Troy - It's Been A Year

Well, how can you do it?

Can you dislike the sun, even when it burns you? Can you dislike ice-cream on a hot day, even if it drips on your pants? Is it possible to turn your back on a rainbow, even if it is in the middle of a downpour? Can you hate a kiss from your grandma, even if it is a little wet and leaves a red lipstick mark? Impossible, right?

This is how we feel about Troy. I tell ya, that dog has issues. Some are inborn and some, I'm sure, are from a questionable puppyhood. But you can't stand not to absolutely love him. He is full of personality. He is never sad or unhappy and it is absolutely impossible to make him that way. He thinks everything is a game, a party, a shindig. He thinks we all exist solely to play with him. He thinks all other dog exist solely to play with him. The vets all adore him. They call him a keeper. But ugghhh, he is definitely his own person, er... uh... dog, and sometimes you don't know if you'd like to hug him or just really arm wrestle him (movie quote alert.)

The vets are right, he IS a keeper. But is it worth it, at the risk of all of us going completely insane? The answer is YES! A whole-hearted and totally unanimous YES!

Waiting

I'm waiting for my iPod to charge so I can take it with me when I run in a few minutes. So while I'm waiting I thought I would post about "Da Ma-chine" (this must be said with a deep, slow, monotone voice). "Da Ma-chine" lives in our neighborhood and always seems to be out running or riding his bike. He is very focused and very stiff and very unfriendly. He is always decked out in the latest gear and seems not to notice anybody or anything he shares the road with. This has earned the poor guy the title, "Da Ma-chine".

The other day while I was out running I passed him going the other way. Usually he avoids me by crossing the street or going a different direction. But this particular day there was no avoidance. We were on a relatively narrow path that pedestrians use to get by the gate at the front of our neighborhood. I waved and smiled and said good morning as we passed. I could almost hear the gears and wheels whirring as they tried to access his neuro-processor to see what the "collective" stationed aboard the mothership would recommend he do. At the last second he raised his left arm very slightly, and while looking away, executed what I'm sure he considered to be a very genuine wave. Wow! I felt honored.

I keep hoping he'll run by while I'm writing this so I can snap a picture... but it looks like I'm out of luck today. Someday, if I'm ever so fortunate I'll post it for your viewing pleasure... You're welcome!

Watch out! Resistance is Futile!

several days later... I got a shot, enjoy

It Is What It Is

I randomly stumbled across this list yesterday in one of the many notebooks I have stashed in different parts of my house. I don't know when or why I wrote this. I think I must have been trying to remind (or convince) myself that some things you just can't change. I laughed right out loud, a much needed reprieve at the time. I thought you might need a laugh too.

It is what it is

We live in San Juan Bautista

Kelsi has a seizure disorder

We have only 3 kids

Family lives far away

Brad golfs on Saturdays

Obama is President

FUN in the 831

Labor Day Weekend we had a lot of unconventional fun!

It all started off with 5 extra kids added to our family for the weekend. We had the Anderson's 4 kids (Kylii, Kort, Berlin and Kamryn) while their parents flew to Utah to check out the BYU game in person! We also had Taylor Lawrence whose family was also in Utah for a less happy occasion (funeral) Taylor felt she couldn't miss school and their first football game of the season (where she and Afton cheered.) This might have seemed pretty crazy but all these kids are well behaved and fun to be around.

Some highlights:

-Watching Kung Fu Panda on our large outdoor screen

-Playing with the dogs (the dogs thought they had died and gone to heaven)

-Getting TPed by our awesome, fun and very mischievous neighbors, The Gorewitzes

-Catching our very awesome, fun and mischievous neighbors in the very act (TWICE!!)

-Eating yummy french toast

-Cheering, Texting, and then Texting, Cheering

-Going to the movies to see Nanny McPhee

-Eating at Subway

-Lot's of Trampoline Jumping

-Making an ELABORATE plan to get our awesome, fun and mischievous neighbors back

-Inviting said neighbors over to watch "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" on our outdoor screen

-The older girls pretending to be out with friends, hiding, until our movie started

-The older girls getting caught in the very act of TPing (TWICE) by suspicious neighbors (once while they were at our house watching the movie)

-Getting them good anyway! (TP, forks, oreos, frozen peas, squeeze cheese)

-Taking up the whole long bench at church

(Brady dressed as the TP Monster - one good way to use all that toilet paper gathered from the front yard)

Bonus: Fun with Berlin and Kamryn

These girls made me laugh all weekend... from Berlin pointing out Zac Efron's underarm hair in HSM3 to Kamryn stating every 10 minutes in a dramatic tone, "I'm STARVING!"

Here are some documented events:

Kamryn helped me clean the bathroom on Saturday morning. She LOVED the Clorox wipes. She wiped everything including the door! She was in the midst of this when Brady walked in and was horrified that she was dipping the wipe in the toilet to re-wet it. Nice! (I was busy at the time texting her mom, telling her everything was fine :)

Berlin: I'm glad my Nana is my mom's mom.

Me: Really, why?

Berlin: Because my Nana is fun and my mom is just like her. (I think she was missing her parents. Funny how it manifested itself)

Berlin: I don't think there's a bone in your tongue.

Kamryn (very matter-of-factly): Actually, there is.

All these fun kids were gone by Sunday after church and we raced home to regroup before Grandpa and Grandma Lindsey came down for our monthly Fast Sunday dinner. The highlight for me was the "Perfectly Chocolate" Cake with the "Perfectly Chocolate" Icing. (You'll have to ask Brad what his definition of a "sliver" is)

Monday was spent cleaning out the garage... YIKES! is all I have to say. You might not think this qualifies as fun, but when things were as out of hand as they were, I have to say it is FUN to have a garage I can now walk into without tripping. I can also retrieve something that should take 30 seconds to retrieve, and it actually takes 30 seconds, instead of 5 minutes.

That afternoon Mom and Dad came down again (aren't they so nice to travel to get to us 2 days in a row?) for a Labor Day BBQ. I thought it was so yummy! This time of year is fabulous for fruit so of course we had fruit salad (yummy yummy). We also had spinach salad, fresh chip dip (ala; Annette Dickson) corn on the cob and BBQed Rosemary Salmon and Hot Dogs (not rosemary hot dogs, just plain old hotdogs) We had Marsha's pudding, graham cracker creation for dessert!

So see, all in all, a SUPER fun time was had by everyone!

Do You Know What I Really Love?

Yep, that's right! Chocolate Molten Cake from Chili's!