Thursday, August 15, 2013

Four Things Summer Edition

Alpine Rodeo

I much prefer Instagram to blogging these days.  But in case you don't follow me there, here is a little catch up on what we have been doing this summer:

Luke:

1.  Luke did two basketball camps--one at BYU and one at Skyline High School.  He loved both of them.


2.  Luke and Sammie have both been taking tennis lessons.  I am living vicariously through them.  I am dying to take lessons--just so I can wear the cute skirts.


3.  Luke turned 10 this summer and let his little brother blow out his candles.  That's the kind of kid he is.


4.  The big news is that Luke started tackle football for Alta.  We said no for the last two years and he finally wore us down to the point that we said yes.  He absolutely loves it.



Sammie:

1.  Sammie spends 90% of her time tumbling on the front lawn.  She taught herself an aerial and almost has a back hand spring.  It scares me to death.

2.  She started dancing at a new studio and spent a considerable amount of time dancing this summer.  She also did a cheer camp at BYU.


3.  Sammie went on a trip to NYC with Sam for five days.  She saw three shows and toured the city.  At the airport, she turned and barfed all over Sam's shoes and then exclaimed, "phew!  I was so worried I was going to get it on my clothes!"


4.  Sammie loves little kids.  She comes to the gym with me each morning so she can go to the daycare and play with the toddlers.  They adore her.  Too bad she wants nothing to do with her own little brothers.

Ryan:

1.  Ryan spends all of his time outside roaming the neighborhood on his bike.  Luckily, we have fantastic neighbors who basically let him live at their homes. 


2.  Ryan took swimming lessons again this summer.


3.  He also played on a t-ball team with his buddies.  He was the biggest and slowest kid on the team.  And just like with soccer, he thought he was awesome.


4.  Ryan, Luke, Sammie and Mitch all went on a vacation with Sam for five days to Snow Mass, CO.  They had a blast swimming and going on bike rides.


Buster:

1.  The big news is that Buster is potty training.  We are half way there and it has about pushed me over the edge.  After ten years straight of diapers, I am ready for this kid to be trained!

At Walmart in no pants.  When in Rome...

2.  We thought he broke his arm last week on my sister's trampoline.  After one horrendous trip to the ER, and a week of wearing a cast for no reason, we found out he is totally fine.


3.  Buster's favorite thing to do is go swimming. We did Seven Peaks, Cottonwood Spa, Alta Canyon and the gym pool.  He mostly enjoys puttering around the pool deck or sitting in a lounge chair eating treats.

4.  He loves going anywhere with the big kids. 
 
Churros at the Real Game

Me:

1.  The big anticlimactic news is that I got a job.  I am working very very part time for the Utah Senate.  I won't bore you with the details but I can do it from home and so far it hasn't been too much of a thorn in my side. 

2.  Still dating on and off.  Summer is so busy that I try to slow down the dating a bit and focus on the kids.  I do like dating in the Summer because you can get outside and do things like bike rides and hikes. 

Look at that view!

3.  My vacation was when my kids went to Colorado with their dad.  I managed to get Mitchell's baby book finished which was my only goal for that week.  I am still trying to lose the five pounds I gained eating out with friends for every meal.

My friend Kari and I at City Creek before we gorged ourselves at Cheesecake Factory

4.  I did a lot more biking this summer. I have some kind male friends who take me since I have a hard time finding girls to go on rides with.  There is a great new trail from Alpine to Provo Canyon.


The end.  I will do my annual Best of Summer post next week.  I am not ready for Summer to end!

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Craftastic!


If you know me at all, you know that I don't craft (unless it is to make an amazing porch display). I don't have the interest, the time, the energy.  But I am the Enrichment Coordinator for my ward and we have a Super Saturday type enrichment planned with the YW for September 13th.

I have known about this thing ever since I got put in this calling back in February. Of course I did my best to put it out of my mind until this week.

Luckily, my RS president told me about a place called Poppyseed Projects.  (I am not even getting a kickback for this plug!)  They sell kits with everything included to make the crafts (crafting for dummies.)   They have an actual store you can visit and pick out your stuff. 

There are a few stores that I hate to go to because just walking in puts me into a cold sweat--think Emergency Essentials and the Scout Store.  Now we can add this place to that list. There were just way too many options to choose from.  I had to leave and come back with my friend Corinne for moral support (and because she actually knows what is cute and is much better at crafts than me.)

We managed to pick out six items and we busted them all out this morning.  It took two trips to Home Depot and one to Holiday Oil for huge Diet Cokes and the project was done.  Never mind the profanity Corinne and I were both uttering as we continued to mess up our projects.

The worst of them was this bad boy:


It doesn't look like much but it is a 7 step process---texturizing cream, black paint, white paint, vinyl, red paint, peel vinyl, sanding. I had a major mishap with this thing and had to do some creative fixing.

Now I display these at church for the next three weeks, get with my committee, come up with refreshments and do some more planning, collect money and get the kits and then it's go-time.

Are any of your wards still doing Super Saturdays?  Do you ladies like to craft?  Does anyone want to come take my place that night?  

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

I'm baaaaaaaaack!


We are in total summer mode at my house. There have been a million things I have wanted to blog about and then every day, I get busy with my kids and think "I will do it another day." 

Then I got this comment emailed to me for approval on my 2008 post about my uniform

"sorry for my english. but please do not be angry.  I have interest of the black velvet jogging suit the can i have it.  I would pay them what they want if I could have it.  I offer 200 to 250 €."


This comment is from a man in Germany who is offering me the equivalent of 250 US dollars for my used velour sweat suit.  I mentioned to a friend that I no longer have that uni but for that kind of money I would find this guy a new one. My friend sagely said "I think he is looking for a uni that has been worn in the game." 

For some reason, that experience was the catalyst that made me decide to start blogging again.  I need to have a place to post about the ridiculous things that happen in my life.  Or maybe it just reminded me that I have a blog.

So with Fall right around the corner, I am back to blogging.  I am going to give you some Summer recap posts, some Instagram photos for those who don't follow me over there, and maybe a rant or two thrown in just for kicks.

Is anyone still out there?