Friday, June 14, 2013

A much needed update



I just looked back on blogger and the last time I did a 'real' update was st George. That seems like an eternity ago... it was only 4 months ago. I think it is time for an actual update.

The rest of march went off without a hitch. Mostly just working. We didn't do much after st George.

In April we went out for our first real razor ride of the year. It was windy and it was cold. We spent a few hours and right as we finished loading up, huge gusts of wind came rolling in. I almost blew off like a tumble weed.


Last year at the Twilight prescreening I won a huge gift pack that included 6 tickets to the tree house museum. After a very long winter I packed up my mom's vehicle and took off with my 2 sisters and their kids to the museum. (It was alot easier then driving two vehicles around). I think the kids had fun. Allowed for us adults tag teamed each other. We all started out with one kid and by the end we ended up with a different kid that we had to chase after. Let me tell you that this place is really cool with LOTS of things to do - with that said - there is so many things to do that the kids often skip over the 'small' cooler things to get to the big things. At one point I even found my sister sitting at the 'learning' station playing children's game with her 'child' no where in sight. After tracking down her kid - I then found her at the 'paper doll' station creating her own paper doll. we obviously entertain easily.
After we were exhausted from chasing kids around for a couple of hours, we headed to one of our favorite places in Roy for a late lunch. Maybe this place isn't that great but for us sisters - it holds some of the greatest memories in our life. So for that - it makes it that much better.












 Also in April (actually it was March but it felt like April since she finally got to go home) I became an aunt again. It has been 20 years since we have had a sick baby like that. She struggled for the first week of her life but she fought hard and was able to not only get out of the NICU but also go home. She was tiny at first but just last week I noticed a tiny double chin coming in. (sorry no pics of her - to be respectful of new baby S and her mama)

I took a picture through the doors at the NICU. This picture melts my heart. It has not been easy for Bryce dealing with my family coming for a family of just bryce and his sister, let alone being around babies. I am sure this was a scary moment for him to go into a place where sweet innocent babies are so sick that they are supported by machines.


2 weeks after Baby S was born, her brother had prom! Prom is such a big deal for me, I think more than it is for the kids. We took T out to get his tux (he looks awesome in his pale pink vest and bow tie - seriously - he rocked it!) got his flowers, money for dinner, tickets and pictures, don't forget the after party. Things have changed since I was that age. When you got your drivers licence, there were no restrictions, now there is. Since T is new to the driving world, he could not drive. He had many options but being the savy person he is, I drove him and his group to the capital and back. I didn't say anything the entire time. They were running super late and were only at the actual dance an hour. I had enough time to grab something to eat and then head back to pick them up and take them to the after party. Overall I think it was a good night. (again no pics of him - to respect his wishes)
Waiting to pick up kids at prom!


Funny story..., after I ate, I went back up to the capital to wait for T's 'text' to pick him up. I was really only there for maybe 7 minutes when I got it. I parked on the far side of the parking lot and just read. I heard alot of noise and looked up to see the two girls soaking wet in their dresses. It was down pouring at this point. Of course their dates were with them, instead of getting the car and picking them up at the door they were all walking out to the car together. One of the boys turned around to take a picture of the apparent hilarious scene (with their hair falling in their face, shoes in hand - walking barefoot, and the only assumption that their dresses were ruined) only a mere .5 seconds later he hit right into a sign that he didn't see before he turned around. At first I was worried that he was hurt because he hit it pretty hard, but after all of them picked themselves up off the asphalt from laughing I couldn't help but laugh myself.

May was by far my busiest month. I had so much hair - I was cramming people into where ever they would fit. I had at least 3 appointments every night (which is alot when you work a full time job doing something else). The first weekend - Bryce's sister graduated from the U of U with her paleontology degree. She has been working very hard for this and it is a hug accomplishment for her. The ceremony took FOREVER. We got there at 5 and didn't leave until 9. By the time we got to dinner it was 10. We were all hungry and exhausted.




By mid May, I don't think I even got to sleep. I had 2 lei's to make and 2 more graduations. about a week before my niece, K, graduated I found out that my BIL family was coming in from Uganda. It is extremely hard, next to impossible to get visa's to come to the US... let alone 8, but they did. 3 days before K graduated I had her lei's done. Wednesday before memorial day my BIL family flew in. Thurs I had off for K's graduation. I had some spare time so I pampered myself with a pedicure. By 2 we were running out the door to pick up some of my BIL's family and head up to the U. Can I just say i love how fast they are at high school graduations???? After the graduation, we took pictures - a ton of them since my family is so huge - and then headed to dinner. By the time we got home it was after 9 and we had to do this all over again the next day.




This is the only picture I will post of K. I had to get just one in there!


Friday, I went back to work and got some work in but left a little bit early to pick up Bryce and head back up to the U for my BIL graduation. Again, By the time we got home it was almost 10 that night.




Giving his oath

1 of  to graduate with their doctorate degree

Bob's (part of his) African family, American family and his wife and son

Bob and his dad.

My sister with Prossie and Prossie (sp?) This is African formal wear.

My sister and BIL


Saturday we had my BIL graduation party since his American family was in from out of town. It was alot of fun to see him interacting with dad and siblings. After a long day - I came home exhausted. We were suppose to do this again for memorial day but I just needed a break and bowed out.

My brother and SIL

My SIL who helped take pictures. She took a picture of me so I took on back :)
Here is her picture of me!

Bob and his family dancing

My sister got a dog! This is Kobe and he is so cute!

This is Winnie. She has never really pet a 'safe' dog. she was very hesitate but just wanted to love on Kobe afterwards

This is my adorable niece S. She is so grown up! Not so little anymore...


proof that I really was there

My dad :)

my BIL, his dad and brother all dancing.

More dancing - this time they pulled in all of the girls.

This is prossie and John. He was seriously so adorable (but really shy!)


Now here we are in June. within two weeks of K graduating, she has her wisdom teeth pulled and moved to college early where she was offered a job. It has been crazy ever since. I took her shopping 4 days after her wisdom teeth were out. She was tired, hungry, swollen and in pain but she was such a trooper and we knocked out 90% of her list. I hope that in two years I can look back on this post and say 'YOU DID IT!!!!" and she is graduating with her associates degree and heading towards her bachelors degree. If she does that she will be the 3rd person in my family to graduate with a degree (me being the 2nd). It is so strange that she is in college. I never thought it would come so quickly but it has... hopefully she will still need her weird aunt.

To finish off - here are some more pics (from my phone) of things that have been randomly going on. 

My nephew went to scout camp and stayed up all night. He fell asleep on my couch when my sister came out to help me with some craft stuff and jokingly, we put this not on his head since he missed lunch and dinner (If you are hungry.... do not wake me, your dinner is in the fridge)

Getting ready for summer! Bought a bunch of helmets for our ATV's

Smoothie capital here. I was bagging up all of this chopped up fruit to put in the freezer

Working on his mad shooting skills. I was working on my mad picture taking skills.

Getting ready to work on my mad handgun skills

My sister's craft blocks to put in her home

Photo shopping a ton of pictures!

camping!

Downpour (this picture is not edited at all!)

Camping/rzr riding. It was cold!

Puppy sitting.

More puppy sitting


Shopping!

My favorite part. Lots of baking and lots of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Knock Knock

Is anyone home???

It has been far too long..., so where have we been?

Well here:


 Doing this:





and then back here:



 doing this again:


And then here:


Doing this (again, again):






And between all of that, we have been doing this:




Lots of this:




don't forget this:

With this:





Including with people from here:

And now I feel like this:







Well now, there is more explanation to come.












Monday, April 15, 2013

Current favorite....

Here is my new current favorites... Not necessarily together... first... Toad-Ally snax popcorn plus (they also have one called hanky panky). Perfect mix of sweet and salty! The Carmel corn is not hard at all but not soft enough to rip your teeth out. Love the mini pretzels!! Everything is better in mini. I got this at gordmans for $2. It's my perfect little treat.

Next would be beans and brew lemonade. Ok it's not the lemonade itself (although I am totally stoked that it is back!!!!) but it's their new flavor: blackberry blood orange. I am in love! Blended or iced (I prefer iced) go give 'em a try.






Sunday, April 7, 2013

Seasons are changing....

 



In november of 2011, I wrote this life lesson. It was posted in my nablopomo, which in turn, was I think overlooked by many. Tonight was one of these nights. I sense that the season are changing and so am I.


well today has been a reflective day and it is only noon! I came home today from spending the night with my SIL and was in bed cuddling with Bryce. While I was laying there listening to his soft snores I couldn't help but let my mind wander. Sometimes that is a great thing. I have this great big tree just west of our window. The weather is changing, the wind is blowing, and a snow storm is expected to hit us a soon. As I was looking at this tree I began to reflect on this past year. I began to see myself in this tree. The seasons are changing and so is life. 

I have had to decided to make a few changes in my life recently to get back to the happy person I once was. I was letting things get to me. So I told myself that with the seasons changing so would I. I haven't voiced this to anyone but Bryce. I was thinking back to where I was a month ago, 3 months ago, 6 months ago and even a year ago. I am that tree! 

When I was born I was this beautiful tree with a few green leaves. as I learned to walk and talk, the leaves on MY tree were changing. They were bright and bold and I am sure everyone love to see me glow as my life season changed... just like my tree outside. Then that became old and the boldness and bright colors wore off. Being so young, I don't remember but I'm sure I felt bare and cold. skip a few years ahead... I am a child trying to figure out who I am and where I belong in the world. I was green again, growing, getting stronger, and I have more leaves. I am warming up to my surroundings, I am in 6th grade finding myself. My leaves are getting bold, strong, bright and they stand out.... then BAM! I hit Jr. high school and I lose myself once again. My life is cold and bare and I have to kick into survival mode, I have to learn to adapted. This continues through my life. Through high school, through the adult-but-I'm-still-a-teen-phase, through relationships, through work, through all of the different aspects of my life. 

As I get older and go through the seasons changing I get bigger and stronger with more leaves and finer details of aging but it is a beautiful process. We cant forget either that there are birds who try to wiggle their way into your beauty and may poop on you, but is that what you want?? Going through life letting something so small crap on what potential we can all be??? 6 months ago I was that tree. Showing another sign of aging, letting the wind rip through my bare branches wondering if I was going to make it or be broken in the process. The sun came out, I started to get my green back - not standing out, trying to figure out what to do from there. Today I am that bright bold tree again. I show lots of color: yellows, orange and reds. This is something I yearn for - even when I have it. I am sure the wind will torment me and I will loose my leaves. For now I will keep telling myself: 'The seasons are changing and so am I.'

Today I am grateful for this bright, bold beautiful tree that was put in our backyard many many many years ago to teach me this one lesson I learned today. I am grateful I am a tree