Loved You Once, Love You Still, Always Have, Always Will.

24 Years I have been married today!!!
It has been the best 24 years of my life.

I look around me and see so many friends and acquaintances
ending their marriages after years and years.
It makes me sad.
I understand that everyone is not the same.
I cannot compare my marriage to those around me.
I am not here to judge.
It just makes me all the more grateful for the wonderful marriage I have.
And truly sorry for those who have not.

It has been a great 24 years.
It has involved hard work,
Communication...Lots of it.  Some easy clear and calm, some not. :)
Fun times.
Sad times.
Easy times,
Hard times.
Good days,
Bad days.
Laughter and tears.
Friendship
But overall so so much joy and LOVE!!

I am grateful for the circumstances that brought us together.
I believe it was God's hand in my life
and a blessing I am forever thankful for.
I'm lucky to be in love with my best friend.
Here's to the next 24 years.

I'm addicted...

  

I am addicted
to these......


 

 

A few weeks ago I needed a Mormon ad for a lesson.

I went to the Library in our church...

They didn't have any. :(

I of course whined to the second counselor in our ward.

A few days later he came over bearing gifts.

A whole package of all the Mormon ads.

I immediately donated them to our Church Library.

Tomorrow is the first lesson since receiving them that I get to use them.

I am so excited!!

I just love them.

There are so many great ones to choose from

and they all have great messages.

Today I also found myself spending hours

looking at Mormon Messages (video)

on LDS.org.

I am now addicted to them as well.

Oh the joys of technology.

Mind Blown

Good thing I'm not the one going back to school.
My brain is shot, kaput, fried.
I hate all the prep that comes with getting everyone back to school.
All the money too.

$$$$$$$ for...
School clothes.
School supplies.
Groceries to stock up Bailee.
Fees.  Oh the fees.
Books.  Who would think you could charge so much for a text book?

Even the husband is temporarily in school so to speak
Now, I admit he is going to class every day
but, he is doing it somewhere fantastic.
Although every time he goes there he can honestly say he experiences excitement.
First he survived 9/11
then a tornado
now an earthquake.
Maybe he should stay home.

I'll be glad when everyone is settled
and we can get back to a routine.
I'm missing the lazy days of summer already.

Dishwater Hands

After 24 years of this.....

 I am finally upgrading to this.....

No more dishwater hands.

In all honesty I have not minded doing dishes by hand

all these years.

It has been a time for thinking and looking out the window.

I grew up using a dishwasher.

When we got married the duplex we lived in didn't have one

so I just adjusted to washing dishes by hand.

It NEVER felt like a hardship.

Even when we moved into this house

and our dishwasher was a piece of junk

because of the hard water

I continued washing dishes by hand.

The goal...

When we get a water softener

and a new dishwasher

 I will use it.

The dishwasher has been sitting there in it's place ever since we

remodeled the kitchen.

But alas no water softener.

So I did not use the dishwasher.

The problem...

The water softener we have always wanted

ever since we did the research

Kinetico=expensive.

Never was a huge priority on the spending list for us.

Finally last week we bought one

off of KSL no less.

A man losing his house sold it to us for the BARGAIN price of

$800.00!!!

Kinetico came out and installed it for $200.00.

This is considerably cheaper than a new one.

Last night the hubby hooked up the dishwasher.

Magic!

No more dirty dishes in the sink ever! (wishful thinking)

I now have to train the family to rinsing and loading a dish

as they use it.

Wish me luck!

I think I might miss my uninterrupted thinking time at the sink....

Full Files

I have been wanting to post pictures

of

Christmas

and all other happenings since...

However, my files are full

my computer files.

I can't download my camera

or video camera

until I clear out disk space.

So I am currently

converting all my HD videos to mpeg files

cleaning my photo files

and saving them to my external hard drive.

A VERY time consuming process.

Soon

I promise

I will post pictures of the happenings at our house.

Until then....

A quick update:

Bailee is currently back at WSU

enjoying her 2nd semester.

Rehearsing for the musical "Anything Goes".

She is the only freshman girl in the show

and has been moved to the role of "Chastity" an Angel.

Benjamin is being social social social.

Surprise I know.

Doing well with his grades

and enjoying his time performing with RHS MDT.

Surprise as well, I know. (the performing, not the good grades)

HE will also spend his first time away from home

ALONE

He is attending the UTA (Utah Theatre Association) Conference

In St George this week.

The fun he will have....

I of course have lectured him endlessly about what not to eat. ;)

Brooklyn is enjoying her break from Ballet.

The Nutcracker about did her in.

She is loving school and friends

and growing growing growing.

I can't believe in just 6 months she will be in Young Women's.

Life continues to move forward...

Joyfully.

Crunch Time

Girls camp is looming on the horizon.
Coming up fast and making me feel a little stressed.
Next Tuesday-Thursday.
The Stake is in charge and I'm not ganna lie....
It does NOT sound fun!
I'm trying to keep it positive for the girls,
I am afraid we are going to have a revolt
STAKE WIDE!
Not what I was hoping for my first year as girls camp director.

Ben has Youth Conference this weekend.
Then my sister comes for a 10 day visit.
Bailee starts Tech week at Hale.
(otherwise known as Hell week at Hale)
School starts for Brooklyn on the 16th.
So somewhere I need to find time for school shopping.
My other sister from Texas will be in town next week.
Add to this the fact that Bailee will be moving into her apartment at Weber on the 19th or 20th.
WE still have so much to buy.
Laptop #1 on the list.
More kitchen items.
Food! Etc. Etc. Etc.
Urgh when will we find the time.
I feel Stress!!

Can you feel my Stress?!?!