I blog therefore I am

Week at a Glance

2009-08-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

I had a "large" week as Namina would say. Karl (my stepfather) was diagnosed with brain cancer on Saturday July 26th and had brain surgery on Friday July 31st. My Mom's breast cancer has now spread to her internal organs. She is on medication to hopefully reduce the cancer cells. Paul has been in a rehabilitation center for a foot infection and just went back into the hospital yesterday. My fence blew over during a wind storm. Kamille has decided she needs to use my make-up and blow dryer. Jake is homesick and misses his new wife. I gave up asking Hunter to water the back yard, brown grass is the new green right? I walked/crawled my first 5K. In my mind I was at the front of the line running through the tape, but in reality I plugged along at the end of the race. I've ordered a nervous breakdown al-a-mode, but it hasn't shown up.

As I look back on this week I don't see all the stress. I see wonderful people who surround me and my family to help and bless us; great neighbors who help repair fences; Kamille growing up; Jake texting and emailing me for advice; an okay back yard that will have to wait for perfectness next summer; and me bursting through the tape at the finish line. Weird huh?

What the?

2009-07-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

Kamille went to California last week with our bestest neighbors. She had a great time at the beach and swimming and being with her favorite friend Haili. A big thanks to Nanette for being brave enough to travel with three young girls - she is great! Kamille bought me an early birthday present and also made me a birthday card. If you look closely you will notice the birthday card says "Happy Birthday Mom, 50th!" She actually thought I was turning 50 this year! How can that be when I haven't even hit the 40's? he he, ha ha, sniff, sniff, sob sob......

Surprise!!

2009-07-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

We had an exciting 4th of July. Most people set off fireworks and have BBQ's but we got to plan a wedding. Jake and Jackie got engaged in May and were planning their wedding when Jake returned from Iraq in 2010. As the deployment date got closer and closer they decided they wanted to get married before he deployed. They told us June 28th and we had a wedding July 4th ! Thanks to everyone who helped pull it together. They are a cute couple and everything fell right into place so it was meant to be. We love Jackie and her family and are so excited for their future together!!

Proud Mom

2009-06-11T08:49:00.001-07:00

Kathryn has been interning at a tattoo shop for the last two weeks. She tried to convince me this was a great career move because she would make money while in college, she would be using her art skills and she could keep her pink mohawk hairdo. She also reassured me she will never get a tattoo. The other night she came home excited and told me "Spider" (his tattoo name) said she was doing great! She also told me that she informed the tattoo shop I was single and 37 years old (which is accurate by the way). Last night she came home and was excited as she asked me if she could borrow some money. She needed to buy a few grapefruits because they are teaching her to tattoo today. As I reached for the ol' debit card her little life flased through my mind, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry?

2009-05-04T10:46:00.001-07:00

Kamille is 13

2009-05-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged since Oct 2008, I was locked out ! But now I am back in and ready to go. Kamille had her 13th birthday. She invited 13 girls and 10 showed up. I forgot what it was like to have 10 giggling 13 year olds in my living room. She had a great birthday. She picked a "Theatre" theme and it was fun to make a popcorn bucket cake for her. She is my 'sweet baby' !!

IT IS SCARY !!

2008-10-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

I have 4 teenagers and prefer to just go ahead and round it up to 5 teenagers, because it is around the corner and it is going to happen. People who have already been through the teenage years tell me: "Don't worry about it", "It'll be okay", and the infamous "It'll all work out.." to which I rebute: "I will", "It won't", and "You are old and have forgotten what it was like." That said I just want to assure all that I have made it a daily goal to avoid prison at all cost and let my children continue living.
Selfishly, I relish the thought of my golden years, while living in my small exquisite castle-like one bedroom condo with only a peep hole for visitors and a mail drop for gifts. I will rock in my rocking chair and chuckle as I lick a birthday card envelope and attach a decorative stamp for each of my teenage grandchildren.

Why I Believe in Animated Characters

2008-07-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

I have been teased because I believe in animated characters.

I hope when I go to Heaven (and I will), they will be there too.

Afterall, Heaven is perfect and you can create your own world, mine will have animated characters in it. I don't know why others don't believe. There are some people I know that should become animated characters....(they would be a lot happier).

I like animated characters because:

1. They are different colors, shapes, and sizes

2. No matter how many anvils or cliffs they encouter, they get up and keep going

3. They resolve life's problems in 30 mins or less

4. "I should've taken a left at Albuquerque"! Good Advice.

5. They sing and dance, run and jump

Life is good when you are an animated character !!

Vacation Photos

2008-07-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hi, just wanted to post a few of my vacation photos...

I flew to England and met with the Queen (Andrea),

then we stopped by the Carribean for a little fun in the sun,

(me and Kelly) and last but not least the Beauty Pageant

in Argentina.

I do love to travel, it just brings out the best in me.

Happy Birthday !!!

2008-07-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Kandace and Kathryn !!

My little cute babies are 18 years old. It was only

yesterday (1999) when I was sitting in church with

Kandace during the sacrament and she whispered to me

"Mom, aren't we suppose to have fish and bread and water?"

Kandace also informed me when she was 10 "I am not going

to Junior High and you can't make me - kids have rights.

I am going to open an orphanage or maybe I'll be an ice cream man." Luckily she did continue school and is beginning college at

Utah Valley University next month.

Kathryn was just as funny - still is - I guess that is because

they are identical..he he. When she was 9 she told me and
I quote: "When I am old I want to be a mom and have lots

of kids but not a husband. I want to live in a trailer court

with a playground, that would be fun." Just the other day

she informed me that if I have a hysterectomy

I will go through 'metamorphysis'... which you know is kind of true....

I adore my baby girls and they are a joy to me. Happy Birthday!!!

Enjoy the Journey

2008-07-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

This is Kamille, she is 12 years old. We run errands a lot and she likes to sit in the front seat, roll down the window, stick out her head and feel the wind on her face as we drive. This usually annoys me as I rush from point A to point B. Actually, before I get to point B I am usually thinking about points C, D and E. The other day I watched her as we were driving and it made me smile to see her enjoying the journey. I realized it was going to take the same amount of time to get from point A to B whether I enjoyed it or not - so why not enjoy it? It is going to take 75 years to be 75 years old, so why not enjoy my life - enjoy the journey. She is good example of having fun in life. She is my sweet baby!

Proud Parent

2008-07-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Jake joined the Army Reserves last January.

He was deployed to Fort Benning in Georgia

for Basic Training. He is now at Fort Sam Houston

in Texas being trained as a Medic.

It has been a great experience for Jake and

for our family. While Jake was in Georgia,

the only contact we had was through letters.

He would write the sweetest letters and it
was nice to read and re-read them, especially the part where he told me I was a great mom and he loved me. Hunter and I flew out to Georgia for his Basic Training graduation. It was very impressive. I am glad we went, we had a great time.

The little black slip

2008-07-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I snuck out my front door wearing only a shirt and my black slip - I needed to move the water. It was going to be a quick in and out - stealth like. My neighbor happened to be outside and said hello so we began talking. Before I knew it some more neighbors appeared and joined the conversation. I stood there in my black slip hoping no one would notice. I watched their eyes carefully looking for any downward glances. No one noticed I was in my slip, my cute little black slip with 3 inches of black lace, just passed the knee. The black slip I wear to church each week with my black skirt, my prettiest and favorite slip of all time! The nerve of them to not acknowlege the black slip, did they not care? Well I guess I will find out next Sunday when the Emperor wears her new outfit - a bikini.

E=mc2

2008-07-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out why Peanut Butter and Jelly on bread always lands jelly side down - why the same thing happens with Pizza, Cupcakes - anything delicious. I was sure a malicious little fairy zapped the food out of my hand and laughed as she watched it drop. It was an obvious sign that the whole day was going to be ruined. Then it dawned on me one day that E=mc2, the theory of relativity - Einstein had the answer. It was simply the fact that the top delicious layer weighed more than the bottom and therefore it landed first. It has been a big relief since I discovered this. Of course I still believe in fairies and hope animated characters will someday live on the earth, but that is another blog.