Some Sunday Fun

Emily loves to bake.  

She saw these cute cupcakes online 

and had to make them.  

I think she did a great job!

We Found Faith and Hope and Fall in Utah.

We found Fall, among other things, in Utah this weekend.  We found favorite old friends and said a sorrowful good-bye to a dear one; we found time with the kids, time to take in the beauties of Zion, and time to think.

I still can't believe our friend Tim is gone or that his wife is now raising 8 kids on her own... however, never before, have I been more sure that the spirit comforts us just the way we need comforting.

I am so inspired by the way Liz stood strong and held up each of her kids as they came, one by one, to the pulpit to talk about their Dad. Her strength and courage and happiness through this painful experience has made me stronger. I am amazed and inspired by her example.

Tim was a wonderful man and took Phillip under his wing so to speak, just months after Phillip graduated and was ready to begin his career in graphic design. He was first our home teacher, then boss, mentor, and friend.

Their son Weston was Tanner's first best friend and their home was where Tanner lost his first tooth. Phillip worked for Tim for 7 years and saw us through the birth of Emily, Chad, and Kate. The blessings of that job lead to the purchase of our home here in Corona,the home in which we still live. We bought it eleven and a half years ago now.

Needless to say, our family has found a lot of blessings because of Tim and his sweet family over the years. I am so thankful for his good life and the example his family continues to set for us, even in his passing.

  

I feel a deep sense of gratitude to have known and been the beneficiary of such a good man.I hope that Liz will continue to feel comfort and peace as her challenge to press on, unfolds in front of her.Tim will be terribly missed...however, there is great anticipation for a time when their family will be together again and were just hoping to be able to get some land on their cul-de-sac in heaven.

We love them.

Laundry, Hail Mary, and a Lint Pop Up Book.

Tanner did a load of laundry.   

Tanner did a load of laundry.  

Tanner did a load of laundry.

 I'm still not sure it has completely sunk in but make no mistake, he most certainly did 

a load. of. laundry!

I'm sort of kicking myself for not being more aware of what lead up to this craziness

because I most certainly would be willing to do all the same things every day 

if it resulted in him doing more loads of laundry. 

Never mind that he washed my black chenille blanket and it shredded into pieces...

Which sorta made every piece of clothing look like it was covered in 

mega super gigantic black lint on steroids.  

I was a little sad

but I totally tried to hide it from my very disappointed super awesome laundry doing 17 year old boy.

In a moment of trying to see the good in a bad situation

Tanner said, "that's what the lint trap is for right?"

I tried not to sound condecending 

so instead of words coming out of my mouth

some other sound burst through my lips.

It was sort of a restrained sarcastic half laugh half snort uhg sound.

I'm not very good at hiding my true feelings. 
Poor Tanner.  He felt so bad.

After rewashing the load I went for the hail mary and just threw it all in the dryer.

By the time I got to the dryer to fold the clothes I had forgotten all about the enormous lint.  

The clothes were clean, not an ounce of lint on them.

(I'm totally laughing right now as I type this because of what happened next. I'm not sure words or even a picture can do it justice)

BUT...

 I pulled the lint trap open to clean it out 

and 

it was like a furry pop up book of sorts,

and BOY did it tell a story!

I Missed Out.

My family had a day trip to the military museum in Tacoma WA with my Dad this summer.  

I find myself looking at these pictures 

a lot.   

 I was at my Dads house, in bed, 

sleeping off a restless miserable pukey night.

"I heard they have burgers and fries in the mess tent, wanna come?"

"Do I look manly with my rooty tooty point and shooty?"

"Do you think I'd make a cute soldier?"

"I could make that"

Ah ha...So this is what I need in my arsenal to get her to surrender!  

Two thumbs up.  Now, that is a good day.

Chad on the other hand doesn't look too thrilled.

He was probably thinking...

"are we ever going to go to the skatepark?"

or 

"will there be any fast food involved in this little trip?"

I heard that as soon as Tanner said that it is freaky to think that people actually died in this ambulance...Emily jumped out and ran.

Real life can be a little too real sometimes.

I think i totally missed out on a fun day with the family.  But I swear that a 10 hour nap, induced by anti nausea medicine after a sleep less night, was way way more my speed.  

It was those dang cherries...

the sight of those things still makes my stomach churn.

   

Clean Again

It's been a while since I have cleaned out my bread drawer.  YIKES.

So I decided to spend a few minutes doing just that.

It was a simple thing, really.

It took 2 minutes... ok, maybe 3.

I failed to capture it in its full horrific glory mind you.  

What you see here is only the remnants of the 5 (or 15) 

empty bread bags with one heal left in them sporting some 

green,fuzzy,not-so-medical-grade penicillin still in it's infant stages, 

all over the place.

It's a beautiful thing you know... 

to clean something out,  

throw away the trash, 

and restore it to its original glory.

I had forgotten that I had done this

probably because it only took such a short time.  

But, When I opened the drawer this morning 

I gasped in joy at the loveliness of the sight I beheld.

Fresh, orderly, clean, and no (cough) antibiotics in sight thank you very much.

(insert long deep breath here, so you can properly take it all in)

So, I am in search today for 

more 2 minute clean out, throw away, restorative projects
 that will add to my great mood.

(not to mention a little time to get to the grocery store.)

OR Perhaps there is a certain something in my character 

that could use some refreshing...

It's simple really.

All that is needed is just a dose of attention.

A little resentment clean out, a little attitude adjustment, and the healing power of prayer.  

Its easy to forget just how simple it is... 

and it's available to us because of one glorious eldest brother, 

who paid the ultimate price, 

so we can all 
gasp in joy at the loveliness of the feeling 

of being clean again.

What a blessing.

Uhg.

Insanity defined: 

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

And this is how it goes...

Thought: My skirt is tight, I need to stop eating so much.  Tomorrow I am going to start eating healthier and less.

Next day: Healthy breakfast.

Thought: I'm doing it.  I am so determined.  This is easy.

Noon same day: Consume humus and pita chips until bag is almost empty.

Thought: Well, you have eaten too much...FAIL.

Enter devil:  Hey flunky reject*, there is left over zucchini bread on the counter.  If you eat it now at least it will be gone so tomorrow it will no longer be here to tempt you.

Thought: Hey, I am not a flunky reject (and listen buster, there will be no name calling in this house) and I am not going to eat that bread, the second I have swallowed it I will hate myself, however joyful those few seconds will be while chewing.  

Twelve thirty same day: Consume 1/2 of a piece of zucchini bread.  

Twelve thirty five same day: Consume another 1/2 piece of zucchini bread.  

Twelve forty same day: Consume last bit of zucchini bread counting it as less than a whole piece because its the end piece.

Thought: How many servings of vegetables are in a half of a piece of this bread?  I'm so responsible to be eating vegetables like this, I am so not a flunky reject.

Thought: I better eat one more, zucchini is so good for me.  

Thought: I'll just finish that last piece, its too little to save and too wasteful to throw away.  I'm so responsible not being wasteful, I am so not a flunky reject.

Enter devil: Hey flunky reject, there is halloween candy on the counter, since you have already blown the day, eat some and get it out of your system, then tomorrow you can start being healthy again.

  

Thought: My skirt is tight, I think I need to stop eating so much.  Tomorrow I'm going to start eating healthier and less so tonight I'll just eat what ever I want to... since tomorrow i'm starting fresh and all.

Seven o'clock same day: Sugar headache and sick stomach from halloween candy.

Thought: Why do I do this to myself? I am a flunky reject. I really have learned my lesson this time.

Next day: Healthy breakfast.

Thought: I am doing it. I am so determined.  This is easy.

Enter devil...

Stop thee insanity!

*its a gem.  i'm forever in your debt.

click me, click me.

Come on over here.

Her Spandex Bedazzled Glittery Heaven

My heaven.

her spandex bedazzled glittery heaven

who am I to judge?