saint. She loves kids and it shows. Thanks so much for taking care of my babies.

The kids and I drove around campus and I showed them where I lived, where I had a few classes, and the hot spots. The Aggie A, Old Main, The Spectrum, The Stadium, and where to get Aggie Ice Cream!! Oh the memories. I had so much fun there. I can't believe I gave it all up for a boy! But, you do silly things when you are in love. And Life goes on.

I'm so happy to have the kids back home. Now if they would just stop fighting...

Lazy days of summer

Nothing going on here except nothing!! We are still painting but taking our sweet time. Sierra is gone to her dads for another week, little ones are spending the nights and weekends with their dad for the next two weeks.

So needless to say...things around here are blissfully dull.

Except mom and dad went to Yellowstone/Jackson Hole without us! How rude! They did ask us to go and it just didn't work out :-( So we were asked to take care of Shadow, their big black lab. So Roxy has a friend this week.
That's it!

It's kinda nice to just do whatever you want, whenever you feel like it! But I do miss my babies! Love you guys! Be good!

An Old Friend

I had the chance to meet up with an old friend that I haven't seen since high school...Michelle Cragun Jensen. We decided to meet at her house and let our kids play together. She has a beautiful home up in Cottonwood Heights. The view is amazing & so is her house!! She also had set up a big jumpy house with water slide, a playground, a little slide for Skyler (18 mos.) and her little Hannah (3 yrs old) and a trampoline for the kids to play on. We ended up spending the whole afternoon because we were just having way too much fun. We got a lot of sun, but this time the kids were coated in sunscreen and I made them wear t-shirts too. They still got a little burned, but not too badly this time. It was so great catching up with her and just spending time reminiscing. It's so funny how you can just pick right up where you left off 20 years ago. She is an amazing mom of 5 and they run their own business out of their home. She is also a part time neurosurgical nurse at the U. WOW-she is and always has been amazing! Her kids are great and they got along so well with mine. Leah (9) and Montana (also 9) hit it off and invited each other to their respective birthday parties this summer. So cute. So hopefully Michelle and I will be seeing each other again this summer and wont wait 20 years to see each other again!!! Thanks for a great visit!!

Voices Spring Performances

Tomorrow is our last spring performance for Voices. It has gone by quick- but two weeks of performances is a lot of work. I have had such a great time with these sweet ladies who put up with me. I think after 5 months I am finally making some progress with my voice. Yesterday I had my vocal director, and the group coordinator tell me how great I sounded. I was so happy to hear this because usually I am getting direction from everyone on tone, diction, note correction, etc. So that put a big smile on my face.

We have performed for several nursing homes, senior centers, our friends and family concert, and today we performed at a very very special school. It's called Jordan Valley School- a school for physically and mentally disabled "children"- from 5-adult. It was amazing. They were clapping and dancing and singing along. You could just feel the love in the room. All the staff and teachers have a great attitude and genuinely care for these kids. I feel so blessed to have been able to bring some happiness/entertainment to people we have performed for. We love to see the tears, and when people sing along, or smile- it makes all the rehearsal hours totally worth it! It's been amazing. I hope I will be able to do the Christmas season- but I will have to see what happens with the job situation. I will post some pics tomorrow after our last performance!

Finally!

Finally I have a job interview on Monday. It's just for a part time gig. So we will see. I have been turned down for so many- I am starting to get anxious. But I am being patient and waiting for THE job. If I can work it around my babysitting I would love it! Skyler is such an angel and so easy to take care of- I would hate to loose that! Anyhoo-everyone keeps asking how things are going. So there you go. I will let you know if it works out or not.

We have a super busy weekend coming up. Parties, Drill Team Fundraisers all day Fri & Sat. & squeezing in some exercise on our new toy the WII! Have a great weekend!

WICKED!!

I was so excited to go see this! I have heard so many people rave about it and I have been previewing the music for a few weeks. It was absolutely AMAZING!! The two main characters have phenominal voices- it would literally shake the walls. The scenery was really neat and constantly changing. I loved the story! I am looking forward to reading the book now. My favorite songs were "I'm not that girl", "Defy Gravity", "Changed for Good", & of course "Popular".

Grama Dodie was hilarious. She was feeling really bad that she wasn't able to go to church on Easter. I was able to go that morning- so I guess I would have felt the same way if I hadn't gone. Anyhoo- she kept saying "I can't believe I am seeing WICKED on EASTER. Surely I will be punished for this!" We were both happy that the musical had no swearing, no sexual anything, even modest clothing! I told her that Jesus himself would have really loved it! Hope I don't get striked down now! It really was such a fun family outing.

My cousins Mindee, Misty, Danee Dee, KarLee & her friend, Mom, Grama D, & me, were all there sitting in a row. It was a fun time! I would definately see it again- my kids would totally love it!

Technology :-p (That's a tongue sticking out!!)

I am at the end of my rope with technology today. I finally got my PC to work after months and months of trying to get rid of a virus. The kind where you have windows that pop up all over the screen. While my PC was out of commission I was using my laptop. Which was fantastic for a while-especially since I need it for school. But all of my pics and some software I like to use are on my PC. Well happy day- the PC is finally virus free after hours of work- and just in time- because now my laptop has the same virus. Weird?? I am so fed up because now I have pics, files, and different programs that I need on both computers. Everytime I go to do something with the computer, invariably what I need is on the other. UGH!!

This pic makes me laugh!! It's exactly what I want to do!!


I also got one of those "cool" touch screen phones. I love the full keyboard feature- because it is so much easier to talk to sierra and a few others through texting, and texting for me has always been a labor- until my new phone. But now- the touch screen is so hard to operate that just making a simple PHONE call or answering the phone is a pain. I am pushing the button- lightly, medium, hard. Turn it on, turn it off- open it, close it- OH...yeah... now it's working!! Until I need it the next time. Do I sound annoyed???- because I am.

So I go to use my land line phone- and it is all staticky. What the??? OK- I believe this is God's way of telling me to read a book, and actually visit people instead of calling or texting them. I GET IT!! So tomorrow- I will be visiting family and not dealing with technology at all!!


p.s. There will be no pics of the Aquarium because I downloaded the pics to the laptaop and deleted them off the memory card before the virus hit. Now they are locked away until I can get that wonderment working again! :-)

Two dates in one day :-)

I had two dates today. Grama Dodie took me to lunch at Sizzler. Just a last minute kinda deal. We had a fun time just yaking and being together. Grama kept trying to keep the conversation going because I didn't have a lot to say today. I am in the dumps but trying to put on a happy face. She's sees right through me though and knows I am not doing as well as my face says. I am so glad that she wants to help. It's hard to communicate how I'm feeling. I am not good at that. She said she can hear it in my voice- but I have a smile on my face. I guess that's just me. I have always been that way. So I wasn't the best date- but it was fun to get out of the house and be with one of my favorite people!

I am going out tonight with some friends from my Primary Presidency. They have been dying to take me out to dinner and a movie for two months now. We finally found a date that worked for everyone. So I am looking forward to that too. We have never been out together before but we all get along really well. They are awesome and really want to help. It's hard because no one knows what to say or do. But just getting me out so I am not home alone is wonderful (kids are with dads this weekend)! I'm so thankful for the unending support around me. I am a blessed woman.

Wicked!!

Found out today that my Aunt Jan bought tickets for a bunch of us to go see WICKED when it is in Salt Lake! I am so stinkin' excited. I heard months ago that it was coming but I didn't even pursue getting tickets because I knew: a)how expensive they were, and b) getting them would be a joke. So imagine my surprise when my mom called to tell me the news!! Wahoo! I know and love all the music- and everyone raves about how good it is! So I cannot wait. It's on Easter at 1:00. Which will be nice because the kids are going to be with their dads this year. So it will be a nice pick-me-up! Thanks Jan!