Random Pansy Poppy Thoughts

Look! Just look! I have some pretty flowers! I'm so glad that most of my flowers actually did pull through freezing and aphids. See, there's a lesson for me... when things seem hopeless, just wait... you'll pull through. Holly and Adam came to visit a couple of weeks ago, and I posted the hamburger post, but I wanted to post the pictures that I could've sworn Holly took with my camera. Alas, I can't find them anywhere. Holly? Am I crazy? Anyway, Brandon and Adam spent the day working on Adam's grandfather clock he started in high school for his mom. It's beautiful! We had such a fun time with them, and we really wish we could see them more often!
Look at that poppy! Anyway, Cooper got a good solid hit in his baseball game today! He was so happy about it, and it was fun to see his beaming face. Now he's home and dressed in his cowboy gear. Baseball player in the morning, cowboy in the afternoon. He's a well rounded kid.
I was SO excited because I was going to clean my LAST house for a long time today. Aubrey and I got there, got everything ready... and... NO WATER!!!! I was so mad, because this is not the first time this has happened. Now I have to have that last house looming over my head next week. I so wanted to just be DONE so I could just spend time with my kids. Their whole first week of summer vacation was spent home alone while I cleaned. Grrr....
I downloaded a new song by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. It's called Lucky. I love it! It's such a fun upbeat song.

Brandon and I went on a date Thursday night and saw Baby Mama. It was fun-ny! And pretty clean. I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it. Not necessarily at our theatre, though, unless you want it to start 20 minutes late in a dirty theater with the bottom 1/4 of the screen blurry. We enjoyed it despite all that.

I cleaned out the YW closet yesterday... there was stuff in there from back when I was in YW. That's really old. Really really old. ;) Good thing I'm a thrower-awayer. It looks a lot better.

Memorial weekend was spent with friends and family, and it was so much fun! I got to meet with my apron girl friends for lunch at Gardner Village, stay up until 2:00 a.m. talking to my dad, I got to go to TARGET! Yay! and then spend time with Brandon's family... staying up until 2:00 a.m. talking to Melissa, then staying up until 2:00 a.m. talking to Lynda and Brandon.... needless to say, it was also nice to come home and sleep. Although I wouldn't miss those late night chats for anything.

Tyler has to wear his cast for almost 4 more weeks! His muscle in that leg is already soft. Poor kid... he's miserable. This is not how a 10 year old boy wants to spend his summer.

Brandon made a commercial for the radio, and he sounds awesome! The radio lady asked him if he had done radio stuff before, because he was a natural. They did it in one take, and he seriously sounds professional. I wish I could have a recording of it.

Well, enough rambling, I suppose.

I Might Be Too Busy to Blog Much...

Apparently I must not have done a good job as the Ward Activities Chairman, since I only got one party done before I got released! No, no... it was really because I got a new calling... I am now the Young Women President of our ward, and I am really excited! I am glad I get to be involved with all the girls, but especially my own daughter. We're going to Girls Camp in just a few weeks, so I'm trying to learn all the ropes before then. I am so grateful for all the opportunities that I have to serve others, and especially to serve my Father in Heaven.

Read Me

http://blatterfamily.blogspot.com/2008/05/very-rosy-lesson-on-life.html I read this post from my friend Carol today, and had to share with all of my family and friends.

Holly and Hamburgers

Holly came to visit, and she took HALF a hamburger. I mean, seriously. She ate one whole one, and didn't want a whole hamburger more, so she made HALF of one. It's just beyond me.

* This post is a joke. It is only a joke. Do not freak out, do not call your best gossipy friend. Holly just asked me if it would be alright if she made half a hamburger, and I thought it was a funny question, and Brandon teased her that I was going to blog about it. So, here it is. Again, this is only a joke.

You Know You've Got Friends When...

you throw a pity party and you get presents!!! My sweet friends Felicia and Vanessa sent me a care package, because I'm a big baby. I've just been sitting here crying, amazed that they would do this for me! They both have trials of their own... I would dare say much harder than mine. What amazing women, and wonderful friends! Sorry the picture is upside down. I don't know how to fix it, but you can read it anyway. I love how they "cured" all of my problems! (Well, there wasn't a cure for the roof there, but I'll call the fabric good enough to help that!) Now I'm crying again. How would you girls know that just yesterday I saw some Zinnias on the field trip I went on with Cooper, and thought I should plant some because they looked so happy? How would you girls know that I LOVE the Prairie Paisley line? And Felicia... did you remember that peanut butter m&m's are my favorite from the quilting retreat? It's all so cute, and thoughtful. I love you both! Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart. I hope that someday I can be as good of a friend as you both are!

Come to My Pity Party

There are aphids on my petunias.

Some of my plants froze.

Most of my plants are dead.

I never see Brandon, because he does 4 jobs for the pay of 1.

This job isn't what we thought it was.

Nothing ever is.

Cooper never obeys.

My hair won't do anything.

Our lawn needs mowed.

Our lawnmower won't work.

Buying a new lawnmower is the last thing we want to do right now.

I clean houses for a job.

My house is never clean.

We're always all tired.

We have mice.

They ate my food storage.

They poop.

I hate them.

My hands are cracked from cleaning.

My favorite flip flop broke.

There is nowhere to buy new flip flops here.

Our nice neighbors just put their house up for sale.

We never have any money.

Money is stupid.

Aubrey is moody.

Tyler doesn't know what to do with himself with a cast on.

I never see Brandon.

The toilet is sluggish.

The ceiling is still an eyesore.

The roof still needs replaced.

The house still needs painted.

My pity party is over. Now leave.

Some Simple Equations

10 year old boy + soccer at recess = hurt knee

getting a new job + not getting the insurance papers filled out yet = no insurance coverage

results of MRI = crushed growth plate

crushed growth plate + young boy = worry and check ups for a few years to come to make sure bone is still growing

cast for > 6 weeks + NO weight on leg - baseball = sad boy

doctor + x-rays + orthopaedic surgeon + MRI + cast - insurance = a hell of a mess

Run with Miss Marathon

I got to run 6 miles this last week with my amazing friend... she's amazing in more ways than running, that's for sure, but for this post I'm focusing on her mad running skillz. She just ran Boston. Yeah, that's right, BOSTON! And she's running another marathon next month. Yeah, that's right, ANOTHER one... where she'll be qualifying for Boston next year. (The picture at the left is Janice at the Boston finish line... stolen from her blog.) You have to run pretty dang fast to qualify for Boston. Well, fast for me, anyway. I don't think I'll ever be there. So, Janice let me run with her, which I know is a sacrifice, because she's in training, and 6 miles at a fairly easy pace for her isn't much in the way of training. It was great for me though, because it pushed me to get past that 4 mile barrier that I've been at this spring, and it pushed me to go faster. That girl just runs and talks and doesn't slow down! I didn't do a lot of talking, because I was concentrating on breathing, but I loved listening to her talk. The time flew by. (Well, mostly... except for the few times where I thought we'd never be done! ;) It really made me miss my runs with my friend in Idaho, Annette. I enjoy running alone sometimes, but I really really like a good run with a good friend thrown in there occasionally! Janice, let me know if you're planning another "easy 6" anytime soon. ;)

My Husband is Amazing!

Brandon decided to build a picnic table today out of wood he got from Bob the Builder (the builder guy that I clean houses for). So, he looked at a few online, got some ideas, and made it up! He is so good at building things. He had to figure out all the angles and everything. It made me tired to watch him. Or maybe it made me tired to help him lift the thing...
This thing is BIG (which is the way Brandon builds everything!) It's 8' long, and as heavy as a hippo. This thing is sturdy enough to withstand our kids. I think it's going to last about 100 years or so. It seats plenty of people, so come on over for hamburgers, y'all! We grilled some hamburgers today, and they were delicious!! The picnic table worked great, although our family seems small sitting at it.
We've got blossoms like crazy on 4 trees. It's gorgeous!
Here's Tyler, attempting to enjoy the outdoors. Poor kid had to miss the Hit Pitch and Run competition today. Cooper participated... and he was very disappointed that he didn't get a ribbon. He thought he did better than the kids who won. When I told him that maybe they hit the target when they pitched, he said, "Yeah, but my throws were really good!" I don't think he quite got the point of the pitching part! Oh, and those crutches? $3 at DI. Not bad, eh? They're a little big, but he isn't going to be using them long. At least that's what I'm telling myself.
Here's Cooper's bike rodeo that he set up yesterday. He loves to ride his bike, but he has a problem with going out onto the street sometimes. He's been grounded a few times from his bike. Hopefully he'll learn!

Tyler's Day Off

Yesterday Tyler injured his knee playing soccer at recess. Since it's swollen to twice its normal size, and he can't even walk on it at all, and he woke up all through the night last night crying, I thought I should take him to the doctor today, and have him stay home from school. The doctor couldn't find anything wrong, besides swelling and excess fluid, so we were ordered to do what I'd been doing already anyway. I thought a couple of our conversations were interesting today.

1st conversation:
Tyler: I'm bored.
Mom: I bet you wish you could be in school right now.
Tyler: Yeah, I do.

2nd conversation:
Mom: Here's lunch. (Fake mashed potatoes with cheese on top.)
Tyler: Is this what you usually have for lunch?
Mom: Yep, usually something like this.
Tyler: Oh.
Mom: School lunch is lookin' pretty good right now, isn't it?
Tyler: Yeah. I used to wish I could eat lunch at home with you every day.

So, I'm thinking that I should keep a kid home from school every once in awhile so they can see that it's not so glamorous here. It makes school look better and better.

Bunco...Happy to Sad

Last night I got to have a much needed girls night out! Janice asked if I'd be a sub in their bunco game, and I jumped at the chance! I wanted to go bad enough that I would miss America's Next Top Model, and American Idol, without a second thought. ;) It was so much fun, and I loved every minute! It did make me kind of sad, though, because it made me think of friends I don't live by anymore. Our last day in Rigby, I didn't feel very sad, and didn't have a hard time leaving my house. Then I went to say goodbye to my friend Annette. I had a hard time when I left HER house... thinking about all those times of just walking right into each others' houses... just sitting in Annette's kitchen chatting about whatever. Annette was the kind of friend that I could go borrow her crock pot when she wasn't home, and I didn't even ask. She was the kind of friend who would ask me to drive her sons to football and baseball practice, and it wasn't a big deal at all. She was the kind of friend who I could call and ask to record a show that I didn't want to miss. She was the kind of friend who would run in the early hours of the morning with me, and fend off the big dogs. She was the kind of friend that would pick something up from the store for me, or ask me to pick up something for her. She is the kind of friend that still has me in her top 5 (or 10 or whatever) on her phone, so she can call me anytime. It's hard having our friendship long distance like this, because it was centered so much around life, and helping each other. Sigh. I guess that's life, and you move, and it stinks. I wanted to put a picture of Annette on this post... but I don't have any. Not even one. How can you spend so much time with someone for years and never have one picture together?