Meyer Muse and News!

RIP Wilhelmina Hoacox

2012-02-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

It's not because I'm a huge fan of the big W.H. Ya, not really so much. And definitely much less after Bobbie Brown came on the scene. So why am I doing a tribute here, you may ask? It's because of one of those funny, small moments in life that somehow sticks around in family lore, forever.

Many years ago I'd play a game with the kids in the car. I would ask them if they knew who was singing the song on the radio, sometimes offering prizes if they got it right. Afton once earned $5 by randomly guessing Seal. (I had told them his name had one word and started with an S. She didn't know at the time there was such a guy, but she had seen seals at the beach. I guess she thought it was a good "S" word, she was right).

One day a Whitney Huston song was playing and the kids couldn't guess who it was. I finally hinted, "Her initials are W.H." There was silence for a moment and then Kelsi yells from the back seat, "Wilhelmina Hoacox!!" I burst out laughing and Whitney forever became Wilhelmina Hoacox in our books.

Today, after word of her death got out, I received a text from Kelsi that simply said, "RIP Wilhelmina Hoacox". It made my whole day.

Stefani's Top 10 - Running Songs

2012-02-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

People ask me a lot what's on my running playlist. I think I have a pretty darn good list and I'm always happy to share. Here are my top 10 favorite right now (I tried to limit it to 5, I couldn't do it).

I was trying to figure out what these songs have in common. They cover many genres (pop, disco, 80's, rock, English rock, indy, alternative,) and many time periods (Highway Star came out in 1972, Runaway Baby in 2010 - and everything in between)

But in the end they have to be upbeat and have interesting lyrics. Something a lot of my favorites have is a time to clap your hands or whistle, a distinct drum beat or make some sort of lyrical noise (Buddy Holly is the perfect example with "Ooo-ooo and you know I'm yours. Ooo-ooo and I know you're mine" - weirdly enough I like doing that while I'm running, people probably think I'm a nutcase, "but I don't care what they say about me anyway, I don't care 'bout that" - lyric humor from Buddy Holly;) Some others are Freeze (Frame by J. Geils Band, 15 Storey Halo by ABC, Wild Boys by Duran Duran

I'm also a fan of a mildly heavy guitar (is that an oxymoron?) but with some variety not just a steady stream of guitar.

Songs where the guitar makes a train-like sound are particularly good (Highway Star, Aerosmith's Train Kept a Rollin', Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train, Train in Vain by The Clash, Monkey Wrench by Foo Fighters - just to name a few)

Top 10 running songs (in no particular order)

Roam - B52's - video (I don't want the B52's to be favorites - I guess I want to be more current or something, but they consistently make me run well. Roam's gotta be in the top ten.)

Joker and the Thief - Wolfmother - video (I also love Woman by Wolfmother. This song was featured in last season of Chuck. I'm glad others like it too.)

Runaway Baby - Bruno Mars - audio with lyrics (this is a fun song with clever lyrics - gotta love Bruno)

Highway Star - Deep Purple - audio (not my style of music - but this song is consistently one of my favorite running songs)

Backstage - The Donnas - audio (From the Freaky Friday Soundtrack - it's funny that one of my other favorite running songs - that didn't make the list, mostly because I'm embarrassed about it - is also from Freaky Friday called Ultimate by Lindsey Lohan. See? Embarrassing.)

Sorry Sorry - Rooney - audio with lyrics (again, I appreciate the clever lyrics)

Underdog - Spoon - video (this also fits in the category of my Top 5 favorite songs, the fact that it's a good running song is just gravy)

Buddy Holly - Weezer - video (This is a good example of something that started out as a good running song and then graduated into my everyday playlist. I also learned, while doing this blog post, that the video for this song was filmed as if it were a part of the TV show Happy Days. It's totally corny and just makes me like it even more.)

Dead on Arrival - Fall Out Boy - video (so, if you're really watching all these videos, I'm apologizing in advance for the split second view of a guy in a thong, ick... sorry :/)

Good Day - The Click Five - audio with lyrics (so, many years ago I thought I had discovered a fun new band called The Click Five, and then come to find out Afton knew all about them because of Hannah Montana. Really? I'm not sure what the connection was but it made me feel dumb for liking (pre) teenybopper music. But the fact is I do like it even still, and not just this group. But I listened to some covers of this song and I really do like The Click Five's style - others don't do them justice. Also this was my inspirational song in November when I ran the Santa Barbara Half Marathon. I tend to have inspirational song when I'm doing a long run. A random song will come on and, surprise, I have a burst of energy. If for nothing else, I've gotta love it just for that reason.)

Bonus
Does Your Mother Know - ABBA - video (This is my very best warm up song!! I have my playlist set up so this song always plays first. I don't know what to do with myself if I something goes wrong and another song comes on first.)

So for what it's worth, this is all you ever wanted to know, and more about my running music. While making this post I was listening to some of the different songs from my list and, even though this day was slated for a different kind of workout I got all jazzed about running and decided I'd go out. I've been trying to beat my time per minute (without much success) and today I killed it by 20 seconds per mile (that was even with going up the killer hill in our neighborhood). Ya, I pretty much rock! See what a little good music will do for your motivation?)

Tell me what your favorite running/workout songs are...

There Will Come a Day When I Can No Longer Run...

2012-01-29T19:58:00.000-08:00

...yesterday was NOT that day!

Some days I use this quote as motivation for me to get out and run.

Yesterday was the 10 mile Mission Run! This was the 3rd that I have participated in.
Unfortunately, I had to repeat this saying many times to myself. It was a hard run. I blame it on lack of water stations (not sure what the deal was). It was one of those days that I had to give myself a lot of motivational talks. In the end I didn't really didn't do too bad (only 3 minutes longer than last year) but while I was out there I seriously felt like the last person in the race. I guess it's ok to have those days right? And guess what? I'll probably do it again next year. It's a fun race, pretty scenery, inexpensive and local!

Here's part of the Hollister 1st Ward group that ran. Erin (in the pink) and Dave (on the right) and I are the only ones that ran the 10 mile race. The other ones in the picture (and several others) ran the 5k. It was a beautiful, warm day. Who knew you could get a sunburn in January.

This was the last 200 meters of the race. I guess it wasn't too awful if I could still smile. But the real reason I was smiling is all the group that was waiting for me and cheering. That seriously boosts ones spirits! I could see Annette from the end of the street waving. Caroline was the official photographer and Brad is my number 1 fan! I'm so glad for his support!

Erin and Me! We were going for highly visable!

Brad ran his first race (the 5k). He got a personal best for pace on the mile. 8:20! AWESOME! Way to finish strong!!

Afton is Kelsi

2012-01-25T20:33:00.000-08:00

Does that title confuse you as much as it does me? When I first heard Brady say it I couldn't even wrap my brain around what he was possibly trying to say! Of course I was hearing it totally out of context, but even now it always takes me a minute to compute.

This year's High School Spring Musicale practice is in full swing.

And with that little introduction, you might have guessed that the play this year is, High School Musical.

Afton got the part of Kelsi, the piano player So this is where the statement, Afton is Kelsi, came from. You can imagine why it's a little weird for me. Afton would have preferred to play Sharpay or Ms. Darbis - but is settling in well with the part of Kelsi . This is a unique part where the character actually gets to play the piano on stage. I think Afton is a little bit worried about that. But I have no worries about her. She is very talented and, of course, true to herself, which I think will make a very memorable character.

Just to add to the whole weirdness... the day they started practice Afton got her long blonde hair chopped off and colored brown. I guess she figured if she was going big, she might as well really make a statement. She hasn't regretted it at all, not for a minute, but there are many people (old and young alike) who are a bit traumatized over it.

She looks so cute though, don't you think? I think it suits her. But it just adds a bit more of the bizarre to the above statement, Afton is Kelsi. Afton even took Kelsi with her as a model, so the beautician could see the color she wanted.

She has very slippery, shiny hair and was warned that the color will probably fade quickly. But that's ok. It'll last through the play. Thus carrying on the statement... Afton is Kelsi.

Because I'm a Freak

2012-01-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

Here I sit, living my life on purpose.

When my friend Annette texted me a few minutes ago and asked what I was doing, I had to confess that I was chewing my new Strawberry Bubblegum (she was with me when I bought it) and trying to take pictures of myself blowing a bubble (what am I, 14?) I'm glad I'm following my mantra for the year (see previous post).

Annette told me she told her husband about my gum. I commented that, for sure, he thinks I'm a freak. She said, "Of course not." But we'll see how he reacts next time he sees me (I'm sure he'll be thinking, "What is she, 14?" -- awkward)

She then said, "I feel a blog post coming on." My comment was, "What, and let everyone else know I'm a freak?"
Then I figured, what the heck -- you've all probably had this fact confirmed to you anyway. I'm already wasting time, I might as well make it official.

Anyhoo! Ever since the Matt Nathanson song "Faster"came out, where he mentions strawberry bubblegum, I have been having a craving for some. None of my regular stores (Target, Safeway, Walmart etc.) carried strawberry bubblegum (I know, weird), believe me I've been looking. They have Strawberry flavored Trident and they have regular bubble gum, but nothing would satisfy me but REAL strawberry bubblegum. So, the other day when I was across the street from 7-11 I thought, "For sure they have it." I wasn't disappointed. And here is my bubble to prove it. I've still got those bubble blowing skills (and a bunch of laundry that needs to be folded).

2012 Mantra and The "Other" Man

2012-01-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

Some people choose a word to live by for the year. This is especially popular in the scrapbooking and blogging communities. Words like "give", "joy", "together". I, on the other hand, like to choose a saying or quote as my inspiration for the year. A couple of past quotes that I've used have been, "She Created a Life She Loves" and "Do It! Do It Right! Do It Right Now!"

I got a little jump start on the one I am choosing for 2012. When I saw it on Pinterest a couple of months ago I immediately printed it out, framed it and set it next to my sink. My mantra for this year is

"Live Your Life on Purpose".

This is super applicable to me right now (as it should be) in so many areas. I am at a stage in my life where I often feel, un-useful, sorta like I have no purpose. I know this is a VERY false thought, but because most of the people in my life can get where they need to get, do what they need to do and live like they need to live, without me, I sometimes wonder what I could and should be doing. I have more "free" time than I've had in a long time. I need to organize this time and choose what to put in it. There are so many things I want to do, should be doing and could be doing. (I've been making lists for years of all the stuff I couldn't get done because of one thing or another.)

I have the time now to have my house cleaner than it ever has been, I have the time now to scrapbook and craft a little more, I have the time now to give service, I have the time now to study more, I have the time now to cook better meals, I have the time to workout more intensely. But often I find my self floundering a little bit. What do I do and when (and HOW for heaven's sake -- it's true, if you don't use it you lose it). Sometimes procrastination takes over, sometimes it's boredom, sometimes it's lack of focus and often I think I can fit more in than I actually can. But in the end I know there a people out there who are busier than me, that get more done -- and I'm not talking just "stuff", I'm talking meaningful endeavors.

So, I commit to myself (and to you) that this year of 2012 I'm going to live my life on purpose. I am going to live my life, I am not going to let my life live me. I want to make a difference to my family, to my church calling, to my friends, to God. I think I've worked out a good little system, albeit low-tech (Brad would probably have an app for me). I bought a calendar/planner that is in a "daily list" format. I hang it on my fridge and I make my lists on each day with a little box next to each item. As I do them I check them off (I like that it is a calendar and all spiral bound together). And the stuff that doesn't get done, gets put on another day (the goal: to not have stuff that doesn't get done). With the shadows of my last two year's mottos still echoing around in my head, I try to put meaningful items on my list (along with the mundane) and I try to do them, not just look at them or think about them.

If you'd like to print a copy of this motto for yourself go here.

All that being said I'd like to introduce you to the "other" man in my life. His name is Tony Horton.

Some of you may have been introduced to him before. Many of you may not like him. Many of you may associate him with pain and suffering. While this is true, I think he may have offered a lot of you visions of something you want. Tony is the mastermind behind P90-X. He makes interval training possible in your own home. It's a huge commitment, but I'm glad for it. My MAIN man, Brad, is doing the program with me. We are on day 2... wish us luck.

House vs. Holmes

2012-01-05T23:26:00.000-08:00

(For Kelsi)

True to my nature, when there are big events to be covered in the blogging area, I often go a whole different route. Instead of blogging about all of our holiday activities and traditions at this juncture, I'm going to write about something infinitely more important and relevant. I am taking a page out of Kelsi's notebook and I'm going to write about Sherlock Holmes. In case you didn't know Kelsi is a prolific and very amazing writer. If you would like to sample some of her Sherlock Holmes writings go here or here. Now, I am nowhere near as in-depth or as knowledgable in any area I'm interested in, who unlike Kelsi, is, especially in the Sherlock Holmes category... but none the less I AM interested and like to draw my own parallels and conclusions even with my limited knowledge.

Gregory House Sherlock Holmes

The other day as Kelsi was educating me in all things "Sherlock" (the British TV series), which, by the way is very good, whether you're a Sherlock Holmes fan or not. You should go look them up on Netflix (so far there are only 4 episodes). They are very well done. Anyway, as Kelsi was educating me, as she often does, and as we were watching the latest episode, a line was spoken by Inspector Lestrade advising someone who didn't know Sherlock Holmes but was in charge of a criminal investigation that was going to require his help, Lestrade says, "...give him 5 minutes on your crime scene, listen to everything he has to say, and as far as possible, try not to punch him."

This line got me thinking about where else I've heard lines similar to this. One place I knew for sure was on the TV show House. Holy Cow! I never realized...the parallels are astounding. For sure, the creators of House modeled the show after the Sherlock Holmes stories/characters...

Here are just some of the similarities I thought of:

House: Genius in the world of curing incurable/unknown diseases (and by enlarge, deductive reasoning)
Holmes: Genius in deductive reasoning

House: Turns most people off with his flippant attitude
Holmes: Turns most people off with his superior attitude

House: Musical (plays the piano, among other instruments) Plays when he is thinking.
Holmes: Musical (plays the violin) Plays when he is thinking.

House: Has an indifference to his patients.
Holmes: Has an indifference to people involved in the cases he is solving

House: Often clashes with his boss, Lisa Cuddy, over regulations. He often makes her look ridiculous. She is constantly on the verge of firing him and/or strangling him, but continues to asks him back and rely on his expertise.
Holmes: Often clashes with Inspector Lestrade over regulations. He often makes him look ridiculous. He is constantly on the verge of never using his skills again and/or strangling him, but continues to ask him back and rely on his expertise.

House: Perpetual Messy Bachelor
Holmes: Perpetual Messy Bachelor

House: Addicted to Vicodin
Holmes: Uses Cocaine recreationally

House: People often want to punch him in the face, but out of desperation, end up needing/relying on his skills.
Holmes: People often want to punch him in the face, but out of desperation, end up needing/relying on his skills.

House: Arrogant
Holmes: Arrogant

House: Has few friends but those he does have are completely loyal to him.
Holmes: Has few friends but those he does have are completely loyal to him.

House: Has a best friend/colleague who seems to hang around out of sheer morbid curiosity and a desire to lead a more exciting life than he might otherwise have. He also tends to "take care of" House. His name is (James) WILSON
Holmes: Has a best friend/colleague who seems to hang around out of sheer morbid curiosity and a desire to lead a more exciting life than he might otherwise have. He also tends to "take care of" Holmes. His name is (John) WATSON.

House: Walks with a limp.
Holmes: Watson walks with a limp.

House: Named after a place of residence.
Holmes: Named after a place of residence.

End Note: So i just contacted my good friend Wikipedia just to confirm a few facts about "House" (like what was Cuddy's first name) and right there in plain sight was a subsection called "References to Sherlock Holmes." So I guess in the end, you can just go look up the official similarities on Wikipedia, but it was funner coming up with them on my own.

Also now that I've got this out of my system maybe I can get back to writing about regular family things and thrilling you all with our awesomeness!!

It's Time to Get Out the Ax

2011-12-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

Everything was going great. I had made my lists and checked them twice. Those lists were long but I was making good progress. There were challenges, like how to get Christmas Cards out on time with a family picture when Kelsi only arrived home a week before Christmas. But thanks to some planning and some fancy foot work we pulled it off.

But then last night I remembered that not everyone here is as excited about Christmas festivities as me. Now that we are really down to the wire I needed some extra help. After some scheduling conflicts and some complaining (on everyone's part). I went to bed grumpy (and I think I caused everyone else to be as well). It's time for some reevaluation. I think I've gotta chop out some stuff. Bring on the heavy artillery! I've got some list reworking to do.

It's Never Too Late For Disneyland

2011-12-16T12:28:00.000-08:00

QSo, this might not what you're expecting to see at this time of year but it needed to be recorded, so here we go. We went to Disneyland back in July. It was a blast, but somehow with all the craziness of summer I never got it to the blog. It's never to late to hear about the happiest place on earth though, right?

Disneyland

Monorail

So we decided to save a little bit of money and stay in a "cheap motel" just south west of Disney, it was within walking distance (barely) but pretty much crap (i.e; broken bed that they wouldn't/couldn't fix -- I took care of it for them. I think they should have put me on the payroll, super limited breakfast options, bad directions, hard-as-a-rock beds etc.), other than that. We did take the Monorail in every morning. It was a fun chance to be together.

Buzz Lightyear ride

The competitiveness comes out here... who can score the most points. Brady pretty much won (lots of video game practice, I guess)
It was easy to go on this ride over and over. Even when the line is longish it goes pretty fast.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Afton is trying to look like she is holding it up but the people kind of ruin the effect. She's cute anyway don't you think?

Splash Mountain

Afton was super concerned about getting wet. We faired pretty well, although you would never know it by looking at the picture of Afton below. This is probably my favorite picture of the trip. I just burst out laughing when I see it!

Winnie the Pooh Ride

Brady put his hands up while going around the sharp corners. He's a dude who knows how to live on the edge.

We HEART Tigger

Tiki Room

This one is just a funny one for our family. Sort of a dumb attraction in and of itself, but the kids have the song memorized and you've gotta be able to say you've experienced it. Not to mention the kids call me Tiki Head (read why, here). So here I am with the fiercest looking one. I've embraced my inner Tiki Headness...

Also another hit of the Tiki Room is this is where they have pineapple soft serve and shakes and coolers. My kids got tired of me saying that I needed some pineapple soft serve, but I finally got some. And it was ever so worth it.

Tea Cups
This ride I've had to opt out of for the last few times we've gone to Disneyland. I must be getting old. They make me motion sick. (I'm sure it doesn't help that my family likes to be the crazy ones that are spinning so fast they practically run the cup off the rails)

Star Tours

If you haven't been to Disneyland recently, you have to know that they've totally redone Star Tours. You basically never go on the same tour twice. It's broken up into segments that play randomly (and run seamlessly) when on the ride. It's kinda fun. Also you now wear 3D glasses, you know, just to add to the experience.

This is why we love Brad!

Space Mountain

We stood in this line several times. In my opinion is was the worst line. Mostly out in the bright open sun and relatively long - even with a fast pass. But in the end what could be better than riding a roller coaster in pitch blackness? Here's me an my cute guy. Being with my family made the line a little more bearable. Did you know that his shirt is in Brail (seriously).

After 3,000 times of going on the ride you start realizing where the cameras are. We have a few hams in our family. And again, I opted out of this ride due to motion sickness. I know so dumb...

Pirate's of the Caribbean

I never get tired of this ride. Here we are posing with Captain Barbosa. We really wanted to be with Captain Jack Sparrow, but his picture was by the line on the other side. I did finally get Kelsi by him later. Do you think it's just weird for Johnny Depp to go into this ride and see his likeness not just painted on the wall but depicted several times throughout the ride?

Cute kids on Pirates. Afton's come a long way since she used to bury her head in my lap when we would go on this ride.

Autotopia

Since Afton was on the verge of getting her Driver's License during this trip. This ride was a hit.

Characters

We opted out of standing in long lines to greet characters even though I think this was one of Kelsi's favorite things. You know how she is about her Disney Characters. Here she is with Burt from Mary Poppins (He didn't have a line;)

California Adventure

Famous photo op

It almost looks like we have the park to ourselves huh?

Mr. Incredible

Mr. I was offended that Brady was wearing a Green Lantern T-shirt. They had a little duel. He was fun and very entertaining.

Tower of Terror

Without a doubt The Hollywood Tower or theTower of Terror was our family's favorite ride.

This was our first ride on TofT (the kids were dying that I was calling it this, lol). The sign clearly said No Cameras. I'm such a rebel. And the lame thing is, I thought I was taking a video but I was just taking a regular old picture.

So, our family is awesome of course, but I'm also enjoying the guy in the back in the blue shirt.

The Mickey Ferris Wheel

I love these pictures. Why oh why didn't we get someone to do our whole family.

This ride was scarier than it looks. There is a point where it feels like the car you're riding in is going to slide right off the end of the rail, and you are going to go sailing right on out there (It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World humor)

Soarin' Over California

I thought everybody liked this ride (it was one of the first we ever went on at California Adventure a few years ago when the park was first open). Throughout our trip I was texting with my cousin Melanie, who is a Disneyland freak. I was sending her random pictures to make her jealous and when I sent her this one she said, "No big deal! I don't even really like that ride." What? Blasphemy! Maybe you have to be from Cali to appreciate it.

Fantasmic

I'm so over the shows at Disney. I mean not that they are not spectacular and amazing and totally cool. I just don't think it's worth it to sit in your spot for 3 hours ahead of time, fight the crowds and then not be able to see anyway because someone with a giant Mad Hatter hat is standing in front of you. Did you know you can't sit down during this show (at least in the spot we were in)? About a half hour before this show started they came around and told us we all had to stand up. Then they crammed all of the people who were already sitting/standing around behind ropes. And then shoved about 500 more people in las time went on. I felt like a mink being raised only for my pelt. Also apparently some other more veteran (and not so considerate) Disney-goers knew about this turn of events, (they just happened to be standing behind us) and were just waiting for the opportune moment to simultaneously stand and push forward and somehow end up in front of us. Wow! NOT my favorite part of the night.

Barbershop Quartet

So it's only fair, since I shared my least favorite experience that I share my most favorite.

As you probably know, Brad isn't what we consider shy. One morning as we were walking into the park we saw one of these fine gentleman. Brad asked him, randomly of course, if he knew "Lida Rose" from The Music Man. The guy said he did, but he was alone and couldn't sing without his fellow quartet members.
So, that was that, right??
Wrong.
Probably 8 hours later, as we were exiting the park, Afton was lagging a little behind and she suddenly calls up, "Dad, someone is trying to get your attention." We looked back and there was the whole quartet, telling Brad they were ready to sing Lida Rose for him. Really! How many millions of people went through the park that day? The guy remembered Brad from earlier (admittedly not all that hard), chased him down and then proceeded to sing to him. Of course he had to pose for a picture with them. Really, I think Brad's a wannabe singer (or is that streaker? -- ok, that's a post for another day) I was proud of myself to remember to take a photo AND a video. I am lame and had my finger in the view finder for part of the time, sorry.

So, as I've mentioned on other occasions, I often keep notebooks during certain trips, to keep track of funny or random things that are said or that happen. This trip was no different. I had also just gotten an iPhone and was obsessed with taking pictures with the Hipstamatic App. during this trip. Here are some pictures I liked - mostly because they are random. I'm going to intermix them with our funny quotes, just for entertainment purposes. Obviously Brady was the quote king on this trip.

(Grumpy teenagers. They weren't really grumpy though. This was Disneyland! The happiest place on earth)

QUOTE #1 -- Mom, why are you putting on your sweater are you cold?

No. I just want to cover up my arms.

Why?

Because they are fat and white.

(I was perfectly serious in my statement, and if you are middle age mom, I'm sure you'll understand. But my kids thought it was hilarious)

QUOTE #2 -- Afton: Why is that guy wearing nice pants and a nice shirt... And a duck hat? (about some guy that looked like he just came from the office except the Donald Duck accessory)

QUOTE #3 -- POOST?
(I was telling Brady that we were going to the Pooh Store. He couldn't wait for me to finish my sentence and he shouts out "Poost??? What?" I tried to say again, "We're going to the Pooh Store" and again he is too impatient to hear me out, he get's all irritated and says, "Poost? Mom! What is Poost?" Really, who is THAT impatient?)

QUOTE #4 -- Brady, pointing to his cheekbone: Mom, how do you get gumbo right here!? (you just have to be a talented eater like me)

QUOTE #5 -- Brady talking with him mouth full: "A chin-aga, fin-aga, foke!" Interpretation: I saved it from getting on my clothes. (it's amazing how often this quote can fit into real life)

(I don't have a quote to put by this picture I just wanted you to see Brad's arm muscles! Seriously I'm going to print this one out for my nightstand)

QUOTE #6 -- Guy behind us on It's A Small World ride when he saw an Disney employee fixing a part of the ride inside: "Hey! She's not singing." (he actually said funny things throughout the whole ride)

(I just have to point out Brady is this photo - totally makes me laugh)

QUOTE # 7 -- Brady: Opra has a big head. She should get married to George Lopez (huh?)

QUOTE #8 -- Brady: Mom! Don't squeeze and scratch! Geez! (I was just excited about something, and he was seriously grumpy)

(Brad and Brady played a lot of slapping games while we were standing in line. Definitely boys)

Other Famous Photo Op

So most people take this famous photo as they are entering the park on their first day, but because we bypassed this entrance everyday (see monorail pictures above) we had to make a concerted effort to get out here at the end. We were moments away from getting a call from our neighbors telling us our dogs had escaped on to the back hill. They were leaving, it was getting dark, we were 6+ hours away from home. What were we to do? Sadly, nothing.

We Shop in the Middle of the Night Because We Can

2011-11-25T15:09:00.001-08:00

Definition: Black Friday; The day of pure craziness!! Not intended for the weak of mind, body or soul.

For Brady: it really was to get a good deal. He and Brad stood in line at Best Buy starting at 9:30 p.m. for a Midnight opening time. He got the last one of an XBox bundle he's been eyeing for awhile. (Xbox console, wireless remote, 1month free or XBox live, and 2 games) for $199. Regular cost $395. He got the last one out of 12 (he scoped them out the day before to see what his odds were). He said there were no more left, and then a guy right next to him set one down and walked away. He also reported than when the doors actually opened, the end of any sort of civility ended. People were rushing the door and trampling others to get in. (Push and Shove people, push and shove...) Brady said he dove through a small opening at the side of the door, and left Brad behind because he was too slow.

(Brad's comment on this photo about 11:00 was, "I think he's sleeping in there. At least he's warm." -- It was bordering on freezing last night.)

The line extended further than the eye could see. There were tents and all sorts of crazy stuff. You can see part of a tent in the top picture. (Side Note: Not to be gross, but I hesitate to think what that wet spot on the ground is next to the tent... just thrown' that out there.)

For Afton: it was more of an experience than how much she was actually going to save. She and 4 of her best friends went out to the Gilroy Outlets between 2 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Although looking back that was probably a smart idea, seeing how Brady and I went back to the outlets at 10 a.m. - Yeesh! I will NOT be doing that again anytime soon. YIKES! Pure chaos and NO parking!! (we did get Brady 3 pair of $10 jeans -- you can't beat that with a stick) Afton did say it was crazy in the wee hours, but at least they could find parking.

Afton, Cassie, Emily, Shaelyn, Nicole - lookin' good for the middle of the night!

Apparently there was lots of hat trying...

This is the scene that greeted me when I woke up this morning at 7:30. (Shaelyn, Afton, Emily, Cassie and Nicole).

Unfortunately something I learned about Black Friday and some of the crazies that are out there (that just might ruin such an experience for those of us that really want the items on sale) are those that buy it "just because" it's a good deal (or maybe out of the pure mania of it all). In Zumies when we couldn't find the right size of shirts for Brady, the sales girl told us, "Unfortunately when there's a day like this people will come in and buy up everything, just because..."

I also saw this on a friend's Facebook status:
Black friday is just another excuse for impulse buying.
Some guy at target: "i bought two xboxes!! I dont really need them! I dont even really play games!" as he walks down the isle with a flat screen.
Hahaha

...All that and a Bag of Chips

2011-11-22T07:49:00.001-08:00

8th grade is a time of "mosts" - most athletic, most likely to succeed, most likely to become a hair model, most likely to join the circus... Brady might even win a few of those (I'll let you be the judge of which ones) And as fun and as silly as that is, the one that will forever stand out in my mind as a truly meaningful award, is one that was presented yesterday (never mind that I missed the awards ceremony, because I am senile and thought it was today - LAME mom award for me). My Brady, my boy who hasn't had an easy go of it (faulty teachers, holes in his education, short attention span, inability to stay on task and possible a little bit of laziness) received the "Most Improved" award for all of the 8th grade. He is currently getting straight B's. People, don't judge. This is HUGE I tell ya! And I am so proud of that boy. Last year he finally realized HE was in charge of his grades. He was working to be on the honor roll so he could get a cell phone. Suddenly it wasn't the teacher's fault, or the kid sitting next to him, or the grass that got in his eye at recess. If he wasn't doing well, he knew it was his own fault. It didn't mean it became easy, it didn't mean there still weren't some crap teachers. It meant that he knew he was in charge. Last year he also gave up his PE period (hard for someone who needs a physical outlet) to take a special class called "Read 180"(do you get it? It's supposed to turn a students reading around 180 degrees) For Brady it worked. He was able to fill in some gaps, read consistently and work hard on his comprehension. Only he and one other kid tested out by the end of the year. I also see a direct correlation between this class and the improvement he made on his CST's. The improvement was dramatic. His scores even went up in Math and Science. No doubt because he could read and understand the directions and the problems better.

I just had conferences with his teachers last week, and with the exception of the, "Brady has a hard time staying on task" comments. And the, "Brady likes to do things that make people laugh" comments. They all said Brady is in pretty good shape. Tears are springing to my eyes. This boy makes me proud, this boy makes me happy, this boy IS all that and a bag of chips!

(Amazingly enough, he also got the "Advanced Reader" Award - Go Brady!)

In the Interim

2011-11-15T15:09:00.001-08:00

So, while you're all anxiously awaiting my next post... which I'm working on and will be coming soon {... silent cheers of joy...), could you all please go make some comment on my last post. I thought it was a great post, but because of the lack of comments my delicate ego has taken a beating. 2 comments... that's all I got??? 2! The cute pictures alone should illicit more than that, don't you think? Go take another look, I'm sure you will agree.
(Annette and Erin, you're exempt... unless, of course, you feel compelled.)

Ok, I'm really just kidding... (mostly)
And to show you I'm not (that) vain, I'm posting the following picture in all it's glory, untouched and at it's largest possible size. This is quite possibly the worst picture EVER taken of me!

Be nice.

Holy Honk! Who is that beast?

Stefani's Top 5 - Brown Eyes

2011-11-10T14:11:00.001-08:00

So you may or may not be paying close enough attention to my blog to know that my birthday week I was going to blog everyday about some of my "favorite" things. We'll my plans got a little derailed by, among other things, this project. (I'll write more about that another time)

There are a lot of little things in life that just thrill me. Things like color, light and shadow, scriptures about being cheerful, animals, the sound of the ocean, paper, etc. Call me crazy, but another thing that gives me great satisfaction is deep, dark, brown eyes that sparkle. I notice them a lot - but it helps if I have some other sort of connection to the person. So without further adieu. Here are my top 5 favorite brown-eyed people.

1. Justin Bieber - I think eyes of any color sparkle when that person is happy, and enjoying him/herself. I think Justin has a god given talent that he is maximizing. It may be hard sometimes, but he is truly doing what he was meant to do. It shows in his eyes

2. Kris Allen - Um, ya... if you know me at all, this is a no brainer.

3. Johnny Depp - I struggled a little bit with this one. It's really Captain Jack Sparrow that I always notice the sparkly dark eye on, but since Jack isn't a real person I decided to go with Johnny.

4. Mr. Darcy - Ok, I just contradicted myself. Mr. Darcy is also fictional and I have absolutely no problem also putting Colin Firth as number 4. But this particular scene in Pride and Prejudice is the absolute perfect example of what eyes do when the person they are attached to is happy, content, in love. Colin Firth (as is a universal truth, we can all agree on) did a fabulous job portraying the grumpy, albeit, misunderstood Mr. Darcy. This is the first time where we see him letting himself acknowledge his contentment in the presence of Elizabeth Bennett. {...collective sigh...}

5. David Boreanaz - Again, if you know me at all, you know I've been a dedicated Bones fan since season one (we've just started season 7). David Boreanaz plays FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. I don't know if they do something extra special with the lighting or something, but this guys eyes sparkle all the time. When he's serious, when he's intense, when he's being funny and especially when he's happy. If it's not the lighting - he is lucky to have that set of peepers. And I'm lucky to be able to pop in a CD (or go to Netflix instant play) and view them any time I want.

Bonus

6. Brad Meyer - So he pretty much rivals any of the above individuals and he belongs to me. Isn't he beautiful? Did I mention he's mine?

And just as an extra, extra bonus here's Brad's alter ego Robert Downey Jr. Oh ya, look at those eyes.

So don't you love that I say "Top 5" but I always do more than that. But that's just how I roll.

Schizophrenic Halloween

2011-11-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

Apparently our family is very indecisive about their Halloween costumes. Either that or we just have multiple personalities that all see Halloween as an opportunity to make an appearance.

Brady's first alter ego

Neon Man or Fluorescent Boy

Afton's inner desire

To become an 80's Prom Queen

Brad and Stef not too far of a stretch:

Mr. and Mrs. Used Car Salescouple (my favorite part other than the authentic plaid pants, is the lobster tie)

Nerdly P. Sterdly

is what Afton went by for Trunk or Treat

Neato Bandito

How do you say Trick or Treat in Spanish?

Glowing Dreadlocks (which really looked more like a Jellyfish) and strobe lighted fingertip gloves. Became more intense and annoying as the sun went down. (I'm talking about the lights, not Brad's personality. HA!)

Here are some other costumes that made me very, very happy.

Catherine Nordstrom (age 11) had this fantastic costume. This seriously looked like a real dude carrying her around. Leave it to the Nordstrom's to always have fun and creative costumes.

The Eggers Family

Gru and his Minions from Despicable Me

Boogie Fever anyone?

Jared and Melissa Howard

White Trash Couple

I wish you could get the full effect of the mullet wig. So fun!

We all made quite the candy haul. Well, Afton and Brady really. But that translates into Brad and I getting our fair share of the loot too.

I read on someone's Facebook status that her daughter was allergic to peanuts so she had to eat all her peanut butter cups for her. I decided that my kids are allergic to Twix.

Here's my other alter ego: The pink witch with fluffy flying goggles. Yes, there's a reason why this picture is small. But it was necessary for you to know that I dressed up as more than one thing as well. (I had a hat, pink boa and tie-dye tights, but that picture was even worse than this one. So deal with it :)

Stefani's Top 5 - Halloween Jokes

2011-10-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

Several Years ago I made this Halloween Mini Book. It doesn't contain spooky pictures of my family doing Halloween-y things, nor does it contain cute photos of the Fall Harvest Festival. I put all this time and effort into a book like this because I wanted to remember my favorite Halloween Jokes. And that's just what I did. These jokes continue to make me laugh year after year. I hope they do the same for you.

Here they are for your amusement --

Q:
1. Why don't witches ride their brooms when they're mad?

2. Why couldn't the sick vampire sleep?

3. Why do skeletons play the piano?

4. What do you call a zombie that collects your laundry?

5. What do you call a ghost's mom and dad?

Bonus:
6. Where is a monster's favorite place to swim?

7. Do zombies eat popcorn with their fingers?

A:
1. They're afraid they might fly off the handle.

2. Because of his coffin.

3. Because they don't have any organs.

4. The undie-taker

5. TransParents

6. Lake Eerie

7. No, they usually eat them separately.

Stefani's Top 5 - Songs

2011-10-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

Since this is my birthday week I decided to do posts all about me this week. It is my blog after all and why not be a little vain and selfish and talk incessantly about myself. People like that right? Ha!

I am a very fickle person and change my mind and my preferences all the time. So these (and the other posts I'll do this week) are likely to change almost before I get them published. That's why I have trouble making lists of my favorite things. But I thought it was worthy to publish what I like right now. I mean why not.

For this particular subject favorite constitutes songs I like to hit the repeat button on. And if I were being sent to prison and I could create a playlist of songs that I could take with me and never change, these would be on it.

Also I don't claim to be a deep music connoisseur, I'm pretty shallow really. So sue me.

And one more thing, I like upbeat, happy sounding and clever songs. I also tend to like them if they are a little bit random. I'm also under the impression that a love song doesn't have to be slow and sappy. I think love makes you happy, why not write it that way.

So without further adieu.

1. The Underdog - Spoon (from the 17 Again soundtrack. It's fun to run to as well as listen to.) video or if you'd rather watch Zac go here

2. Keep On Trying - Poco (Speaking of random... This song doesn't seem like one that would top my favorites list and I wouldn't say I'm a huge Poco fan, it's a little bit out of my era, but I heard this particular song on my favorite TV show Bones and had to go download it, I very much enjoy it) video or if you'd rather see clips from Bones while listening go here

3. Soul Sister - Train (This song has it all, a bit random with it's reference to Mr. Mister, sung by Train, one of my favorite groups, it's catchy, and full of feeling) video I like Pat Monahan, he's a cutie, but I have issues with men in skinny jeans especially when they are over 40, just sayin'.

4. Alright With Me - Kris Allen (I love to put it on repeat and blast it in the car and sing along, they symbolism is great, the song is catchy AND it's sung by Kris Allen how much better can it be?) video sigh

5. Cooler Than Me - Mike Posner (This is bound to be one of those songs that will change off my list, and probably soon, but right now I like it and it makes me smile, I think it's kind of clever) video

Bonus:
6. Faster - Matt Nathanson (This is my newest favorite song. Matt Nathanson sings very intriguing songs. Oh, I just love it!) video

And by the way these are really in no particular order.

I Love Orange - Birthday Edition

2011-10-23T22:37:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday. See what I got from Brad. Aren't I so lucky?
I was in the store the other day and saw it. I loved it. I was dying to have it in my house. But Being a cheapskate and also having already spent a large chunk of change that day, I didn't buy it. I did however take a photo to... I don't know... try and recreate it somehow. Then a few days later I was in the same store with my good friend Annette. I showed it to her and, since she is my friend, she instantly knew it was for me. With a little conspiring with the man with the deep pockets, I drove home with it in my car that very day. I thought you might like to see the conversation that transpired between Annette and Brad. I thought it was kinda funny.

This orange mirror puts me in mind of some other things that I have gotten pretty recently. I guess if it ever was, it is no secret anymore that I like the color orange.

This picture makes me so happy. The picture that had been hanging there for 8 years was getting faded and really had no personality. This new picture instantly brightened up the space. It's so pretty, I just have to keep going to look at it.

Speaking of brightening up this spot. I have been looking for new pillows for my family room sofas. I have brought several home at different times, but never liked them much. Then I found these. LOVE!!

Here are some other orange things I've bought recently. Luckily I frequently take pictures of things that I'm thinking of buying. Either to send them so someone else to ask their opinion or to remember them for later. (Shirt bought at Macy's, Purse bought at DSW)

Here's some other random orange brought to you by this holiday season.
This is my piano...

I have pumpkins cascading down my front walk. I love being able to see the pop of orange all the way from the top of the street (about a 1/2 a mile)

This is my porch. (Those dots on the door are plastic spiders - ewww, creepy I know. Thanks Caroline for the fun idea.)

Ok, so this is neither orange nor holiday-esque. But it's new none the less. I have been reading this great book about the psychology of home decorating/design. This, combined with my new Pinterest obsession, inspired me to buy this little cabinet to put blankets and other linens in. The chair is from my Grandpa and Grandma Lindsey's house. It has real crackle paint. How cool is that?

So by now you've realized I have a wonderful husband. One who is generous and willing to get me what I want (well, maybe it's a need. I'll have to ponder that one). I feel a little bit spoiled. On top of all this good stuff he sprung to take me out to a nice dinner last night in Monterey. We went to The Chart House with the Sowards and the Dicksons. I wished more people could have gone, but alas it wasn't written in the cards. We had a great time though and it was a perfect evening in Monterey. I am still kicking myself for not taking a picture. I have great friends and it is always thrilling for me to spend time with them. I feel like such a better person when I'm around them.

I also got to go to lunch last week with 4 other favorite people. Carolina and Annette Batey who live in Morgan Hill and I don't get to see as much as I'd like, and of course, my conjoined twins, Caroline and Annette Dickson. (It just cracks me up how their names are so similar) Again, I did NOT take a picture and I am quite disappointed with myself. We did eat in a fabulous Mediterranean restaurant called Odium in Morgan Hill. I WILL be going back there again.

And just to give me the illusion of feeling really popular, Tuesday is another birthday lunch, with several women in the ward. It's tradition to get together, usually at Running Rooster, to celebrate anyone's birthday who might come along (really it's just an excuse to get together and eat yummy food) As I said, illusion of popularity. But I don't care ;)

But really my best present came tonight, after we ate a delicious dinner at mom and dad's house... we were all able to attend the first performance of Zion's Choir. It was fabulous! Nothing like feeling the spirit and seeing my daughter and her friends developing and sharing their talents. I also got to see several old friends and a few even remembered it was my birthday. I got chocolate truffles out of the deal. Ha! I can't turn that down. Here is a picture or two taken at the event for your entertainment.

Afton, Shaelynn and Taylor (sorry about the closed eyes Taylor) They are all so beautiful! I'm glad Afton has such good friends.

Here's me and my favorite birthday present, my Afty-Pie.

Also, this isn't THAT important, but just look at the color of my dress.

Some Pretty Awesome Women!

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

This last weekend our area was privileged to play host to Sister Julie Beck, General Relief Society President. I am so glad I took the opportunity to go listen to her speak. I've always loved her wisdom and insight and testimony. She is the epitome of womanhood and as solid as a rock. This is what I've always known by seeing and listening to her in General Conference. What I suspected, but didn't know until Sunday night was how warm and genial and genuine she is. I would have been satisfied with the whole evening just watching her greet people at the end. She looked into their eyes, she hugged them, she smiled, I could tell she was really listening to what they had to say. It brings a lump to my throat just picturing the scene. I am striving to be more like that.

I think her main point in speaking to us was, as she said, "to increase our faith and personal righteousness".
She took questions from audience members. They ranged in everything from abuse to genealogy. I was interested to hear her answers to these concerns but as it turns out she treated the meeting just like real life. It's very infrequent that we have a question or concern and immediately get an answer. It usually takes effort, prayer, personal righteousness, trial and error and patience.

Just as a side note, I read a letter this morning from my cousin who is on a mission in the Philippines. In talking about our recent general conference he summed up what I'm thinking very well.

He said:

"I kept thinking that there would be one talk that would answer my questions and concerns and be exactly what I needed to hear, but that wasn't the way it worked. I took one good piece of wisdom from one talk and then another that by the time all of conference was over I had exactly what I needed. There was no talk that said it all, but the sum of all of them that filled me up."

Sister Beck wasn't there to solve all of our problems but if you were paying attention she taught us how to get our own answers and taught us that those concerns we need help with should be addressed through Relief Society. She even recommended that on a 1st Sunday Meeting, that we have a question and answer period similar to what she was currently doing.

She talked a lot about the new book "Daughters in My Kingdom" book that all Relief Society Sisters should have or should soon get. I suspect this talk was also prepping us to use this beautiful book to help us with getting answers to questions. She pointed out the "fabric" motif on each page and said, "Fabric can sift out impurities and strengthen what's left." I think this was symbolism of the Relief Society and our sisterhood as a beautiful fabric.

At the end of her talk she stated
Love someone who you think is unlovable.
Learn how to serve those who don't seem to want to be served.
Learn how to manage your life through the spirit of personal revelation.

A worthy endeavor indeed.

And speaking of fabulous women.
This is my mom.
Yesterday was her birthday
She is 68 years young.
She is so cute don't you think?

This picture was taken when she was showing me her new hat she bought in anticipation of her trip with dad (and Uncle Armond and Aunt Ann) back east. She even made matching hat bands to change out depending on what she was wearing that day. Notice this one is made from the extra strand that had been on her necklace. Ah, I love it. That is one thing that mom totally is... resourceful! She knows how to salvage anything and make it into something cute, or something yummy or something useful. She has been working with the Linus Project where people sew or create quilts for children in hospitals or that have been through trauma. I am forever impressed at what she can create out of scraps and stuff people have given her. I love calling her up and she and dad are just walking out the door to go to Big Lots or some other fun place. I love that they do little things like this together. It makes my day.

Mom is also all about the service. She is dedicated to serving others -- even those who seem to be unservable. She is concerned there are people she is trying to help that can't or won't be helped. This is the sign of someone truly service oriented. I'm pretty sure she and my dad are going straight to the Celestial Kingdom simply for the service they've rendered in the behalf of others.

I also enjoy mom's unique quality to be nonjudgmental. She can listen to 1 side of a story and not have ill feelings toward the other person. She always remembers that there are people and feelings involved on both sides and she can keep that in perspective. Going along with this she is also not opposed to speaking her mind. She does it gently and with great love. But she is truthful and to the point and very matter of fact. Again, not passing judgement, but then again not mincing words either. I love this quality and I want to be like that. However, I'm afraid I probably speak my mind with a little more "passion" and way too much judgement. I enjoy frankness though... mom, is probably the reason why.

So on Wednesday I drove up early to Mom and Dad's house and took them out to breakfast. We went to a place called Stacks in downtown Campbell. Mom introduced me to Banana, Macadamia, coconut pancakes!! Holy Cow!! Were they EVER good! I can see why they are her favorite! Yummo! I am so glad, that even though it takes some planning, they are close enough that I get to see them from time to time. What a great influence in my life and in the lives of my family. I love you mom Happy Birthday!!

This is the Story of a Girl...

2011-10-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

...who cried a river and drowned the whole world. ***

She looks so sad in photographs,

but I absolutely love her when she smiles.

(friends congratulating friends -- I LOVE this picture. - Taylor was there too (hugging Afton). And Nicole, you can see her sleeve on the right hand side of the picture. What good and supportive friends!)

We are happy to report that Afton is an official driver! She is licensed, insured and free to roam about the country (well I hope she doesn't go that far yet.)

She is an excellent driver for a 16 year old. She's got the right amount of fear and fearlessness. She's got confidence but she's not cocky. I trust her and have no reservations about letting her drive places. She even drove up to Zion's Choir last Sunday (1/2 hour of freeway driving) and I didn't even bat an eye) It was unfortunate and a fluke that she didn't pass her test on the first time.

Hollister is a quirky little town and there are many streets and intersections that aren't what you'd call normal or that seem a little bit random. She made a critical error and had to wait 2 weeks to do it again. (We just kept telling her that because she had a game right after the test and had to wear her uniform that the examiner was jilted by a cheerleader when he was young and never got over it so he failed her out of spite -- good story anyway) But all of that is forgotten now. She is free and independent and mom has to adjust her brain to remember that she doesn't have to be done with her schedule everyday at 2:30.

(Don't worry, I'll be fine;)

This video was taken while we were waiting for the examiner the first time, it is very telling of what did happen during her test. I think she just psyched herself out way too much.

***She really did cry that first time - and practically drowned the whole world, but I spared her the embarrassment of taking a picture at such an inopportune moment. You'll have to do with the picture of her above looking apprehensive.

(song lyrics, Absolutely (Story of a Girl), by Nine Days)

The Perfect Day

2011-10-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

So I guess I'm a simple person at heart (even though my everyday life might lead some to believe otherwise). Yesterday (and Saturday) was the 181st semi-annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. One of my favorite times of the year. A time when we get to hear from the leaders of the church. They give talks that they were inspired to give and as a result we get to feel the overwhelming spirit of the Lord. We didn't have any of the regular hubbub going on, I even opted out of spending the day at the soccer field on Saturday. Then yesterday was pure joy. I spent the day with people I love, was uplifted by the talks and the spirit, and of course, I ate yummy food. It's so refreshing to be able to sit and listen to people whom I respect and trust give such good advice and counsel. It is truly a blessing to be able to know that what these men and women say, is something I can completely trust. Really, it's almost a relief. Their words are from Heavenly Father, not just half-baked ideas or opinions of the rich, powerful or famous. I just can't help saying every time President Thomas S. Monson comes on the screen, "He's so cute." What a happy, positive, uplifting man he is. Although I've never seen him in person, I can feel his spirit and love through the TV screen.

Besides being fed spiritually there were some other great things that went on that made the day very nearly perfect.

We also fed our bodies. We ate Apple Cider Pancakes with cinnamon sugar and homemade syrup. YUM

Did I mention I love this boy? Ok, maybe not today... but none the less, I do.

And that a goes doubly for this girl!

She has found her true calling in life and plans to move forward with her goal of becoming a professional "Where's the Water" player. She totally admits she has a talent for this.

And I just have to throw in... On Saturday afternoon I walked in the house about mid-way through the afternoon session of conference. Afton was home alone, and there she was laying on the couch watching conference with no suggestion from me. Every once in a while I feel like I must have done something right as a parent.

Blankies!

Blankies! They make any day a little bit more perfect!

Don't bother me, I'm busy taking notes... either that, or trying to stay awake, which I am not able to do to save my life.

We had to feed our bodies again (strange how that happens) I made turkey/cranberry Monte Christo sandwiches. I'm telling you Pinterest is THE best. Run don't walk to your computer (oh, wait, you're already there, how convenient) and sign-up now if you haven't already done so.

The other thing to notice here is Kelsi ate dinner with us, virtually anyway. We face-timed her and chatted about nothing in particular (typical) all while we were eating dinner. I miss her cute face. I'm glad she's where she's at, she makes me proud, but a mom can still be melancholy about it right?

Brady and I also finished watching "Wives and Daughters". Laugh, I know, not your typical teenage boy movie but I think he kind of liked it. I, of course, loved it! Brady spent most of the day wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, we counted 5. He is a crack up! Did I mention I love him? I'll try to remember to do that more often.

There are important things and there are important things. I wanted to record this so all would know this is what I feel is THE most important. The Gospel, my family, and being happy and uplifted by the spirit.

Brainy Specs... or... my education continues

2011-09-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

So, amazingly enough, I'm surviving. Kelsi is gone from our home, but thank goodness for the modern technology. Email, Facebook, texting, IM'ing, Skype (we use FaceTime) and free long distance, whew! It makes a mom's concerns so much easier. Kelsi is doing great, adjusting to life as a college student and an adult. I remember those days, it was so much fun and there were so many opportunities to be had and so many people to know and meet. I am excited for Kelsi to look back in ~~many~~, ~~many~~, ~~many~~ a few years and have fond memories like I do. She even has one of my same teachers (see, it wasn't THAT long ago), but I'm sure she'll never get brave enough to tell him so. Thats' OK though.

So I just wanted to share a little bit about the last couple of weeks before she left. I kept trying to get her to go out and spend some time with me. I wanted to go shopping, go to movies, visit people, go to the beach. If you didn't already know, Kelsi is not much of a "goer-outer", but I was sure she would want to spend the last couple of weeks with her dear old (don't read too much into that, it's just a saying) mom. But try as I might I couldn't get her to agree. I was feeling a little bummed (she'd rather sit home than go out with me?), a little irritated (well, if we're going to be home we should at least be doing something productive like laundry, or mopping the floor) a little regretful (did I miss something in parenting101 that keeps her from wanting to spend time with me?). Then finally one day it dawned on me... (Yes, I'm so dense... I know, I'm painfully aware) just because she doesn't like to do what I like to do, doesn't mean she doesn't like to be with me. And just because we're home doesn't mean we have to be slaving away all day. Soooo, we started on my education.

My Dr. Who education to be specific.

Now mind you I'm still in kindergarden in my knowledge of this exciting and very extensive series. If you need to have more information on the subject go here. Like with most things in her life, Kelsi knows the series like the back of her hand ("hey, that's new!" -- random movie quote). Anyhoo, Kelsi put together a very impressive list of episodes we needed to watch in the Dr. Who series, so I would know who everyone was and what it was all about. I have to say it was really fun, and I totally appreciate the show and it's characters now. The best part about it was the conversations we can now have. We had to drive up to IKEA to get some stuff for school and the whole way up and back we talked and discussed nuances and characters and plots, different fan opinions, the writers and most importantly, "Brainy Specs". I now know how important and crucial Brainy Specs really are. David Tennant, who plays Dr. #10, wears them, and I now am on board with the concept.

(you might recognize David Tennant better in this role,

Barty Crouch Jr. from the Harry Potter movies.)

See how cute and smart he looks? This is a quote from the show on his "brainy specs", "You don't even need them, you just think they make you look a bit clever." (of course it's sounds much better if you say it with a british accent;)

Kelsi got herself a pair a couple of months ago and I miss seeing her sitting over in the wingback chair with her Mickey Mouse slippers and Brainy Specs. But look how cute and clever she looks... hee hee.

Her friend Alex got some too, and I've heard that Angela is also sporting the Dr. Who look.

Kelsi is fun and witty and entertaining. She likes quirky stuff like me. It's going to be hard having her gone when I see or hear something creative or clever that only she'd appreciate. Who's going to discuss these things with me? I guess that's the beauty of the aforementioned "modern technology".

Love you Kelsi

(remember to read with British accent)
Companion: Doctor!
Doctor: No No. I'm standing right here. Hello!
C: Don't be stupid! Who're you?
D: I'm the Doctor
C: Who're you?
D: The Doctor.
C: Doctor Who?
D: Just the Doctor.

AND I just couldn't resist putting this picture in for you! -- You're welcome!

Lookie What I Got!

2011-09-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

Many of you may remember several months ago I wrote a letter to Brian Regan (if you need a refresher, go here). A lot of you asked me to let you know if I ever heard back. Well I did! Ok, it's no 8 page letter detailing his life or thanking me for mine... but hey I'll take it. I'm thinking of framing it and putting it next to our picture of Thomas Monson.

...I'd Swim the Ocean for You...

2011-09-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

...Oh whoa whoa whoa, oh Kelsi... (song lyrics by Metro Station)

So she's gone and done it... my little chicky flown the coop. She's all grown up, and gone off to college. I can hardly believe it.
Brad and I had the opportunity to go and take her up to Rexburg at BYU-I this last week. What an incredible place to be. Even though I went to that school and I'm moderately familiar with the campus and how things run, as a parent it became much more meaningful. What an impressive institution. If there was any doubt before (there really wasn't) I can feel fully confident that she is going to be well taken care of. The spirit definitely dwells there.

Here she is with her van full of belongings.

It seems like she is going to get along with her roommates. They are all from Utah. Their names are Stephanie, Brenna and Bethany. I wish I would have gotten a picture of them together before we left, but I guess that'll have to be a post for another time. This, however, is the building where they live.

I did get a picture of the sisters before the parting of the ways

She's got a full load of classes, which incidentally started today. (Side Note: she called me while I was working on this post and said the first day went great with only one major detour -- she was holding the map sideways and walked to the other side of campus before she realized she was lost).

So how am I doing you ask?
It's amazing how many emotions I can feel, one right after the other.

Excited
Worried
Expectant
Sad
Comforted
Happy
and also
"I'm prodigiously proud of her. I defy even Sir William Lucas to produce such a daughter. (Just a little Pride and Prejudice humor there.)

Good Luck! I love you Kelsi. I really would swim the ocean for you.

He really is THAT "Koo"!

2011-08-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, two down, one to go. Brady started school on Wednesday. He's a big boy now, in the 8th grade, but he still wanted me to take him to school on the first day. Of course there was no walking him to class, no good bye hug, no acknowledgement that I had sacrificed my morning run to make it possible, and barely any conversation on the drive to the school. But he DID ask me to take him, and that, to me, is huge. A mom feels good when she is needed, especially by the beast that is called the all-knowing, all-independent teenager. Brady really is a good boy though, and feels empathy toward his neglected mother, most of the time. He is sweet and nice and thoughtful, but, of course, he doesn't want any of his friends to know any of this... so I must live with a "cold-shoulder". I can do that.

So, since we are talking about Brady and the fact that he has cool hair and because he chose to wear this lovely shirt on the first day of school, I have a story to tell on him.

He came to me a couple of days ago and asked, "Mom, why do I have a dent on my forehead?" Of course I had no idea. Then he said, "Well, I think I know." He said he was in the bathroom shaking his head (read: flipping his hair) and he started walking out of the bathroom while he was still shaking it and he hit his head on the door frame. I'm glad he was at least smart enough to know where the dent might have come from.

Ok, I'm on a roll. He also asked me the other day "You know how celebrities say they have a "good-side?" (he was speaking of the side of their profile that they prefer to have photographed). When I acknowledged that I did indeed know what he was talking about, he said, "Well, if I was a celebrity my right side would be my good side because my hair flips out on that side and looks "koo" ("Koo"is Brady's word for cool). I'm so proud that he thinks about important things like this. But as it is, I kinda like him anyway.

Who's that Girl?

2011-08-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

It's AFTON! This is on the first day of school of her junior year. Beauty, brains and charisma... that's her. Notice how bright it is in this picture. It seems weird that she was on her way to seminary here. There was the option of starting at 6:30 or 7:30 this year. We took the latter. It's so nice. What'll be even nicer is when Afton is able to drive herself. We anticipate this big event will happen somewhere mid-September.

Check the pink Vans that match the pink Hollister shirt. Life doesn't get any better than that!

The Dog Who Lived

2011-08-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well, he lived 7 years anyway...
Chase was really only supposed to live for 7 months. 2 weeks before we were to get him, the breeder called and said they couldn't sell us Chase because he had a serious heart murmur. To make a long story short, when we had contacted the breeder about getting a puppy, their next available litter was from parents with strong hunting lines. We didn't want a hunter so we asked them to pick the one that had the most mellow temperament, which they did. It turns out it was because he was sick. In the end we decided to take Chase and live out his days in a good home. But we should have known from the start we could never just do that. We would grow attached, we would feel generous, we would be insane... but to make an even longer story short... after a few weeks we caved and Chase ended up having open heart surgery. What?? I know... ridiculous! But that dog lived, he was healthy and he brought us much joy -- he also brought us much heartache. Seriously, for the first 2 years of his life I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown, everyday!! Like I said the reason he was so mellow at first was because of his heart condition, but once that was fixed up he was the most intense dog on the block. As endearing as this could be it eventually lead to his demise. He wasn't getting any better, he was getting worse. He had broken out all of his canine teeth, his face and body were always covered in blood and scabs and scars. The fur was permanently worn off of his nose. His feet and nails were constantly caked in mud. That dog hunted everything from flys, to lizards, to squirrels, and even toenails (yes, he was weird). Finally after several breakouts from the yard, putting himself and the other dogs in danger it was time to send him to a place where he could hunt and guard, and patrol all he wants to without getting hurt.

It happened while Afton and I were at Girls Camp and Kelsi and Brady were at Grandpa and Grandma Lindsey's house. Brad made the decision -- which he hated and suffered tremendous guilt over. But after realizing he had a long life (for a dog never expected to live past a few months) and a good life (probably better than 90% of the world's population -- we alway say, there are those in the world that would kill to live like a dog in the Meyer Family) Brad finally came to terms with his decision. Now the hard part, getting his family to understand. Kelsi and Brady went fairly well. But true to Grandma Lindsey's prediction Afton and Stef were much harder. I cried and cried and cried. I kept thinking, "I am too old to cry this hard for this long." Everything hurt and I couldn't stop. Finally the tears ran out even though the heartache was still there. I'm still trying to deal with it somewhat. Afton stalked off and wouldn't talk or listen to anyone for a couple of days. I guess we all deal with grief in our own way.

We miss you Chase, more than we care to admit. You are a huge part of our family. We love you! Go play with Mika and Trisket and save us a nice lot to build our mansion in heaven.

Here are some pictures and other random facts about Chase

Some of his Nick Names
Chubby
O.C.C. - this stands for Obsessive, Chubby, Chase
Wild Indian
Lover Boy
Chubbs
Tubby
Mr. Obsessive
Mighty Toe Nail Hunter
Fly Hunter
Chasey Boy
Buster
Pink Belly Friend
Loner
Old Man
Fat, Grumpy, Old Man
Grandpa
Nutter
Crazy Boy
Chasival
Chasey-wasey
Crazy Eyes
Goofer
Cute Head

Some Pictures

Mika was not happy to share the last few months of her life with a puppy that was as big as she was

Franken-dog after his heart surgery

The dog in the blue shirt. It was better than the cone of shame and it kept him from licking his staples

Chase's 1st Christmas

He even wormed his way into Grandma Meyer's heart.

A man's best friend

This was one of his favorite toys for a long time.

We used to say if you were any closer, you be on the other side of me. In a minute is other paw would be up. He just couldn't get close enough.

Christmas Dog

Christmas Dog with his new Christmas blanket

He thought Heidi was a fun friend til she took a swipe at him.

Bodie (Sowards) took a bite out of Chase on New Year's Eve day. To avoid emergency vet bills we called our good friend and vet Jeff Moss the night before he moved to Southern California. He was so nice to come over an stitch Chase up. Too bad Chase chewed the stitches out the next day and we had to go pay the high vet bill anyway.

The Cone of Shame AGAIN!

Dance, Dance Revolution, who knew?

Always one to comfort someone who was under the weather. (maybe it was just an excuse to get on the furniture)

Doing what he did best - Looking for lizards

This stupid toy was one of his favorites

I put an enlargement of this photo on our mantle. Troy growled and barked at it.

Lover

Macy came on the scene. Chase's life was never the same again.

Dumb and Dumber

This is one of my favorite pictures ever!!

Teaching Macy the ropes of the lizard hunt.

Snuggling after an exciting escapade where they got lost in a rain storm

Awww, a smooch from Uncle Allen

Ice was one of his favorite treats. Don't ask me why.

Then Troy showed up. Chase's life would never be the same.

Have you ever see so much focus?

Chase would only get on the trampoline when the pad was around the edge. After they chewed it up, he spent most of his time on the ground.

The 3 Stooges

The 3 Musketeers

Has he passed out?

Duh?

Chase was the king of destroying indestructible dog toys. It took him 15 minutes to finish this deed.

One day he was guarding something in the grass. We never figured out what it was.

We always joked that if we opened up our mouth he would climb in. That way he could be closer to us.

Comforting the sick (or squishing her)

This is probably the last picture we took of Chase.

Bye-Bye Good Boy, we'll miss you.

You're a Nudist?

2011-07-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago we had the Lindsey Family Reunion. What I really want to do is go into extreme detail about every aspect of the trip. There were so many good memories, so many fun times. I wan't to include all of the pictures taken with little captions so you can see all my cute family. But I just don't have the wherewithal to put the time and effort into such a post. So in pondering what to do I am just going to put the essence of what I felt there among all these amazing people.

It was held in Idaho this year with Kris and Kyle hosting. The majority of us stayed in their home, talk about potential disaster. But it all turned out so well. I didn't hear one cross word, didn't observe any hurt feelings, didn't feel ignored, put out or mistreated in any way. I can only thank Mom and Dad for raising us in a way that we can get along. I can also feel appreciative of the spouses that each of us has chosen. There's not a miscreant among them. All the nieces and nephews are talented, adorable, well behaved and fun to be around. I couldn't get enough of them.

I taught the Relief Society lesson this last Sunday, it was on Eternal Marriage. Having just come from such a special place where we all have Eternal Marriages and by extension Eternal Families it was especially touching. It delves deep into my heart.

Now I have to say we didn't sit around quoting scriptures and doing service projects. There was a lot of hilarity which is one of the funnest parts. 20 minutes into the start of the reunion we were in hysterics. Kris was mentioning to all the sisters (except Karen - who hadn't arrived yet :() that Taylor had gotten his braces off. Janet wanted to say that she was already aware of that fact, but got her words confused between "I knew" and "I noticed" and it came out, "I knewticed". Without missing a beat, Shannon chimes in all innocent-like, and says, "You're a nudest?" Bahahaha! We could not stop laughing! I still can't. Our kids all heard us hooting it up and apparently laughed amongst them selves as they listened to our laughs saying "Clearly, they're all related." Oh ya! I love my family

Some other fun times were

*Wesley got a bloody nose within the first 2 minutes of his arrival (was this a sign of things to come? - Luckily not)

*Team Epic and Team Awesome - Just the names alone imply a bit of cockiness, but Noah made sure there was no bragging.

*Landon wanted to live in the Penitentiary

*Julia found out what having a "crush" meant (Thank you Afton). She now knows she has one on Justin Bieber

*Kid History was watched, re-watched and quoted NONSTOP! "I'n in a-yot of twubo", "BUT! If you buy 4 complaitos it's only $4!", "Kyle, Kyle, Ky-le" (funnier that we have a Kyle in the family)

*Mark astounding everyone with his angry Russian composer piano music and then breaking out with The Angry Birds theme song.

*Shannon's funny missionaries in "pin the tag on the missionary" game.

*Minute to Win It - ala Janet and Steve. Of course mom won the Kleenex pulling game.

*Annie-Annie Over (Even my good, and very knowledgeable friend, Google, doesn't know the absolute answer to the actual title of this game) at Uncle Darell's house.

Ok, so it's really hard not to put in all the details - but I don't have them time or inclination for it now. Suffice it to say, A good time was had by all! And two years is a long time to wait to do it again.

Family! I love you!!

Dear Brian Regan,

2011-06-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Brian (Brivl7Q)-

We were fortunate enough to see you perform this week at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA. This is the 3rd time. We got to sit in one of the suites which was totally fun. Awesome seats, good food and sure-fire talent. I just wanted to thank you for being you, and commend you on developing and sharing your talents. I believe you are doing what you were meant to be doing. I was discussing with my husband on the way home and I feel the need to thank you for being one of the unifying forces in our family. We have 3 teenagers. And while I know I’m stating the obvious, we don’t see eye to eye on much. They don’t even really see eye to eye with each other very often. But when it comes to Brian Regan. We all agree, we love you and your style and pretty much quote your material, dare I say, an amazing amount per week (probably an average of once per day, often more.) We start in on it and then there is no stopping us. It makes us all laugh, no matter how often we hear it or say it. It makes us happy too that we don't have to censor it. We believe in clean living in our house. Thanks for holding true to your clean comedy and giving us something to laugh at that is truly funny.

All our friends and family are converted too. We have taken to showing large handwritten signs in our van windows to our friends in other cars when we travel. One of our favorite signs is, “Just dumb ol’ donkeys.” It makes long car trips a little more bearable. Thanks for that.

Please come to our next campout. We love telling and retelling funny anecdotes, and laughing and laughing. When someone has a new story they say, “It’ll be a good one for the campfire.” We could all be the opening act and then you could start in and we could laugh all night.

I just want you to know you’re appreciated, loved and quoted often.

Take Luck,

Stefani Meyer

Just so you know, I really sent this to him.

Have You Seen This?

2011-06-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

or this??
or this?
Yes that's right Kelsi officially graduated! She did it she actually did it! We couldn't be happier and more proud of her fighting the fight and doing hard things.

Awesomely enough out of the 300 kids that graduated Kelsi and her friend Angela Merrell got so sit next to each other during the ceremonies. Thank goodness for alphabetical seating. That made it all the more sweet.

Here she is getting her diploma.

These girls have made the High School experience bearable. They are so beautiful inside and out, and so talented and so fun and so good. Kelsi has been blessed to associate with them. Two of them will be going to BYU-I in the fall with Kelsi. This is of great comfort to me and I'm sure to Kelsi.

And...

Have you seen these cuties?

Nigh unto a Half Century -- or Who's the Better Parent?

2011-06-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Guess who had a birthday? Weird! It seems to me, he had one last year around this time. He's getting older but I love him more than ever. He compliments me to a tee. What would I do without him? He's better than me, stronger than me, and his arms are a little bit longer than me (sorry I had to throw that in for all you Justin Beiber fans).

Don't feel bad for him getting so old and everything. I guess the older you get the more you get spoiled for your birthday. He got one of these. His old VitaMix was 18 years old... and well used. Time for some awesome drinks!

He went here! 3 days of golfing in Tahoe! Beautiful!

Annnd, he went here! I know, be jealous (It's what every 49 year old man wants to do for his birthday. Go see Justin Bieber! Laugh, but if it makes your daughter happy then it's totally worth it)

(awww, see what I mean - happy, happy girl)

And Brady and Kelsi made him one of these (I served it)

And he blew all his candles out so his wishes will come true.

AND as it turns out, one of our family's ongoing questions has been answered. It looks like Brad IS the better parent after all.

Last week we went all "unplugged" (you know, turned off the internet, cell phones, video games, movies etc.) and it was HIS idea! I was leary about this idea, well ok, downright dread had set into my brain. But I shouldn't have been worried his idea of no electronics became a joy to me. I missed checking my email and I missed updating my blog, but I think I could almost go without it forever if my kids would continue without all their extra electronic attachments. I’m not saying they were excited to do jobs or are all involved in all these extra enriching activities after only one day and I had interacted with them individually and as a group more than in all the previous week, plus they were been pretty pleasant for the most part... Oh, and I can't forget, LOUD. Wow! They like to talk very loudly in my face. It’s not a mean yelling, they are just loud. They think it’s funny. I still tell them to tone it down, but I’m willing to put up with the extra noise in exchange for the unity I felt. I’m sure they would deny to the end that it had anything to do with their lack of technology, but I know in my heart that they would not be exactly right.

Another one of Brad’s ideas that has been going relatively well is the idea of taking one room or area in the house per day and do a deep cleaning of it. Ok, so granted we’ve done only 3 relatively easy areas so far (pantry, living room and stairs/hallway). They complain and complain and I could have cleaned the area 3 times over, in the length of time it takes them to get their rears in gear. But what I think (hope) they are realizing is that there is more to cleaning an area well than running a vacuum between the clutter on the floor. I’ve been making a list of EVERYTHING that needs to be done in that area and then everyone gets to choose assigned something off the list to do, until it’s all done. Again, it takes WAY longer to motivate them than to actually clean the area, but I just keep picturing Kelsi at college at “Dorm Check” time, knowing what it takes to have their dorm pass and what will keep her apartment disease free up to snuff. And because of my new outlook on life, (I've been trying to me more proactive than reactive) I’ve been able to keep a cool head and know that I am getting an area of my house clean that might not otherwise get done, AND I’m hopefully teaching some useful life skills to my kids in the mean time. What’s not to be calm and cool about (even it takes all day)?

So I guess it goes to show, Brad IS the better parent. But see, I may be too wimpy nice to come up with such stringent rules and regulations but check this... who is the one that is carrying out these stringent rules and regulations? Ya, that would be ME. Let me tell you that takes some pretty good parenting skills in and of itself, don’t you think? I guess this is what I'm talking about with Brad and I complimenting each other. I hope we are both around for another 1/2 a century to have many more awesome experiences.

I LOVE YOU BRAD!!! THANKS FOR BEING YOU!

I Cried at Mile 18

2011-05-26T20:33:00.001-07:00

(This is such a great thought-it's sometimes how I feel while I'm running)

So who knew running a marathon could be an such an emotional experience? I mean I have run a 1/2 marathon before. I teared up when I started out and saw the people running all around me, setting off in the pursuit of the same goal. But I didn't even think about it this time. I was focusing on the beautiful scenery, worrying if my hip-flexor was stretched out (I hurt it earlier in the week) talking with my good friends (Caroline, Amy and my new friend Stacy), concentrating on my pace, checking my wrist bands (for time) and much more.

(Amy, Caroline, Me - Post Race)

I had had a little glitch in my training schedule (see previous post). The longest I had run, up until that point, was 15 miles . I had been a bit worried about that fact and just about killed myself earlier in the week (see above statement about hip-flexor) trying to prove I could still run a long distance. A few miles into the race I started to relax and stopped worrying. I knew I could do it, my body remembered how. Then long about 3/4 into the race, I glanced up to see the mile marker that said 18. All of a sudden, and without warning, tears were streaming down my face. I had NEVER run that far before. I was here! I was doing it! I trained for this (well mostly). I was doing something hard! It was amazing! I WAS AMAZING!!!! It was such a fantastic feeling. I cried again at mile 19 and then just before 20. I was on track to come in under 5 hours. Then about 20 1/2 miles the outside of my left knee started hurting. I walked, it felt better, I started running again, it hurt after running about 100 yards. I kept this drill up for a mile or so. Then I couldn't even do that anymore. It got down to where I couldn't even run 20 feet without just about crumpling in pain. Walking was ok though, so I decided that I was going to have to walk the last 5 miles. I was very disappointed. But in the midst of my disappointment, an angel showed up. Her name was Alexandra. She was adorable and I noticed that she seemed to be doing the exact same thing as me, run a little (a very little) and then walk. We just kept passing each other. I finally suggested that we might have the same problem going on. She asked if it was my knee. She did have the same problem as me. We decided to (speed) walk together. She was way younger than me, she walked faster than me, she pushed me to keep a good pace even though we weren't running. We were disappointed together when the 5 hour mark passed (both of our goals). She was a great running/walking buddy. We even had the same iPod (this is super important news;). Eventually I let her go ahead, I felt like I was holding her back. My time ended up being 5 hours 33 minutes. I limped over the finish line, but I did it!! I could be happy about this, really!

Some of the other joys of the trip were:

*Sitting next to a cute UCLA law student on the way to Utah. (Really, I wish he could have been my son, even though I don't think he would have appreciated me tickling his chin on take-off. Sorry Family Joke - let's just say when you're REALLY excited about something --especially on an airplane-- you need to finds someone's chin to tickle.)

*Staying with Derek (my brother) and Marsha (his wife) and their cute family (Mark, Lauren, Ryan and Joe)

*Going onto the BYU campus (chocolate covered cinnamon bears were calling)

*Eating at JCW's (thanks Marsh) I would totally recommend the Marshmallow milkshake and Jalapeno Bacon Burger!

*Watching American Idol (I would have done this anyway but it was fun to do it with D&M)

*Going to Tai Pan (heaven, pure heaven I tell ya)

*Buying my new Spibelt (Black with pink polka-dots. I know, be jealous.)

*Amy's cousin, a massage therapist, who just happened to be there when I mentioned my hip issue. She did a number on me (it was pure torture), but my hip felt oh, so much better (I'm not even kidding, this was an answer to my prayers.)

*Seeing my awesome, mogul friend, and former business partner Dianne - and her family and her dogs.

*Staying in a 5 star hotel. Ok, it was really Dianne's house - but I would give it great reviews!

*Going to Spoon Me. The yogurt shop that the Dahlins own and operate (can you say, "original tangy/acai twist with strawberries, kiwi and pineapple"? Good, you CAN say it, now go get some, it's delish)

*FINALLY eating at the famed "Cafe Rio". I know, I know, don't say it... I've been deprived all these years. I truly have

*Laughing with Dianne about old times (sorry Caroline - we know we're weird. *Tinkle*)

*Visiting Brigham City (where Caroline's Mother in Law lives)

*Attending Church there (you'd think you'd gone back into Joseph Smith's time)

*Listening to her Sister in Law speak in church. (more on that in another post - it was inspiring and beautiful.)

*Spending a huge amount of time with one of the sweetest people on the planet (Caroline)

*Being able to switch my seat to sit by her on the way home. (She tolerated my chin tickling - see exhibit A)

(Exhibit A)

*Having my family be excited to see me when I got home. They made me a totally lame, but very sweet poster. I loved it!

*Being able to say I'm a marathon runner!

Yep! That's me! Marathon Runner!!!!

Akin to Sarah, Elisabeth and Sariah (almost)

2011-05-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

So this is my mother's day post this year. It's a little out of the ordinary.

So, you might as well know. About 10 weeks ago I woke up early one Sunday morning in a panic. I left almost immediately to go to 24 hour Walmart to buy a pregnancy test (actually 3 of them). Brad was apparently in a panic as well because he called me 3 times in the 1/2 hour I was gone (make sure you get more than one, make sure you get different brands, don't get the cheapest one). As you can guess, or I probably wouldn't even remember the incident today, two out of two tests came back positive. Let me put this into a little perspective, I'm 44, Brad's 48, Kelsi just turned 18 (3 days before this particular day), Brady would be 14 by the time the baby was due. We just stood and stared at each other for 2 hours in open-mouthed shock, with Brad muttering things like, "This can't be real." or "Is there any chance it could be wrong?"

This was NOT where our life was heading.

Has something ever jerked you out of your way of thinking, your way of life your direction? It is a very odd feeling. Of course I am ever grateful that it wasn't something dreadful like terminal illness (although, I am of the mindset that child-bearing/rearing COULD lead to an early death). But holy smokes, news like this forces you into submission. Did you know we are not in control (even though we'd like to think we are)? This was something that there was NO WAY around. Without doing something immoral or illegal there was no changing our new direction. It was a very odd to feel in a small way, like those who had made mistakes in life that leave them "in a family way" without a husband. You wish you could go back, you wish there was something you could do, you wonder how you could have been so careless. But after a day of complete and utter shock we started to rally. While we still had a long way to go to wrap our minds around something like this, we started thinking of the positive, fun ideas about our situation. We told our kids... they were TOTALLY excited! That was fun. We told a couple of friends that NEEDED to know because of previous engagements that would have to be put on hold (ok, cancelled) because of the news. THEY were TOTALLY excited.

What else do you do? You think of the positive. We tried... we succeeded (a little bit).

I didn't want to tell anyone (with the exception of a few). I guess I was a bit embarrassed, "Stefani, hasn't anyone ever explained to you how these things happen?" "Stefani, don't you know you're OLD?" and when I did tell people I wanted it to be with a positive - "We couldn't be happier!" - attitude (that was going to take some time).

The title of this post suggests I possibly felt like these great women of the scriptures that were destined to bare prophets. Mostly I just felt old, really old. Brad's mortality came into focus as well, when calculated how old he would be when this kid graduated from high school (67, if you're wondering). Maybe he felt a little like Abraham, who was 100 when Isaac was born - can you imagine? Whoa!

You know, when you're young and having a baby, you're a little oblivious. You're just taking it day by day, it's sorta fun in an "ignorance is bliss"type of a way. But now I knew what it took to raise a child, all 18 years worth. YIKES! Could I do that again? I wasn't so sure.

We learned some good communication with each other and with the Lord.

We learned, first that our trust in the Lord, wasn't what we thought. Then we learned that in order to do hard things we HAD to trust in the Lord.

We learned about a lot of other families that had cabooses and were blessed because of it.

We learned better scripture study habits.

We learned that we are resilient.

We learned a better and more mature appreciation of parenthood (especially poignant that it was Mother's Day)

We learned to expectations of life aren't always what you think they're going to be.

We learned to take it down a notch (I was having trouble realizing I needed to take a nap or that I couldn't work myself into the ground).

I started a baby name list

I started making nursery plans

I started thinking about baby clothes again

I started noticing "older" pregnant moms

I started wanting to hold babies more

I started envisioning all the things I would do differently (and better) this time

I started eating/drinking healthier

I started anticipating having the oldest and the youngest (possibly) grandchild on my side of the family

I stopped running :(

I stopped thinking I was going to be at Girls Camp for Afton's last two years

I stopped thinking about serving a mission with Brad anytime soon

I stopped lifting heavy things

I stopped staying up late

(Why do I like this picture so much?)

I was really getting into the groove of things, and then tragedy struck. It started out small really. But once my body figured out what was going on, it was all over really pretty quickly. About 8 weeks into it, my body realized that there was something wrong and I miscarried. I won't gross you out with all the details, but needless to say, we have been on quite the roller coaster ride in the last couple of months. We have now been shoved back into our first mindset (hopefully with a few valuable lessons under our belts). That, in and of itself, is hard and a little bit weird. But as Brad and I have both agreed on, we are sad for the loss, we appreciate the things we learned, we are grateful for our family (no matter how big or how small it is) but we are pretty sure the scales are tipped on the side of relief that this was a test, it was only a test.

(I put Afton in charge of photo directing on Mother's Day - we got some pretty hilarious shots - here's one of my favorite)

(How typical, "Tiki Head and the 4 Monkeys" - Aaaaa! I love my family!)

Bring on Spring!

2011-04-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, after my little rant yesterday I decided that I should move on to more positive things.

This is what has been making me happy today--my front porch. I've been dying to brighten things up out there and the opportunity finally came. On Friday I was at Home Goods and found this ca-ute turquoise bench. With a little sweep of this and and little spray of that. Ba-da-bing, Ba-da-boom, my house (well porch) is ready for spring. I love it!

Here's a close up. I spray painted the flower pot last year. With some new bright flowers it goes perfectly here, don't you think?

This little orange dude was a drab olive color up until a couple of days ago. When I bought him I fully intended to spray paint him. I think I even bought the orange spray paint that very same day. As usual, I procrastinated and it took until I got all this other fun stuff out to finally get him done. I LOVE the way he looks now. I think he needs a name though. What would you suggest? I can't just call him "little orange dude", or can I?

It's nice that a little pop of color can brighten one's mood. Ahhh, yes!

Life

2011-04-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

You know, some days I'm really sick and tired of it. Now don't get me wrong I'm not thinking of ending it anytime soon. But I'm sick and tired of all the work it requires. I'm sick and tired of being the mom, the one no one listens to, you know, the scape-goat. If anything is going wrong it can pretty much be (and is) blamed on mom. I'm sick and tired of having great plans and expectations of it, only to be bogged down in the mire of mundane and everyday stuff. I'm sick and tired of admiring others when my hopes and aspirations to have someone admire me, are dashed again and again on the rocks. I'm sick and tired of trying to motivate myself and my family into any sort of respectable routines only to be 3 steps behind where I started out. I'm sick and tire of being foiled again and again in my attempt to be someone admirable. I'm sick and tired of the messes, the complaining, the bad habits, the lack of appreciation, the un-met goals, the lack of goals, period. I'm sick and tired of caring. I'm sick and tired of not being cared about. I'm sick and tired of hearing about how great everyone else's life is. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm going to go run 15 miles and see if I can burn off some of this attitude (it may take longer, this feels pretty deep). Stay tuned, I'm sure I'll feel better later (maybe).

Thanks for listening (even if you don't really care).

Harry Potter "Mosts"

2011-03-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Remember back in High School when everyone voted on who in the Senior class was "most... something"? Most Likely to Succeed, Most Studious, Most Athletic etc. I always thought is was weird and it bothered me a little that some of the categories weren't "most" they were things like, "best dressed" "cutest couple" "prettiest eyes". How could you word that in a "most" type of a way? I've thought and thought, and you really can't. So I've gotten over it (mostly, I'll try not to lay awake thinking about it tonight). Anyway, now that you know one of my life's little pet peeves (no pun intended, speaking of Harry Potter) we can move on.

So in honor of my recent (57 minutes ago) completion of the Harry Potter Series (2nd time around for some of the books, 3rd for others), I held a contest (comprised of a panel of one, me) to vote on Harry Potter "Mosts". (You won't mind if I put commentary with them do you? No, I didn't think so.)

Most Lovable: Fred and George Weasley, Tonks and Hagrid

It's interesting that the categories where there is more than one winner the candidates all share similar qualities. The Weasly Twins, Tonks and Hagrid all are eternal optimists, happy and unique.

Most Trustworthy: Albus Dumbledore and Remus Lupin

These guys never waver in their advice, charity and devotion. You pretty much know what they say holds water.

Most Loyal: Ron Weasley and Dobby

Ron and Dobby choose Harry over all other people and all other circumstances. I want a friend like that.

Most Loathsome: Delores Jane Umbridge

Really, she beats out Voldemort in my mind. She is too conniving, self-righteous, hypocritical, devious, oppressive, manipulative, self-serving, psychotic.... ooohhh! Words just can not express. The thing that makes her so unpalatable is that, FOR SURE she thought she was perfect in every way and all her treachery was all performed under such a sickening sweet cover; kittens, pink bows, glass plates, tiny feminine cough/voice... . I used a drawing of her here, not because Imelda Staunton didn't do a good job of portraying her, but I don't think any human being with a shred of decency could really come across as looking like the real (wait! Is she real? I can't remember) Delores Umbridge. I always enjoyed the description of her looking like a toad.

Voldemort is bad, therefore we are not surprised when he does bad things. Umbridge is a Ministry Official, a Hogwarts Professor and The High Inquisitor, for goodness sake. She is supposed to at least have some sort of, I don't know, scruples.

Can you tell I have strong feelings here?

Just wait til I get to Snape.

Coolest Name: Kingsley Shacklebolt

Really! Don't you agree? What kinds of things would you do with a name like Kingsley Shacklebolt?

Since this is where I'm talking about names, I'm going to throw this in. I am super impressed with J.K. Rowling's choice of names for characters, major and minor. I have always been one to think about what names I would use for characters or places, should I ever write a book (ok, there you have it another "Stefani Strangeism"). I used to even keep a list. I might even be able to find it if I wanted to. I know, I know... don't say it.

But you have to agree, Ms. Rowling has a gift being able to assign her characters the perfect blend of every day sounding names (Lee Jordan) with totally preposterous sounding names (Dedalus Diggle). Props to her for making the words Hogwarts and Dumbledore sound normal. (my spell checker even recognizes them).

Someday I'm going to have a cat named Lavender Brown

Did you know there is a Wikipedia page that has ALL the Harry Potter names listed? And I do mean ALL!

Most Consistant: Hermione Granger

I believe Hermione could be the next Professor McGonagall (see below). She always has it all together, has the perfect blend of wit and sobriety. Her priorities are always arranged for the, dare I say it, Greater Good!

Priorities in Place: Minerva McGonagall

The first time I really knew I loved this woman is when she put Harry on the Quidditch team when clearly he should have been expelled.

I also appreciate that she did her job and did it well. She never cared that she wasn't the Headmistress. She never worried about not being in the spotlight. She just shone where she was. She is the whole package deal.

Love to Hate: Draco Malfoy and Peter Petigrew

Misguided, Weak, Self-Serving, Insecure... you almost pity them until you realize the damage they cause.

Coolest Under Pressure: Ginny Weasley

I have to say, the perfect girl for Harry. Loyal like Ron. Stubborn like Mrs. Weasley, Unassuming like Mr. Weasley. Mischievous like Fred and George. She knew Harry's whole story from beginning to end, but wasn't in the thick of it. She always seemed to have the right answer and was a very calming influence in Harry's life, even before he liked her.

Surprise Hero: Kreature and Neville Longbottom

Kreature could almost go on the love to hate list. But really he is just misunderstood.

Neville is also misunderstood. The perfect example of a kid with a tricky family situation, a late bloomer, maybe a little bit homely. The kind of kid that gets picked on in school, but that you see when you go back to your 20 year reunion and he is the best looking, richest and most successful guy in the bunch.

Most Complex: Severus Snape

Again, someone who could almost be on the love to hate list, but even though he does some very hateful things you always know there is some good in him somewhere because Dumbledore trusts him (see "Most Trustworthy" above). I think Snape's character is a great example of someone who made bad choices young in life, out of desperation, the need to belong, or possibly even out of ignorance, and these choices continue haunt him the rest of his life. Granted, he could have made better choices along the way to help assuage some of the grief and the self-loathing that he, no doubt had, that spilled out onto others. He could have forgiven. But I'm sure he thought it weakness. But look what he learned in his struggle. He had talents for Potions, Spells, Occlumency, and Legilemency and much more, all learned to keep his true identity hidden.

How did he keep it all straight? How did he keep it together? How did he NEVER reveal his true self to Voldemort?

Here are some words that I think describe Snape:

Misunderstood

Talented

Pitiable

Strong

Torn

Brooding

Tortured/Unrequited Love

Outsider

Secretive

Cruel

Unforgiving

Now, before I go further. I have to say, When I decided to do this post, it made me feel like a Harry Potter nerd. But, as I started looking for pictures... um, lets just say there are some very whacky fans out there! In comparison I know nothing about Harry Potter. People are using their imaginations to write variations on the story and/or characters. There is lots of art out there, some lame, but some quite good. One such example was a picture. At first I just laughed and said, "Ya right!" But the more I thought about it the more I wanted to include it here.

Had Snape made some better choices, got out while he had the chance, let someone help him, forgiven others and himself; this could have been how it turned out for him. If not with Lily, then with someone else. He did help bring the Dark Lord down, and yay for him, but how much richer and fuller his life could have been.

Ok, stopping now.

Favorite Over-All: Sirius Black

Sirius Black also a victim of choices and circumstances. But he was a bit better directed. As the Sirius we know in the book, he was crabby and grumpy, like we all tend to get when we get older and reflect on the good ol' days. But in the flashbacks, the young Sirius was smart and good looking and popular, someone everyone wanted to be like. As an older Sirius he was still that person inside, although a bit more jaded and cynical. He had poor family circumstances, but overcame those in doing what he felt was right and good. In having good friends and in taking the rap for them. He was egotistical. But really, we all admire people with confidence. He had a wild streak, what, with his motorcycle, prison break, rule breaking, treatment of Kreature and all. But I think he was true to himself. I still picture that kid with all the potential inside him, the one that, I think was still there even after his stint in Azkaban. I think I also have a soft spot for him because he was the closest thing Harry had to a real family. He was nice to him, treated him like a normal person. Not, "the chosen one". He seemed fun and adventurous, and he's got the major "cool" factor going on. I probably also feel bad for him because he had Narcissa and Belatrix as sisters, or wait, I think they're his cousins. (Did you know there are many, many webpages dedicated to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black Family Tree? Ya, I don't really care either.) I don't know if I can fully explain my reasons for Sirius being my favorite. I'm not really going to try. I loved that he laughed when he died. But I cried when he died.

One more bit of Potterism. You've probably seen this but go watch it again. It is and always will be one of my favorites!

Potter Puppet Pals: The Mysterious Ticking Noise

The Brown Suit Looks Familiar

2011-03-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

On Sunday March 13th, Brad got released from the Bishopric. We are excited to have him back on our pew at church (even though he felt restricted by the limited legroom there:), we're excited to have him around in the evenings and we're excited to be able to take a Sunday afternoon nap with him. Not that we have minded him serving in the church. In fact, as the wife of our Stake President recently said about her husband, (and I think applies to most men who honor the priesthood), "He's much happier when he's serving, so out he goes." (I think of that quote all the time and it comforts me and cracks me up all at the same time.)

Brad is so good at so many things and loves to get stuff done. He has, dare I say, revolutionized parts of the ward through his enthusiasm, computer skills and tenacity. I know he loved serving under Bishop Starkweather and learned so much from this humble, determined man. But, it's time to rest -- even though we know it's probably of short duration. It's time to get a glimpse of Brad in his brown suit more than just seeing him at the pulpit (by the way give a shout out if you know my obscure reference here). We are proud of his service to the ward and by extension, to our family and friends.

But less than a week later, look what he was up to.

This is Guy Forever! Lovable host of the popular show "Minute To Win It"- youth conference style. He was incredible! He did a fantastic job M.C'ing the game during our regional youth conference this last weekend. How quickly the mantle fades. HA! (Weirdly enough our outfits matched that night - only in color though, not in outrageousness. Even the licorice he's holding matched.)

By the way, our new Bishop is Loren Dickson. One of our favorite people (EVER) and home teacher for the last 8 years! We hope this new responsibility for him doesn't mean a change in that assignment. We truly love him! He's an awesome man for the job! But lest we forget he is still human.... and still a fun guy (not to be confused with fungi).

The future Bishop Dickson with the future Guy Forever at Trinity Lake.

Autopsy

2011-03-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

Last week Afton's iPhone met with a tragic and untimely death. (First dropped in the toilet and not even an hour later dropped and shattered the screen). Brady, who wants to go into post-mortum work decided to do a little science experiment on the deceased. Just in case you ever wondered what the inside of your phone looks like... wonder no more.

He saved one thing from the whole operation. The camera lens. (I love his ratty, boy fingers here.)

P.S. If you are seeing a trend here with 3 posts in a row about Brady, you might wonder if I still have other children. Kelsi and Afton do still exist, and they are theoretically in our family, but we hardly see them. They are in the final throws of rehearsals for the school play. They are pretty much gone from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m (or later). Trust me, if you've been missing them, just wait...

ICON!

2011-03-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

There is somebody living in my house that is very iconic. His name is Brady. There are lots of songs, movie quotes, dances and actions that I, or someone else will inevitably say, "I can totally picture Brady saying (or doing) that." His latest has to do with the Song by Bruno Mars called Grenade. Funnily (Oh, I am so using that word next time I play Mad Libs and they want an adverb) enough, Grenade is a love song (albeit unrequited love). The guy is singing about how much he loves the girl, and what he would do for her, but she doesn't feel the same way.

Here's a sample of the lyrics:

I’d catch a grenade for ya
Throw my hand on a blade for ya
I’d jump in front of a train for ya
You know I'd do anything for ya
I would go through all this pain,
Take a bullet straight through my brain,
Yes, I would die for ya baby;
But you won't do the same.

Sweet sentiment but, Brady has seen this for what it is, and has added his own voice. In our house the song goes like this.

I’d catch a grenade for ya... that would be dumb
Throw my hand on a blade for ya... that would be dumb
I’d jump in front of a train for ya... that would be dumb
You know I'd do anything for ya... (and to prove he's really listening) nice idea, but that would still be dumb
I would go through all this pain,
Take a bullet straight through my brain... that would be dumb
Yes, I would die for ya baby;... that would be dumb
But you won't do the same.

We still love Bruno Mars and even this funny grenade song... but we love Brady even more! He has made this song so much more memorable don't you think? Just try listening to that song now and not say "that would be dumb" after each line. I dare ya.

PS. I also reactivated my playlist just for this post so you could hear the long in real life.

Brady, Bieber and Balentine's Day!

2011-02-18T08:36:00.001-08:00

Even though it's been a couple of weeks I just HAD to write about the awesome date I had on Valentine's Day!!! It was with one of the ca-utest boys I know! I mean, oh my gosh! He was off school that day so we took advantage of the extra time we had together. We went to see the new Justin Bieber movie, Never Say Never. Which, by the way was very, very good. I can see why all the other girls like Justin. But this cute boy I was with is the only one I had eyes for. I'll just say it again, Oh my gosh!!! Be Jealous! He was so nice and so cute. I thought he might be embarrassed to be see with me or to go to the Justin Bieber movie, but he wasn't (well not too much anyway). He was the perfect gentleman and even let me buy him popcorn and Skittles. He was so cute in his custom made Giants hat, it made his hair look so good! He also wore his plaid jacket, it's one of my favorites. We discovered that our eyes are the same color. I thought I was going to die. We went to Subway afterward the movie. He got the Spicy Italian and I got the Roasted Chicken Breast. It was so fun, and I felt so cool being with him. We started laughing about the "Best Buy" employees that kept coming in to Subway for lunch. One of the TV shows he and I like to watch together is "Chuck". We started comparing people we saw in Subway to the characters in the show, especially since Chuck works at "Buy More" (which is supposed to be like Best Buy). I'm glad we watch that show together. He was so nice to me all day and even laughed at my jokes. We went shopping next. We didn't buy much but it was fun just being together. On the way home we talked about Chuck some more. It was so fun! I hope we go out again soon!

It's All Been Done Before! (Mission Run)

2011-02-04T06:50:00.000-08:00

Well even though the Mission Run here in San Juan Bautista has been going on for something like 28 years this is only my 2nd year doing it, but I can honestly say the second go around was funner and easier. Now notice, I didn't say easy, I said easier. I shaved over 2 minutes off last year's time and even had a little burst of energy at the very end and was able to finish strong! For 10 miles my official time was 1:44:04! Go me!!!

Of course my girls and and my puppy dog, Troy were there to cheer me on at the end and Brad made an appearance with his golf bag. He's such a funny one! If you look close at the picture of him running in with it you can see me off in the far distance crossing the finish line. Say what...?

Brad made this fun video. He's really so great at this type of thing. I've been having trouble getting it to attach for days, I finally got it. Sorry for the delay!

So, with out further Adieu... Mission Run 2011!

Listen to the Right Voices

2011-01-28T17:57:00.000-08:00

One of my very favorite TV shows for the last 5 years is "Bones". In a nutshell it is about forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan (Bones) who specializes in the study of bones and is the best in her field. She has joined up with the FBI and together she and her FBI agent partner, Seeley Booth, solve crimes using forensics. The characters are so great and forensics intrigues me.

An on going character they have had on the show is serial killer, Heather Taffet. They call her "The Gravedigger" because her M.O was to bury people alive, even a couple of the show's regulars fell victim to her methods, but using brains and ingenuity they escaped (of course, at the very last possible moment before they died). Last season showed her finally being found and arrested, much to everyone's relief.

(Heather Taffet, The Gravedigger)

On this week's show she was to be tried for her crimes. As the show opened she was being transported under heavy guard from her prison cell to the courthouse. Lance Sweets, who is the FBI psychologist on the show, was riding with her in the armed car because apparently, she had "requested psychological counseling during transport".

The Gravedigger, not only known for her killings, but for her head games, proceeded to try to unnerve Sweets by messing with his head. She told him, "If my appeal fails I will die, but you will have to go on living every day as a repressed, immature individual spouting canned theories to people who don't really care." In all her psychopathic glory she planned this attack on, whom she thought, was the weakest link in the prosecutions witnesses. And even though the moment she stepped out of the vehicle she was "taken out" by a sniper, the words that she placed in Lance's mind continued to haunt him, almost to the point that he couldn't do his job.

(Lance Sweets, spattered with the Gravedigger's blood after she sent a hamster of untrue thoughts running around in his mind)

Lance secretly harbored these words, replayed them in his mind (and on his tape recorder) he was in the throws of doubting himself, his schooling, his position. His peers and colleagues attempted to help him, to make sure that he was ok, but he hid it well, shrugged it off, made everyone believe that he was fine. Caroline Julian, a tough old broad of a prosecutor for the U.S Attorney's Office, saw through his bluff and sat him down for a frank talk. Her words to him were, "Her (Heather Taffet's) strategy was to shake you to the core. You're an expert with the FBI! Now, who is Heather Taffet?" Lance, with enlightenment beginning to dawn on him, weakly stated, "A dead serial killer?" Ms. Julian answered, "You're damn straight!" And then referring to the state of Taffet's current condition she said, "Dr. Brennan has her head all rigged up [in the lab], spinning like a Christmas Tree."

I sat there thinking how true that is in life. How we listen to people's words that are hurtful, whether intentional or not, and we listen! We listen! Unfortunately for some, these hurtful words may come from someone who is in a position of teaching or mentoring (like parents or teachers) and therefore, take even more effort to sort through. But aside from that situation, how often do we listen when someone infers we are stupid, fat, incapable, lazy, worthless, uncool etc. Do these people know what they are talking about? Who made them the Grand Poobah of anything, let alone your mental state?

And how often do we listen to the words whispered in our minds by the adversary. Those words that prey upon our darkest fears that say, we are lost, that it is too late, that we aren't worthy, that we aren't good enough. I mean who is he? Someday it will be his proverbial head spinning like a proverbial Christmas Tree and we... we will be the experts in the Kingdom of our Father.

So what's my wrap up here? I guess I don't really know. I just need to remember to listen to the right voices. I am one that listens to such voices much too often. I want to do better and maybe that's the reason I am posting these thoughts. It seemed easy to tell Lance Sweets not to listen to a clearly manipulative psychopath but how often do I lose myself in something similar. I vow to do better. Maybe I will try to remember to often repeat the daily affirmations of Stuart Smalley...

I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!

Ok, this is my real parting thought... :)

20 Years and Counting

2011-01-13T11:55:00.000-08:00

Then

Now

I remember very distinctly moving into our 1st house and meeting some people who had been married... *gasp* 7 years! At the time Brad and I had only been married 3. I couldn't imagine how it must feel to be married 3/4 of a decade. And now, all of a sudden, we have been married for 2 decades. Yes that's right! 20 years! How does that even happen? It seems to me like we just got married fairly recently. If you ask Brad he will tell you it feels like an eternity, but he's just joking. I think... right Brad? Joking?

Anyway... Here are some things about us in commemoration of all those long years together.

Where did we meet?

At church. In the Young Adult Ward in San Jose, shortly after I had returned home from a mission. He was the Ward Clerk at the time and said he had to MAGNIFY his calling and get all my personal information for the church records. Hmmm... I didn't know brand of shampoo was one of the things that was on the official form.

How long did we date before we got married?

13 months. It wasn't continuous dating though (long story), there was a break between January and May of 1990, and I thought my life had come to a catastrophic end. I remember my dad telling me it would all work out mere hours after I'd finally gotten a clue Brad didn't want to date me EVER AGAIN. I wondered why he was telling me this. I guess parents are wiser than teens and young adults give them credit for (my children, are you listening?) We became exclusive July 4, we got engaged September 16 and married December 22, 1990.

What is my favorite feature of his?

Oh, it's definitely his eyes! For sure! Well... no I'd say his hands... I love his hands. No, his eyes. They are beautiful and deep and lined with long dark lashes. Ok, wait! I think it's his hands, just the right shape and size and picture of manliness (without being too rough or callused). Well, maybe it's his eyes, no, hands, eyes, hands, eyes...

ok I'm going with butt.

What is my favorite quality of his?

He knows how to make things fun. My life would be a lot more mundane without him. He's good at improvising and making things up on the spot.

Does he have a nickname for me?

Um, does Stef count? When we were dating he used to call me Stefanefani. Hmmm, I wonder why he doesn't anymore? I used to dislike terms of endearment somewhat. But now I kinda wish he had one for me. Maybe "Sugar Petals", or "Love Lamb" - yeesh, never mind. "Baby" might be alright though.

What's his favorite color?

For THE longest time I thought it was green. I would have sworn by it. If ever asked that question on the Newlywed Game, I would for sure know I had it in the bag, with my resounding answer of GREEN! Then about 5 years ago he told me it was Blue. Not that he had changed his mind mind you, it had always been blue. So there you have it, his favorite color is blue.

What's his favorite food?

I'm going with See's candy. Not that that is really considered a food, but I think sometimes he thinks he CAN live off of it for extended periods of time. Most specifically, Butterscotch Squares.

If I had to go with an actual food, I would say Salmon with Mango Salsa. But he gets really complimentary whenever I make things like Shepherd's Pie, or Stew (the kind with everything but the kitchen sink) or some sort of casserole, anything resembling the kind of food his mom likes to make. I guess that's what every guy likes though, the kind of food he had growing up.

Whats his favorite sport?

Hockey (Go Sharks!!)

When was our first kiss?

Weirdly enough I can't remember the exact date or even the month. I think it was either late November or early December of 1989. I remember it, it was at his house. He says I kissed him first. I'm not so sure about that. But maybe he deserved it.

What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?

What? Other than discussing money issues, stressing about the kids or coordinating schedules? There's not much else. Oh?? Wait! We're talking something bonding, that we both enjoy and brings us closer together!? Oh, well in that case, we both love the beach... going in the shops, soaking up the sun, eating chips and cookies, playing catch or paddle ball, digging in the sand, strolling along, looking for shells. Ahhh, the beach, it doesn't get any better than that.

Do we have children?

YES! We have six. Kelsi is almost 18, Afton turned 15 1/2 last Saturday, Brady is 13. Chase is 6, and Troy and Macy are both 2 1/2.

Does he have a hidden talent?

He is most excellent at figuring out what to do in computer situations. I don't even think he knows its a talent. He's not a programmer, but he know how the programs work and if he doesn't, he instinctively knows what to do to figure them out. I think it's frustrating for him to deal with those of us that don't come by it naturally.

How old is he?

Nigh unto a half a century old! YIKES!

Who said "I Love You" first?

That's easy. Me. Not that I remember the specific time but to this date I'm not actually sure he's EVER said these three words together. Wink. I'm kidding of course, but he prefers the term "ditto" and in order for that to make any sense, someone else (meaning me) has to make a statement first.

What is his favorite type of music?

7o's rock (Rush, Styx, Boston). He also likes the disco-ish-type music (Earth, Wind and Fire, Kool, and the Gang.) Along with jazzy R&B - type stuff (Toto and Steely Dan). Lately he's been into Tom Petty.

What do I admire most about him?

Did I mention his butt?

Ok, just kidding (well sort of). Really though if he didn't follow "proper wand safety" and kept his wand in his back pocket and accidentally shot off his buttocks (can you tell I've been reading Harry Potter?) and it didn't exist anymore I'd have to go with his innate concern about others and the doing things for grater good. He works hard in all he does because it just turns out better in the end if he does. He sees how things SHOULD be and presses for them to be that way. I am a better person today because of that very important skill he possesses. I'm not complete without him! This I truly believe.

I LOVE YOU BRAD!!

Positively Positive!

2011-01-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Tis the season to renew...

I want this year to be a positive, non-procrastinating year. As in years past I am trying to choose a theme for the year. A mantra, a phrase, a saying or quote that will embody what I'm trying to remember and accomplish for the year. Last year this is what I chose:

I made this little reminder that sat next to my kitchen sink all year. You should see it now. It looks like it's been sitting next to my sink all year, what with water being splashed on it and all. But it served a good purpose. I saw it daily and it reminded me that I shouldn't wait around for a good life to happen, I was in charge of CREATING it. I still need more work in that area, but it's time to move on. I haven't been able to settle on a new one yet completely. Here are my top 3 ideas, maybe you can help me decide.

#1. It'll Be Great! Just Wait! (sometimes the "greatness" of a situations doesn't show up right away, but with a positive attitude and proper perspective, anything can be great. This is quote from one of the Bare Naked Ladies songs - but don't listen to the rest of the song because what it goes on to say is, "It'll be Great! Just Wait! Or is it too little, too late?" of course it's never too late...)

#2. Do it! Do it right! Do it right now! (I have a small problem with procrastination. More like I would prefer for the planets to be aligned before I do certain things... well ok, most things. This saying is quite motivational for me - I think it's from Spencer W. Kimball)

3. Look Not Behind Thee! (watch this video and you'll see why I'm considering this one. I tried and tried to embed it but to no avail. Click the link, it's worth your time!)

Maybe you have some other ideas. Share, I'm open to those as well.

Also, here are some individual words I'd like to remember as well, do they spark any good sayings for you for me?

FRESH, SPARKLY, POSITIVE, RENEW, ENERGY-IN, ENTHUSIASTIC, HOPFUL, BRIGHT

Have a great year! Tell me some of the things you're going to work on. I really want to hear, it's totally motivating to me.

Dad, Dad, Daddy-o!

2010-12-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite people in the whole wide world turned the big 7-0 this month. Some of you might be thinking it's Brad.... he IS up there but not 70 for 2 or 3 more years. Naw, this birthday boy is my dad. Joseph William Lindsey born December 8, 1940. He was 1 day shy of a year when Pearl Harbor got bombed. How's that for an interesting fact? Well in honor of his 70th...here are 70 more interesting facts about this great guy! I love you dad!

1. Graduated from BYU in 1967 with a Technical Teacher Education degree. He switched from Engineering - they were way too technical, he was more practical.

2. Had a dark room and equipment in our bathroom when I was a kid.

3. He loved to make fun of the pronunciation of song lyrics in our teeny-bopper music. Bay-Bay! He also often asked how you spelled certain sounds in songs (like doo-wop-a-loo-bop -- I don't even know if thats right).

4. He always wears his shoes - ok maybe not to be or into the shower, but seriously it's probably the last thing he takes off before he gets in. My kids were seriously upset with me for not waking them up one night during our family reunion when I saw Grandpa walking around barefoot.

5. Dad is THE single most charitable person I know. He takes care of all sorts of people from the elderly to those with hopeless habits and problems. He loves them, he advises them, he gives his time, he drives them around, he listens... and true to fashion, he never seems put out about it.

6. I'll never forget the time he started laughing over a stupid joke he heard a thousand times at breakfast one morning and milk came spewing out of his nose. There might be those of his acquaintance who would find that sort of behavior totally unbelievable from him. I find it endearing.

7. He and my mom served a mission in Nigeria Africa. They made themselves available to go anywhere. Really? How many people do that? At the time we couldn't even call them or email them, and even snail-mail was questionable.

8. He likes to record old movies off the TV. I'm not talking DVR. I'm talking VCR.

9. Likes to know how things work - and usually does.

10. Can figure out how to fix just about anything. I'm pretty sure I didn't know a repairman existed until college.

11. He will drop anything at anytime for you and, of course, never be put out by it.

12. Fell in love with Mom while she was in the hospital after she had surgery (of course it was while she was wearing a hospital gown, had stitches, a swollen neck and no make up. That's when most guys fall in love right).

13. Never raises his voice. In the 44 years I've known him I can count on one had the times he's done it.

14. Raised 6 girls... nuff said.

15. He likes brainteasers and riddles.

16. He's a word nerd. He always wins at Boggle, Scrabble and the Alphabet game.

17. Worked for 33 years at IBM.

18. He owned a personal computer before it was common practice. Woo Hoo! for the TRS-80

19. He knows how to cut a rug. You should see he and Mom swing dance.

20. He taught seminary for 4 years. He believes it was to prepare him to become a bishop.

21. Served as bishop for 5 years in the 7th Ward.

22. He doesn't try to be hip and cool, but he is. I had several friends when I was young, tell me they thought my dad was good looking. I had one person tell me he looks like Matt Damon.

23. Dad wears a Tilly Hat (ask him about it).

24. Takes great pictures. You should see all the slides he took over the years.

25. Loves to wander around Home Depot. He could go for a few small screws and be gone for 3 hours.

26. Likes Sour Cream Pound Cake and Ice-box Cake.

27. Doesn't like satin comforters or sheets. He says they snag the dry spots on his fingers.

28. Is the best grandpa around. He is totally interested in each grandchild and does cool things for them, like make them movies and books about their time together.

29. Knows how to work.

30. Occasionally works to certify people to work on electronic equipment used in space. That technical teaching degree really did come in handy.

31. Is goofy.

32. He's from Pennsylvania.

33. He used to come home from work while we were all glued to the TV and stop at the edge of the room, and wave to each kid individually and say, "Hello all around". It's still one of the most quoted family sayings to this day.

34. Once told me his favorite color was white. I couldn't imagine such a thing.

35. Has an amazing memory.

36. He loves maps.

37. His hand shake will knock your socks off. Mom had to tell him to tone it down a little bit.

38. Made the entertainment center/storage cupboards in their family room.

40. Wrote letters to me (and all the other missionaries serving from our ward) every week while I was on my mission.

41. Didn't have to wear glasses until he was in his 50's.

42. Doesn't believe what commercials say about their products (he's probably mostly right)

43. Doesn't like McDonalds.

44. Can concentrate much better and work much harder if he sticks his tongue out.

45. He went to the ground breaking of the Oakland temple while he was serving a mission in Northern California.

46. Likes museums, historical sights and landmarks.

47. Likes to toss a ball around.

48. Doesn't like chapstick, and won't use it even if is lips are about to fall off. Another most memorable family moment is when we threatened to rub Blistex all over his body

49. Does a family spotlight through email called, "Talented Grandchildren", where he has a picture, a recording or a video of something his grandchildren have done.

50. He has had all colors of hair through his lifetime (except red); blonde when he was a baby, brown as a boy, black as a young dad, gray as an older dad and white as a grandpa (some may say he has skin colored hair too).

51. He's the homemade rootbeer king - even has his own bottle capper.

52. Had carpel-tunnel surgery on both wrists.

53. Likes to have his back scratched. But also has an itchy spot on his back that spurs it on.

54. Has high cholesterol.

55. We used to call the stuff he put in his hair "hair goop" (really gross, and I never thought about it until I was an adult).

56. Enjoys puttering (in the yard, in the garage, in the office, at the computer).

57. Is a treasure trove of information. Try it, ask him anything.

58. We used to laugh when he spoke in church because he would always play with the keys in his pocket.

59. Laughs hard at dumb things and crinkles his nose when doing so.

60. Likes jigsaw puzzles.

61. His seminary students were shocked the first time they saw him in jeans (I think they thought he ALWAYS wore a suit).

62. Loves to go geo-caching.

63. He loves rootbeer and has his own personal stash of it in the pantry.

64. Always loads the dishwasher and is an expert at fitting a every dish in.

65. When you enter his house he will tell you "You are welcome" (meaning you are welcome in my house) this is carry over from Nigeria.

66. If mom wasn't around to make food he would probably live on stale pretzels or whatever else was laying around.

67. He's never cold.

68. Always has a little stash of chocolate - and a bag can last for weeks (how does he do that?).

69. Likes camping and hiking.

70. Pretty nearly perfect in my mind!

Deck the Halls

2010-12-14T21:01:00.000-08:00

(this is what we gave to our neighbors this year - chocolate stars from Trader Joe's! YUM!)

Actually there is no decking going on in my halls, just in the living room and family room and a little bit on the outside of the house. For your viewing pleasure and for my record here are a few of my decorations this year.

This is my splurge for the season. I bought these cool rattan stars from Pottery Barn! I absolutely LOVE them.

...And speaking of Pottery Barn I saw these cute little silver sparkly birds that I was totally going to buy too but, they were no longer available. SO, being the resourceful person I am, I made my own, thanks to Martha Stewart white gold glitter, super cheap birds from the Dollar Tree and a little bit of spray adhesive.

I love these 3 guys... I think I might make them sparkly too, but with clear glitter instead of silver.

So I guess I'm quite inspired by Pottery Barn (I mean really, who isn't) because a couple of years ago I ripped a page out of their magazine that looked similar to this. I created my own version for a FRACTION of the price. Quite nice, if you ask me.

I add to it every year - this PEACE sign was new last year

here it is with the candles lit

I can't leave a picture of the tree out, although I am completely SICK and TIRED of this tree, I think it's seen it's last year. It was bought from the Macy's Home Store after the season 8 years ago. It was meant for display only (they had to show off their ornaments somehow). They had already thrown away the box so they created a makeshift one for us (well 2 really, we had to divide it up into two sections). It is so SUPER heavy Brad asks every year through gritted teeth, after we have sweat and strained and cursed (at least on Brad's part;) "Who is going to help us put this up in our old age?" And now that it is nigh unto a decade old, the lights are VERY temperamental as you can see by the dark patches in the photo - at least it's better than the 3 strands that were working when we first put it up. It is a GORGEOUS tree though, and for that it will be missed.

Outside - thank you Brad and Brady

My cute indoor/outdoor trees. Not new, but I guess I've been enjoying knowing how to photograph lights. I loved the way this turned out.

And just a little bit of Holiday Randomness... I was sitting at the table, working on Christmas Cards when I looked over, and there sat Afton all quiet and still... looking exactly like this. Bahahaha!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Before It's Too Late (Thanksgiving Recap)

2010-12-10T07:55:00.001-08:00

I was such a slacker at thanksgiving. I didn't take ANY pictures, so I had to scavenge from others. We did however, have a FANTASTIC time! We went to Utah. Henefer (The Deardens - my aunt and her family), Lehi (Derek - my brother and his family) and Springville (Brad's family descended upon an unsuspected church building there to have a mini reunion), it was a rushed trip, but good times were had by all. Here are some highlights

-Spending the night in Winnamucca (Hello! Potato Road)

-Taking the wrong turn at Echo Junction

-Yummy Food and LOTS of Pie! (Tradition at the Deardens)

- Playing The Synonym game (ala; Brad)

- Watching random episodes of Jeeves and Wooster (only at the Deardens - they own them! HA!)

-Sharon getting jabbed through the head with an icicle. (ok, not really)

-Brady and Jay going sledding

-Meeting Ashley the House Elf

-EATING PIE FOR BREAKFAST! (need I say more)

-Having fun with Gary and Garth (I mean Matt and Shaun)

-Shopping Black Friday at the Park City Outlets (can you say "Buy one pair of shoes get 2 free?")

- Tai Pan Trading (Seriously, go there!!)

-Tangled (AT LONG LAST) at Jordan Commons with the Lindseys

-Eating at Rumbi's Island Grill with Mark and Lauren (Spicy Teriyaki Bowl with Rumbi Rice, to DIE for)

-Petting, holding, watching, Lauren's Bunny Skittles (Skit-tels is really good)

-Celebrating Ryan's Birthday with Birthday Pancakes

-Meyer Family Reunion - EVERYONE was there!

-White Elephant gift exchange

-4 hairdressers in attendance

- David gets a hair cut (and check out Steph's amazing hair)

-Homemade Soup! Yummalicious

-Dracula and the Silver-tipped Arrow/Lost

-Playing a game with all the Sisters-in-law and the married nieces.

-Family Pictures

-Parade of Lights in Spanish Fork

-McDonalds in Provo

-SNOW!

-Long drive home. Made it safe and sound!

Thanks everyone for such a good time!

Obsessed! (in a totally good way)

2010-12-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

So, at this time of year you might be expecting me to post about Thanksgiving activities, Christmas Decorating, Eating WAY too much, or Holiday De-stressing Activities (which I am so entirely good at). But don't be disappointed, those things will be tediously and laboriously covered and recovered (just like Grandma's Chesterfield) in future posts. However, this little ditty is all about my obsession. One that I've been trying hard to cover-up for a long time. One that seems harmless enough, one that comes under the heading, "all in the name of fashion". My friends politely say, "It's cute, that it fits my personality, that I shouldn't change a thing." But sadly, the only soul brave enough to point out that I've got an addiction is my better half, Slick Meyer (watch out, he sometimes doubles as Clinton Kelly on What Not To Wear). What is this deep dark shame you ask? Well, It's... dare I say it out loud? Ok, it's my ever growing collection of Converse-type footwear. There I've said it! They say admission is half the solution. So THAT being admitted, AND in the vain of dejunking, I've decided to pair down my, umm... collection. I'm posting this to immortalize these shoes of comfort and joy (there, that's my holiday reference for the day), Some have been my good friends, these 5 years at least (name that "skewed" movie quote if it's even recognizable).

I guess it finally became apparent to me there might be a slight need for rehab, when the other day while shoe shopping, I opted out of buying a slick new pair of shiny, black dress boots, in favor of hot pink Converse. Seriously, who does that? Move over Lindsey Lohan, you've got company!

Here's the entire collection. I'm keeping all the solid color ones, the one's with Buddha and the orange Ed Hardy ones (for obvious reasons) I'll be going from 23 pair to 12.

Spotlight:

Best Deal-

$1.97 at Savers Half Price Sale Last Month - Come to Mama!

Favorite Overall-

Really? What's not to love about bright blue tennies? They're Diesel, they have a pocket in each of the heels and the hot chocolate dribble on the right toe shows that they go where the party is!

Pure Fun-

Here are the aforementioned Ed Hardy Shoes. I almost didn't get them, but when I got to the cash register I had a change of heart and sent someone back to bring them to their rightful owner. That's right baby, you belong to me!

Classic-

Tell me black Converse shoes don't go with absolutely everything? Ok, maybe not your holiday, red, velvet formal (there I go again with the Christmas references), but you know, I'm open to a discussion about it.

Ok, and since I know you're wondering, not pictured, are some of my most comfortable and oldest pair, the Sketcher's Buddhalicious ones. (There are swirls, a picture of Buddha and that snappy little word, "Buddhalicious". I would love to meet the person who came up with that design. They rock!) In the group photo they are to the right of my bright blue Diesels.

Just so the rest of my well worn friends don't feel left out... I love you all too, there just doesn't seem to be room in my marriage (or my closet) for you. I plan on sending you to a special place. Just think, someday you could be a post on someone's blog about the screamin' deal they got at the Saver's 50% off sale. So it is, with a tear in my eye, I send you on to the happy land of thrift store donation.

2010-11-21T19:15:00.000-08:00

(I made these tags and have them displayed in my home. I really really love them)

Right now I am in the calm before the storm. I am home alone, there is beautiful music playing, my kitchen is clean and I'm feeling the glow of a good weekend, where everyone got along and the house didn't get too destroyed. Tomorrow (and even a bit later tonight) all chaos is going to break loose. We are trying to get out of town for Thanksgiving and there is A LOT to do before then. But as long as I've got a few moments of serenity I'm going to record some of the things that help me feel blessed.

BLESSINGS

(in no particular order)

1. Health

2. The gospel of Jesus Christ

3. A beautiful family

4. Many friends that are continually supportive and such a great example to me and my family.

5. Abilities and Talents

6. My Patriarchal Blessing

7. My dogs

8. An ambitious husband that takes such good care of me

9. Extended family that are AWESOME! (really, there's no other way to describe it)

10. A beautiful home in a beautiful area

11. I'm able to get to the beach pretty much whenever I want

12. Medical advances

13. Technology that saves time, energy and living space

14. Faithful Parents

15. The best ward this side of Kolob

16. Vision, hearing, sense of smell and touch

17. Love of running (who would have thought)

18. Creativity

19. Color

20. Warm Jammies on a cold night

21. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

22. Brad has a job

23. The Book of Mormon

24. A cheerful disposition

25. Apple products

26. A dishwasher, a washer and dryer, a double oven, a telephone

27. Good schools and teachers

28. Indoor Plumbing (even though our kitchen sink currently has a leak, and I have to clean the bathrooms way too often)

29. Good books and my ability to read

30. My Swagger Wagon

31. The Gift of the Holy Ghost

32. Enough (food, shelter, clothing etc.)

33. Humor

34. Subway

35. Tender Mercies

(For Real This Time) I Deserve a Medal!

2010-11-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

...oh wait! Look at me! I GOT one!

I got a medal for running the Santa Barbara International Half Marathon this last Saturday, November 6! This was my first race of this duration. I'm just pointing out that a 1/2 marathon is 13.1 miles. Ya! That's right! That was me! Please! Hold your applause.

Many of my friends have done this race in years past and I started thinking how great it would be to run by the ocean, in the cool sea air. I was right. It was a beautiful setting and just the right temperature. But as it turns out my friend Erin and I were the only ones that made it to the race this year. (And our valiant and very supportive husbands were there to cheer us on) Erin and I discovered that we are good running partners. We have about the same pace and don't have to chitchat to feel the camaraderie. She was a couple hundred yards a head of me most of the time, but I'll try not to feel too bad since she is 10 years younger than me. Ha! We came in together though and I can only attribute that to her need to puke (she didn't, but it slowed her down just enough for me to catch up).

There were many times I just wanted to stop. But when I analyzed the reasons I couldn't think of a good one. My legs felt fine, my breathing was good, nothing hurt. I just had to refocus and get my head in the game. I just kept going. That's how life is you know.

(Tiffiny is one of our friends that had to back out of the race at the very last second due to a back injury. This "running for..." thing is a bit of an inside joke. And there's really no room here to write about it and you probably don't want to know anyway... but if you do, go here)

Here are my stats:

~ Distance: 13.1 miles

~Time: 2 hours 21 minutes and 56 seconds

~I placed 874th out of 1552 women

~I placed 126 out of 225 in my division (ages 40-44) -- I'll let you guess which end of the spectrum I'm on

~I placed 1478 out of 2297 total runners

(if you do the math, I was about the middle of the pack in all of these categories)

My pace was about 10:50 per mile. I'm not disappointed with this, but I know I should have/could have done better. There was a massive, half mile hill at mile 11 that I walked most of. That's ok though, that's how life is you know, sometimes hills come when you are tired. It might throw you off a little bit, it might slow you down, but the point is, I kept going, I finished, I felt good and I still feel good! Now that's something to be proud of. Also I now know just how much work I have to do before I run that full marathon in May. YIKES!

Brad says making these little mini-movies is his form of scrapbooking. He really is quite talented. Here is what he put together for me. He did a great job (read didn't make me look to stupid) and even used the song I requested. I love it, and it just happened to be playing while he was filming me. Good karma I call it. (Even though the song is really called Underdog.)

A few more shots of the trip...

Goofy to the bitter end

Lunch and Shopping in Downtown Santa Barbara

And a trip down to that area would not be complete with out a visit to Jocko's, the best Steak House around. Total hole in the wall, but totally YUMMY grub.

We also had ice-cream at Pismo Beach, but we didn't get a picture. Nor did we get a picture of the full double rainbow we saw there. (What does this mean?)

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T14:37:00.001-07:00

Here is our resident Haunted House! I love it! I wanted to do some crackly effect, but this time of year is too busy for learning new photoshop techniques. It's pretty spooky though anyway, don't you think?

Here's how we all dressed up this year.

"My fellow Americans..." -- ya, pretty much, I'm a joke!

Bibbity-bobbity-Boo!

Notice the dunk tank behind me -- how fun is that? These pictures were taken at our building Carnival and Trunk or Treat. Which incidentally it was my last activity as Ward activity chairman.

Imagine you're really arrogant. Knights like to think they are so much better than everyone else!

- quote from "Merlin". Kelsi's new favorite TV show (broadcast from the UK)

Check out the Gun Show over here! Boom! Boom! Fiah Powah!

Grizzly, ghouls from every tomb, are closing in to seal your doom.

So, I attempted sewing costumes this year. Not only that, but taught Kelsi how to sew her own costume. Again I ask the question, "What was I thinking?" In the end we had to do some switcheroos. Brad was supposed to be the wizard, but my sparkly, purple witch dress broke my thread or my needle about every 20 stitches. That project quickly got scrapped. So, I became the wizard and Brad became... um, errrr... well, let's say a "politician"... one that couldn't give a speech without a teleprompter. He had a great time "expounding" to us all in his best orators voice.

Brady's idea of a zombie was much simpler than the one I had in my head. Also he had no patience for fake blood or anything that had to dry, so that costume wasn't too painful.

Kelsi's costume was fabulous, of course. She really does have a vision and can make something from practically nothing.

Afton and Taylor Lawrence were matching football players. My best halloween deal came as part of their costume. They wanted red knee socks. I looked EVERYWHERE and there were just no red socks to be had (except some sparkly Christmas ones with snowflakes), let alone ones that came to the knee. Just about the time I was about to give up and buy ugly white ones for 6 bucks a piece. I found some on a neglected rack in Walmart. They were on the very bottom and covered in dust. The price was 2 pair for $4! SCORE!

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween everyone! I know we did!

Now to start thinking about costumes for next year.

Just as a side note: now that I'm not activities chairman anymore, maybe we'll do one of our famous Meyer Halloween parties again in 2011.

Infused with Halloween

2010-10-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

So as I was checking my regular blogs this morning there were 3 of them talking about Christmas. What the What? Just so you know, I'm posting right here in my blog that we are still infused with Halloween here at our house. And it's fun!

First off I have to point out that this year I got my decorations up by Oct. 1. We get to enjoy a full month of THESE fun little numbers.

Second, I want to post some pictures of a cute and fun Witch Party that my friend KC put together last Friday Night!

Here is KC herself next to her very cool and very spooky mantle. (BTW, she is the new Ward Activity Chair-- clearly she's the gal for the job!)

I went to the party as the Hawaiian Surfer witch. I was in the midst of sewing (I know, not my brightest idea, right?) a sparkly, purple witch costume for myself, but about an hour before the party I finally gave up. The glue holding the sequins on the fabric was gumming up my needle. I knew I had to come up with something quick. Luckily we had a generic black witches dress, so I jazzed it up with some costume box standbys. My impromptu costume took the prize for most original. Yay for me! Yay for costume boxes! (Just don't ask me what my leis are doing up around my neck - weird)

Melinda, Caroline, Jan and Camille.

We were served appetizers, tomato soup, salad, rolls, stroganoff, and some yummy desserts - one of which was Jeanette's famous chocolate cake. And we didn't have no stinkin' paper plates either. This was a first class affair.

Erin, Jeanette, Erinn, Caroline and Randalynn (oh, and look at Caroline's spider bracelet! So cute (er, I mean creepy). And the best news, she gave one to me too!!!)

Kristine, Shannon, Melinda, Christy

Lay, Jan and Jen

Liz, Christy, KC, Annette and Stef (and of course we can't forget baby ghost, Cruz)

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And here is my parting HALLOWEEN shot for you to enjoy. This wasn't really meant to be a decoration, they just happened to be together. It was a $1 section stuffed bat shoved in a $1 section orange bucket. It was sitting on my desk. It was cracking me up and infusing me with halloween joy. I thought maybe you would want to be infused too.

Truth, Justice and the American Way

2010-10-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

This week I was able to fulfill my civic duty and serve on a Jury here in good ol' SBC. It was mostly boring and took time away from stuff that I shudda been doing. I was happy to serve though and glad I could.

I'm glad the case was a civil trial and not a criminal trial. The lawsuit was a teacher suing the school district for firing her for being pregnant. So really, if there was any trial that was made for me to serve on, this was it. There are very few things I "know" about in my limited existence and some of those things are schools, teachers and motherhood.

I enjoyed the process of seeing justice served. I'm glad I live in a country where there are not "professionals" making the final decisions. It was comforting to know that all those who served on the jury with me were just regular people. And that because of the laws and procedures set in place, we could make an informed and fair decision. I really feel like it was.

Like I said it was mostly boring as they questioned witness after witness and asked basically the same questions of most of them. I thought a lot about how fun it would have some excitement in the courtroom.

Like:

How exciting would it be if someone flipped out, drank lots of water, beat them self up, and made crazy noises right there in the courtroom? Many lines from Liar Liar popped into my head during the 3 days. I won't bore you with them here. Go watch the movie, you need a good laugh anyway.

Fletcher: You're honor, I object

Judge: Why?

Fletcher: Because it's devastating to my case.

Judge: Overruled

Fletcher: Good Call

Ok, sorry I couldn't help it... NOW go watch it.

Bailiff: I found him in the bathroom this way. Someone beat the heck out of him!

Judge: Who did this?

Fletcher: A mad man your honor. A desperate fool at the end of his pitiful rope

Judge: Can you describe him?

Fletcher: About 6'2", 180 lbs. big teeth, kinda gangly.

Ok, I'm stopping now.

Or what if the 3 Stooges were there? I would have loved it if someone had trouble swearing in, got gum stuck on their shoe or they did a little dance right there in court. And what about the time Larry squawked like a chicken stuck in a fence? That sure would have added to the excitement.

Oh, and it would not have been dull at all if Perry Mason were there. There would have been a dramatic and emotional courtroom confession at the end. And it would have been very cool if someone walked right up to the jury box to address us. (By the way if this had been my jury I would have been sitting where the guy with the white hair and glasses is sitting. I was juror #6)

Remember Mr. Burger the D.A.? I wonder if he ever got tired of losing?

There were no cute sayings in our trial like, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." The most entertaining phrase for me in our trial was about the meeting where the public found out the teacher in question was going to lose her job, and many at the meeting were very upset. The teacher's attorney would ask, "Was anyone at the meeting crying?" The answer was always "yes". Then he would say, "Was anyone sobbing?" Again the answer was "yes." He asked it so many times I looked forward to the way it was worded.

"Was anyone at the meeting crying?" "Yes" "Was anyone sobbing" "Yes".

I don't know, call me weird. But even I know, no matter how you look at it, its still not as cute and catchy as, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." (Just as a side note: I read that the items from the courtroom during OJ's trial are going to be in the Smithsonian. Hmmm?)

And remember this guy Kato Kaelin? I don't know... in our trial there were no memorable witnesses, not this memorable anyway. All the ones in my trial made sense and didn't really contradict themselves. And I'm not sure any of them went surfing after the trial either.

So here are some things that stood out to me during my 3 days of Jury Duty.

~ They really use terms like, "May I approach the bench", "Objection", and "Do you swear to tell the truth?"

~ The bailiff was a small woman (nothing like Bull from Night Court)

~ Court reporters are mesmerizing. How do they keep track of it all, read it back verbatim if asked and still be able to shop for pants and buy airline tickets while doing their job. (Yes it's true, we could see her computer from the jury box.)

~ The teacher's first name was Cherub.

~ In the jury of 12 (with 2 alternates) there was only 1 man.

~ The courtroom wasn't full like you see on TV. It was mostly empty with an occasional person or 2 in sitting in the back.

~ The teacher won by a unanimous vote from all 12 jurors.

~ The answer is not always clear on who is right and who is wrong.

~ Be careful what you say when you are in a position of power, like on a school board (even when you are not acting in that position at the time of the comments)

~ Don't mess with a mommy bear

~ The teacher's attorney's name was Mr. Martyr

~ I kept humming "The People's Court" theme music

~ Parking is free around the Hollister Courthouse

~ Judge Judy came to mind several times (even though our judge was soft spoken and a man)

~ I ate Subway everyday for lunch this week. Sonny is going to miss me today. (yes I'm on a first name basis with the owner of Subway)

~ If I didn't understand before, I now understand the importance and need for several witness all testifying of the same thing.

~ There were 3 members of the school board that testified. Their attorney kept referring to them as, "The Three Witnesses"

~ I'm glad I don't have to serve again for at least another 12 months. It is very distracting to regular life.