SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF

I was out running errands with the kids this afternoon and they were both fairly high strung so it was becoming a bit of a chore. As we were finishing, I talked to Rob and he was just leaving work himself, so we divided up parts of dinner each of us would grab on our way home. I got my part done and then decided I needed to make one more quick stop. I pulled in to the grocery store. I ran inside really fast. As I did, I noticed Girl Scouts with signs that said "We take credit, checks and cash!" I managed to force my body past them and get inside the store, grab what I came for and check-out quickly. I headed back out the door only this time the Thin Mints were actually screaming my name! But I ran, I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction and didn't stop until I was safely locked in my car. I didn't even check the rear view mirror to see if the thin mints were there before I backed up. I could have backed right over them for all I know. (Wow, doesn't a chocolate shake with crunched up thin mint cookies sound good, right now?) You may want to check the Smith's parking lot. I could have easily crushed a box or two right there on the ground. :)

I was seriously so proud of myself for not walking, but running away from the Girl Scout cookie temptation. I usually order 10 boxes of thin mints and this year, I ordered none--and I haven't bought any since either! Yay me! Yes, I was patting myself on the back with one arm when I looked down to see what I had in my other hand. It was a bag of things I'd just purchased from Smiths. OK, they weren't things--to be exact it was $16 and some change worth of mini Hershey chocolate bars. It was a really good sale people! I couldn't pass it up! I'm a serious chocoholic! C'mon! Give me a break! It's not like I'm going to eat it all in one setting or anything like that. Oh, but it's definitely going in mommy and daddy's secret hiding place! Lol!

So much for something to be proud of, eh?

BETTER GET MOVING ON THAT BACKGROUND CLEARANCE NOW. . .

Today was not my favorite day. I lost my little girl for about an hour today and it was the most miserable feeling ever. I let her go home with another little girl from school. I'd only met her mother once, at school and didn't have her home address. I know, big mistake. Her mom doesn't speak English, but the little girl was translating on the phone while she was asking me and said they would bring Carly back to the school at 4:00 and I could meet them there to pick her up. It's a girl Carly really likes so I agreed. I had a strange feeling about it--SO I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO MY FEELING. But I didn't.

I went to the school at 4:00 to get her and no one was there. I waited and no one came. Thankfully, one of the secretaries had stayed late and she tried calling the family for me. Disconnected phones. She got special permission from on high to give me their address so I hurried to the address. They had moved 3 or 4 weeks earlier and left no forwarding address. You guessed it--I AM TOTALLY PANICKING NOW!!

Bless that secretaries heart--she thought to give me her number in case of a problem. I called her back. She met me at the school again--and this time she had my little sweetheart on the phone. She had them tracked them down to a cousin's house where they are now living. She only found them there because of a fluke--something the little girl said to her when she came in the office a few days earlier. Thank goodness for small miracles!

When I talked to my little one on the phone, her excuse for not being at the school at 4:00--'Oh mom, we decided to play till 5:00 and were gonna call you and forgot." NO WAY, NOT OK!! This poor Mom could have easily gone into cardiac arrest!!

So, I finally talked to some adult in the home who speaks English and told the I was on my way to pick up my little girl. I arrive a few minutes later only to find they have taken her home. I can't get home fast enough to get her in my arms. Seriously, all I care is that I have her back.

Never, Never, Never again--will I let a child of mine go anywhere with anyone who doesn't have an FBI clearance!! So, future sons-in-law . . . you are on notice . . as of now! (And future daughter in law--this means you, too!)

NEW YORK CITY?!

My days have felt a bit out of control lately. One of my friends who is single and has a baby daughter was in a car wreck a couple of weeks ago. She hasn't been able to work or get around easily and has needed help getting to and from everything. I've also had a ton of other things going on and my days get away from me and are over before I even realize it. I generally feel so frustrated at bedtime I end up staying up till midnight, or one or two in the morning trying to get things accomplished. Then I am too exhausted to get up in the morning. But I do it anyway. :P

Thankfully, tomorrow my friend can start driving again and will be getting a rental car. That will give her more freedom and will also free up some of my time as well. That should help a bit.

Trying to be better about blogging. Rob was having a discussion with the kids tonight and he asked them if they knew where Salt Lake City was. (He was trying to give them a reference point.) Jono pipes up really fast and says "Yah, it's in New York City!" (Yes, I know Dad. He's just like his mother, in more ways than one--in his sense of direction and in wanting to be first whether he knows what he's talking about or not. There, do you feel better? :)) Lol!


Went and got Jono's hair cut by a barber today. He got the forehead higher than I like but other than that, I think it's really cute!

Here's my handsome boy:



Jono with his barber, Lou

My handsome little bugger sporting his cute new part

SOME OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW . . .

My kids are stackable. Are yours?


Jules and Jono

PRIVATE, FIRST CLASS, SMART ALEC! UH OH!

Grandma and Grandpa have an open door policy most of the time, that is, their door is open most of the time and munchkin like people can walk in whenever they please. However, once in awhile they close and lock the door when they need to get dressed or have a private conversation.  The little people in our home don't always take kindly to that and have been known to protest loudly when they are unhappy about it.

I'm not certain Grandma will be thrilled that I share this funny moment but then, she did share it with me . . . so here goes. The other day Grandma had just come from the bath or shower and thought she'd better get into her bedroom quickly and lock the door so she could get dressed in private before a certain little boy decided he needed to be a part of things. He tends to like to hang with the grandparents when big sis is at school. So, she hurried in and locked the door and started getting dressed when she saw something move under the card table in her bedroom. It scared her at first--but when she looked closer it was Jono cuddled up in a ball, hiding under there. When she got mad at him and told him he wasn't supposed to be in there while she was dressing, he protested with, "Well Grandma, it's okay, I didn't see any private parts!"

Yep, that's my boy! Always has an answer!

THIS IS FOR YOU JULES!

Today, I got a text from my 21 year old. She scolded me for not writing my blog regularly. She said she checks it often for funny stories and she hasn't been getting enough. I did not realize I was the repository for funny stories. I guess I had better get myself in line and start doing my job. Thankfully Jonathon provided me with one during family prayer tonight. Lol.

It was Jonathon's turn to say the prayer. We all kneel together each night before we put the kids down and one of us says a prayer. Carly will sometimes still ask for help but Jono, he likes to do it himself and we never know what is going to come out of his mouth. His prayers are usually fast and simple. Tonight, it went something like this:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for our day. Please bless my sisters and Stephen. Bless Daddy at work tomorrow.
Please bless that Grandpa Carson can get better and Grandpa Dyer that he can come down and visit. In Jesus name, Amen

Now you might be wondering where the humor is in that. Well, Grandpa Dyer has been gone for 5 years (as of last Tuesday.) He just wants Heavenly Father to let him come visit for awhile. :)

The sweet part is that Jonathon was only 6 months old when Grandpa Dyer died but he misses him terribly. We have a picture of Jonathon being held by Grandpa Dyer. It's one of the few pictures we have of Grandpa Dyer where he's smiling, He was in a lot of pain his last several years. Anyway, Jonathon has a real connection to him and he misses him. But I will say we were a bit surprised with the request for a visit--though none of us would mind if it were granted!

SWEET SOUNDS

When I came home from church today Grandma was busily creating in the kitchen. She'd told me yesterday that she wanted to make sweet rolls so I knew she planned to do those and she was working away on them. She also had a yummy meal cooking in the crockpot. But as I was sitting on the couch working on my computer and doing some things with the kids I started hearing something I don't remember hearing before. Grandma was humming a really sweet tune. Well, at first she was humming and then she began softly singing it. I can't even tell you what it was but it made my heart smile to hear it. The kids were busy making noise and the television was on some silly movie or I would have recorded Grandma, for posterity, of course. I didn't let on that I heard her or she would have become self conscious and stopped. It was one of those moments where you just take a picture with your heart and then stop and enjoy the what's occurring. I love my mom so much and feel so blessed to have this time of life we are having together right now. I love that my kids are able to grow up knowing their grandparents so well. Thank you for the sweet sounds today mom--you made my day! Love you!