Still Laughing....

I went to work early this morning, but by 10:00 am, we had no patients and a lot of nothing to do, so our office manager said I could go home.
Lexi was at work and when I came in the kitchen, I could hear that Jordan was in the shower, so i decided to get on the computer here at the kitchen table, which faces the hallway leading back to Jordan's bedroom.
Yes, it happened just like you are imagining it did.
Not knowing that I was home, Jordan came prancing down the hallway...buck naked.
Of course, he screamed...then I laughed ....and haven't really quit laughing since.
Poor Jordan...
I'm not quite sure who needs therapy more...me or Jordan.
Jordan is pretty sure it's him.
I'm pretty sure it's him too.
I found it hilarious.

Simple and Sweet

'Don't cry because it's over.
Smile because it happened.'

I borrowed this from the face book of a friend that just moved to Utah with her family.
They will be missed by so many they have left behind here...
but I LOVED what she posted.
It touched me...
on so many different levels.

Family Night at Preston's House

The gang enjoying Del's finest....smoothies.
Do Mike and Kylie REALLY think Preston's going to eat while
watching MULAN???
Preston helping Papa plunge the smoothies!
Our official 'taste tester'....Preston approves.
Preston showing daddy how he helps Papa.
The newlyweds waiting for their smoothies.
Preston sharing with his mama.
One of Prestons many faces.
The adult supervision during bath time.
Rub a dub dub.
Preston watching some basketball with Papa before bed.
Preston trying to keep Uncle Joe and Kylie from fighting.
With his Teddy Bear and blankie, someone's ready
for bed.
Aunt Chica has Papa right where she wants him.



Fun family night over at Mike and Kylie's.
Preston is gabbing a mile a minute. Loves to call Kylie by her first name now as she hears Kathryn say it all through the house.
Of course, spending time with his Papa making smoothies and playing was his favorite part of the night. He was entertaining the whole night...
Then Papa held him and rocked him to sleep.
It was nice.

My Fortune Cookie Reads.....

I didn't have time to go home for lunch the other day so I went across the street to the little Chinese Restaurant called Pei Wei.
Lunch was short, sweet and to the point....not the best, but not the worst I've ever had.
But I found my fortune cookie interesting...and hopeful.
It read as follows....
'A dream you have will come true'.
It had no expiration date.
In time....in due time.

Oreo Shakes From the South

I'm not a real Oreo cookie fan...for the exact reason you can see in the pictures.
Lexi started eating an Oreo cookie...and then Jordan said something funny that made her laugh and voila....black teeth.
That, of course, made me crack up, which then showed MY black teeth...and the camera was pulled out.
Mother/Daughter in law from Arkansas!!!
Del and Jordan made Oreo shakes....they were okay...not MY favorite cuz I like a little more chunky. But they were good.

The seed above, started as an asparagus plant Lexi wanted to start. It's actually an avacado seed which she JUST called an 'aguacati' seed....which is CLOSE to how you say it in Spanish...agaucate is the actual word.... The whole day has been like that.
A total confusion of vocabulary, understanding and misunderstanding of everything and anything today.
All of it has made us laugh.

SLACKER!!!!!!

Okay...
I have been so busy the past three weeks that I have failed to take the time to remember it all.
I haven't taken pictures.
I haven't written anything down.
And I haven't remembered.
And I KNOW there were a few things I should have remembered!!! I NEEDED to remember...and now, I can't.
So, I need to slow up a little.
I need to get back to getting my life prioritized and doing the things that are important to me...
Back to walking....every night....
back to losing weight and keeping it off.
Back to spending time with my family - especially Mike and Kylie. I need to MAKE time to be with them.
Back to taking pictures and writing memories down.
Back to my life...and getting er dun!!!!
I've been a slacker...
No more slackin'!!!!

Asparagus instead of avocado...
Pavarotti instead of paparazzi...

Del being a 'gangsta' at Kylie's house...
Del spraying his drink all out of his mouth on everyone...

Primary kids saying funny things...

One Year Down and Eternity to Go

I was in Utah a year ago attending their wedding.
Now they sit in my kitchen celebrating their one year anniversary.
Lexi made it a special day by making Jordan some cheesecake and chocolate covered strawberries. We made them a steak dinner and invited all the kids over to share and celebrate, then we sent them to the movies.
They say the first year is the hardest....I would tend to disagree. Every year is hard, but worth it when you put your heart into it.
But it sure makes looking forward to eternity a lot more hopeful when you do it with someone you truly love.
I wish Jordan and Lexi every happiness in the world....and the world to come.

I've Been Jimmered!!!

Even though the Mavericks KILLED them soundly, it was so great to go and see my hero, Jimmer play tonight. He didn't have his best game...he didn't even have a good game, but he still played, and I got to see him. For most of the game, he was the ONLY white guy on the court, except the referee's. And he WAS white.
Thank you Mike and Kylie for such a wonderful birthday gift.
And thank you Del, my sweetheart, for going with me and allowing me to make a Jimmer fool of myself.
Three cheers for the white guy.
I remain a faithful Jimmer Fredette fan.

'JIMMER' for My Birthday

Mike and Kylie were the only one's who had not given me a birthday present. I didn't expect one until Kylie mentioned a day after my birthday that they would be giving me my gift later in the week.
That 'later in the week' came last night after I got home from work.
Guess who the Mavericks are playing tonight in Dallas??? Yes, the Sacramento Kings.
Guess who starts for the Kings?
Yes, Jimmer....
GUESS WHO GOT TICKETS TO THE GAME TONIGHT????
Yep....Mike and Kylie gave me tickets to the game tonight to go and see Jimmer play!!!!
So, it will be a double date...Mike and Kylie are going to go with Del and me and I get to go watch Jimmer play some pro basketball. This is sooooo cool. I'm pretty excited...kind of like a teenage school girl..
WHAT WILL I WEAR!!!???

A 'First' at Work

We have decided to work late on Thursday nights at the office.
It's a new thing that started at the beginning of the year.
We have one doctor, one tech and one receptionist that will stay on Thursday nights and work from 6:00-8:00 to help accommodate those clients that don't get home from work until after 6:00 p.m. I volunteered to be the receptionist so that Linda, the other receptionist didn't have to.
Last Thursday started off pretty well with my dear friend Amy LeBaron and her sweet son bringing a YUMMY Oreo Sonic blast to me at work as a special treat to get my day going. It was a sweet thought but NOT so great for my two pounds I had lost earlier in the week. But I got over that quickly enough.
What was harder to get over was how my day ended.
Max. Max is a sweet sweet golden lab that crawled into the office around 6:30, barely able to keep his sorrowful head up, instinctly knowing how his night was going to end. Because our tech was pregnant, I had to assist in the taking of xrays on Max that revealed a huge large mass of cancer in his belly. The minute it showed up on the xray wall, I groaned. Max was going to be put down. I held him on the xray table and felt how soft he was...and listened to him groan in discomfort. He needed to be put down.
I sat outside the examining room as I heard the dr. explain to the owner what she had found and then listened as the decision was made to put Max to sleep. Poor Max.
I sat at the front desk and waited as the dr. and the tech went into the room and quietly injected the pink juice into Max and then watched as the owner left the room and quietly left the office to go home alone.
I know the procedures that follow a euthanizing. The tech usually has help from another tech to place the body in a black bag, but there were no other tech's there. I knew I was needing to help.
So, I bagged my first dog.
That's what it's called....that's how it's said.
And this is how it feels.....
I cried...the whole time I was lifting Max up to fit the bag around his body, I cried. I tried to be so careful in the lifting of his back end first and then when it came to his upper body, I held his head in my hands and carefully placed it in the bag to make sure it didn't just 'flop' inside.
The tech tied up the bag and I went silently back to my front desk.
I was glad to be alone.
The others at work tell me 'I'll get used to it...after awhile, it won't be as bad'.
I doubt that.
I REALLY doubt that.

The Next New Thing

It's not really THAT new. Some have been saying it for awhile, but it's MY next new thing.
'Just Sayin'.
Someone says something...gives their opinion about something, tries to put a point across by after expressing their opinion, saying..'just sayin'.
I think it's funny...cool...ok, just funny.
Get it?
I didn't at first either....took me awhile too.
But now, I get it. And I like it.
So, I'll be using it.
Just sayin'.

A Few Kindnesses

Cards, flowers and gift cards from some special
family and friends.
From Amy LeBaron.....a very special gift from a very special friend.

The cards were pretty cute too. Jordan gave me the cutest homemade card with homemade paper flowers from Lexi. So glad Jordan married into 'creativity, charm and class'. Kathryn brought me the balloon with a gift card on the bottom. The roses were from Sean and Becky with a quite humorous card that said...'When You're Older... 'getting high means your blood sugar and cholesterol'....'getting lucky means finding your car in the parking lot'...'getting action means your fiber kicked in'...'and getting a good piece means you get the very first slice of your birthday cake'. Susan Robb brought a humorous card with a Panera gift card and Panera cookies...little Keeton Hendren brought me a cupcake and adorable homemade card...and Del took me out for dessert to Chili's to have chocolate lava molten cake at the end of the day.
It made for a very special 52nd birthday.

'Shout Hurray!!'

Birthday wishes from family and friends...gifts from my children, a few friends and my sweet husband made for a special day.
I'm 52 today. I have much to be grateful for and much to look forward to in my future.
It has been nice to be remembered and acknowledged by important people in my life.
I feel loved. And it's nice.

Monday Night is Family Night

I had a short work day and was done by 3:00, so I came home and with Jordan and Lexi's help, we did up a yummy YUMMY homemade clam chowder, cornbread and peach cobbler dinner for a fun family night get together. And it was GOOD!! Perfect for the cold rainy day we were having and Kathryn, Becky and I had all been sick, so it was great 'comfort' food also.
After dinner, the guys watched the LSU/Alabama championship game while the girls were in for a great story telling session in the kitchen by Kylie. Preston ran all over trying to keep up with both groups in the opposites room and I stayed in the kitchen cleaning up where I had really been from 3:00 on. I didn't mind though. When the whole group is together, I like them to have the chance to intermingle and get to know each other better,
It was a fun night for us all.

Who Is YOUR Look -a -Like??

Someone 'photo-bombed' these look a likes...Since Sean and
Becky moved here a few years ago, there have been a LOT
of people that have said hoe much Jordan and Sean look a like.
While Grandma Shirley was here last month, she even
thought Sean was Jordan one time. I see the resemblance.
And of course, these two have been mistaken as sisters
more than once too....I see the resemblance here too.

When Lexi married into the family, it finally gave Kathryn
someone SHE actually looked like. These two were mistaken
as sisters several times on our cruise and even asked a few
times if they were twins. A resemblance, but not twins.
In the humor of the situation of linking all our look a likes
in the family, Michael quickly grabbed Lacey and held her
up to his face causing quite a rush of laughter from us all.
He was a good sport to make us all laugh, but I see NO
resemblance AT ALL in this one!!!

Mountain High's and Valley Low's

There are many many days that I feel strong from the support and love of both family and friends. I feel like I belong to a group of people that love me, understand me and have an eternal place in my life. For the most part, I feel healthy...both physically and spiritually.
But then, I have an occasional day where, it's not that I don't still feel good about myself, BUT, I do notice that I still have a place in my life that is needing more time to heal and feel whole again. I still feel some pain...loss...hurt...emptiness...and sadness.
That place is called...my Valley Low.
Those moments are far and few between now so I'm pretty disappointed in myself when I have one at all. But it just makes me realize that I'm never going to be completely healed from the hole in my heart created this past year.
I just need to figure out a way to get through it better...
I've had a few of those days recently when I have been physically sick and had too much time to think about it. I've had a few dreams too that have upset me and caused a few tears...
Someday, I will know what I was to learn from this whole experience.
Someday, I will know that I am....okay.
That someday just isn't here yet.

One More Year as a Teenager

Kathryn turned nineTEEN today, making her officially a teenager for another year. But nineteen seems so much older than eighteen that I'm thinking I'll just move her right up to the category of Young Adult in my mind.
She started with a cold the other day and so wasn't actually feeling her best today, but she was very sweet to spend time with her whole family tonight at Maggianos where we had some really good food, and a LOT of it. We are all pretty glad that tomorrow is Fast Sunday.
Del and I gave her cash for her birthday gift...what every teenager or young adult wants, so hopefully she will use it wisely and carefully.
I sure love her. Kathryn has been a very special daughter in my life - one that I feel at many times has been more of a dear friend than a daughter to me. She is so very loved by so many people but no-one more than by me and the rest of her family.
I feel so blessed to have her in my life.
She is beautiful, both inside and out...and I love her very much.
Happy Birthday my baby dolly.

My BFF This Week

Had a hard time finding my 'happy place' this week with the terrible cold/flu I got a week ago today. Sniffling, coughing, achy, chills, sneezing, fever so I can't rest kind of sick.
So I went to the 'happy store' where a nice man in a white coat gave me a new BFF for my week. I took two. Nice... I took two again. Better... I took two AGAIN. BEST...
And then took two AND watched a BYU basketball game....
Found my 'happy place'.

The 'Candyman' Started THIS Mess

Del was being stinky ALL night...teasing and trying my patience til I wanted to pop him right in the nose. But, as it goes, he got me first.
Once he decorated my face with chocolate, I extended the courtesy to my sweet daughter in law Lexi, who then got very brave and decided to take on her nicely dressed husband with the chocolate decorating idea.
Not only did the candy turn out great, but so did the memories we have now.
I'm wondering if pretty soon, Lexi is going to start questioning her decision to join our crazy family.