Mr Popper's Penguins

We have the rule that if a movie comes out based on a book then you have to read the book first! It saves alot of

"but I don't need to read the book, I've already seen the movie".

When we saw the previews for Mr Popper's Penguins G got all excited and said how much he'd already loved the book and couldn't wait to see the movie! It left me out of the excitement so on our trip to the library I got the book and read it! Thus proving to G that the rule goes for Mom too!

It's a fun book.

I would give it a 5 out of 5 for a rating.

It was the prefect start of summer read!

short sweet and simple!

Now we're both ready for Jim Carey as Mr Popper!

Life on Thursday

WOW 6:15am came so much earlier today than the rest of the week! The novelty of Swim team Taxi is wearing off! Still we made it there by 7am, I worked out of for my hour.

Got organized with the classes offered at the same time I'll be there so I'll do a couple of classes during the week.

at 9am I delivered G to his Basketball camp. Where he begged me to text W and have him pick him up. Yeah it's true W picking you up is WAAAaaayyyy more cool than your mom. When I asked G yesterday if that was true, he just hugged me real tight and said, "yeah Mom it is"

Came home cleaned up my kitchen, went through the paper that just piles up!

I arranged for a friend to come over this afternoon. They pulled up the same time G and W did.

Then I sat on the phone in front of the computer all afternoon working on problems.
I've gone to online banking with almost all of my accounts .... well, I keep getting locked out of one account! I have to call them every month to help me get in ... today was that day. I then wrote all the information down and case caution to the wind. If a theft can find it in my piles of paper around my computer then more power to them.... I won't even be able to find them in 30 days!

They are previewing the new Food Pyramid today ... it's now a food plate, it makes sense until I realized that it could easily be a pizza!?

.... but you fit last year!?

That's the line I've been telling my Capri's from last year. I don't understand why they don't just magically still fit. I mean I didn't exercise all winter, and I ate whatever I wanted so why wouldn't they fit!???

Well, starting today, I'm on a quest to make them fit. WOW don't I sound tough ... when actually I've started exercising. G started his Swim Team this morning ( yawn, way too early) and I have to be at the Y for 2 hours waiting for him. I'll exercise for at least 1 1/2 hours of that time.

Those Capri's will fit SOONER rather than later!

Late night in Rio

After such great success with the Drive in last week, we attempted it again.

This time just G and I.

Since it was the just the 2 of us, we parked frontward and sat in the comfy car seats. Yeah, it sounded like a great idea until we started fogging up the windows. We had the windows down already, even though the weather was chilly. So we started wiping down the front window until the condensation started on the outside. We were parked forward with our big SUV lights pointed right into some little car's back window, not a real big deal until I needed to turn the car on ..... and lights automatically come on! I didn't want to blind the people in front of us so G just hung his head out the window for the last 20 minutes of the movie. I think I can watch the last 20 minutes of the movie and swear I've never seen it... .I've heard it but I couldn't see it.

I think we're going to try it again next week ... It's a good thing! Surely we'll get the process right before the end of summer!

"Something Borrowed" by Emily Giffen

I would give this book a 4 out of 5.

I really liked it. I really really like it! It's not heavy, it's a light fun read.

I thought the characters were engaging, the plot is grabbing, just when I thought I knew what I wanted to happen, my opinion would change AND just when I thought I knew what was about to happen there would be a twist.

I have not seen the movie but I've read enough about the movie to know that it's not the book.

I like this so much that I went to the used bookstore (that was having a great sale) to find more by Emily Giffen! Now I have a small pile of books by her! Summer reading here I come!

"It's a Kid's Life"

Right before the jammed packed end of the year

G had his 5th grade choir concert

"It's a Kid's Life"

Much to his dismay they were told to wear Sunday Dress...AND to us that means shirt and tie!

As you can tell, Sunday Dress means alot of different things to different people. I was SOOoooo glad that his bestest friend Wyatt had on a shirt and tie also!

I wish I could upload the videos but I still have a camera that won't talk to my computer so you can just image G singing any song you'd like!

Bloomin' Monday

First day and the Last day in pictures

The first day of 5th grade.......

and the last day of 5th grade .....

61 pounds and 4'6"

Life on Thursday

This Thursday is the

last day of Elementary school

for our house.

I dropped him off without Fanfare.

A simple

"I love you and enjoy your last day",

as he jumped out car.

Forgetting his lunch, as we would later find out!

I came home to

enjoy the quiet

of the last day of school at home.

I did some

deep pondering,

as this may be the last moment I have to do that.

I called the school

to see what time the picnic lunch would start.

I woke up W at 10:30 to

remind him

he was going to the picnic lunch and play day with G.

We'd all discuss this and knew W going would make a

bigger impression

with G and his friends than MOM going!

W left here LATE (MOM would not have done that)

but got there well before the picnic.

W didn't have lunch because he was running late.

So once they all discovered that G didn't have his lunch

they bailed out of school and went to lunch at Applebees,

just the boys!

They came home ...

G blurted out his last school day,

we went over his Grade card

(an excellent one I must say),

and I handed over his DS!

I went out to

enjoy this beautiful day

by mowing the yard, spraying weeds and looking at my flowers!

Let the summer begin,

all 82 days of it!

Hygiene Kits

This is a Hygiene Kit.

Our church congregations make them,

Ship them to Salt Lake

Where they are saved,

and then shipped out when needed to disaster areas.

April first, I was inspired to have our Women's organization start collecting items to make Hygiene Kits. For the past 2 months we have slowly but surely collected enough items to make 20 kits.

Then a Tornado hit Joplin, MO.

All day Monday I wondered how to get our Hygiene kits to Joplin.

After Praying about this,

and then pondering my options.

I received an email from someone that had

someone in the Joplin area and Our Hygiene Kits could go.

We had enough supplies to complete 20 kits

but after the word got out we quickly were able to

put together 40 kits plus a SUV full of other Hygiene items

and a small car full of food!

I'm so proud of the women around me!

Best Mother's day Gift

This year's Mother's day gift has be the best ever!

It was a simple text on Saturday that said ....

"When will you be home? I need to talk."

sent from my 20 year baby!

He still needs his mom!

Bloomin' Monday

Sunday Thought

Perhaps faith is not faith

until it is been tried.

Crappie Fishing with Grandpa

A couple of weeks ago G and I finally caught up with Grandpa for some Crappie fishin' ......

It was a beautiful day and the fish were biting ..... somewhat!

G finally got brave enough to hold his own fish!

Grandpa still had to get the hook out!

Grandpa introduced G to fishing for Crappie with minnows and a bobber.

Grandpa had luck with this but G couldn't ever get his to the boat!

I didn't realize how many layers this boy had on!

We were only there for a few hours and through these pictures

it seems that G had several wardrobe changes!



I sat in the boat reading and just generally enjoying the beauty of the day.

I sat with my legs propped up on the side of the boat.

I waited until my legs had a bit of pink before applying sunscreen on.

I guess I missed a large portion of my calf ...... they were bright PURPLE the next day!

I couldn't even think about shaving my legs for days!

WW II Honor Flight

Last week My grandpa Estill,

a World War II Veteran

went to Washington DC via the

Honor Flight Program.

Just for the record ....
My grandpa signed up for the Navy to learn how to work big machinery (Bulldozers). When he got to his first post they needed someone to cook, so he was moved into the Kitchen (I believe he said he volunteered to work in the kitchen). All of my life my grandpa cooked super for he and my grandma. I always thought that was odd.

When the war broke out at Pearl Harbor, he was sent to clean up the aftermath.

experiment in late night fun

Last night the Elementary school's Cancer walk group had a fund raiser at the drive in.

We've never really got to go to the drive in due to G's in ability to sleep late. It doesn't matter what time it is when he goes to bed he was be awake by 7:30am. Grumpy beyond control but awake for the day. Our only way to control that grumpiness is to make sure he doesn't stay up too late. Thus not going to the drive in!

I decided that he's old enough to keep his grumpiness within limits so we're trying the Drive in this summer.

Last night was our first attempt.

We took his friend, Wyatt to watch ......

He knows what is playing next week so if he wants to go he needs to watch his grumpiness!

So Far So Good

Orientating G

Last week, we went to the Middle school for Orientation.
Yes, G is moving out of Elementary school and right on Middle school!

This was an exciting night we got to roam the school.
See the band room, the art room, the music room and tech room

We both loved the tech room! It's a more like a career education room. It has stations where they learn about all different things (ie: laundry, robotics, crime lab, weather, cooking etc it seemed to me to be the modern day home economics class for both boys and girls) A bonus for me the students get bonus if their parents come and participate. Yea, G will get his bonus points.

They have a 6th grade wing so they aren't really mingled with the 7th and 8th grade. this is good 'cuz there is a huge difference in 6th grade boys and 8th grade boys. They will change classes among the 6th grade teachers. There are 2 male teachers and G has picked one that he wanted for his homeroom.

He had more confidence that he is ready to move up in the fall now!

AR Field Trip to the Art Museum

The kids read books, take test on them and accordingly to their scores earn AR (Accelerated Reading) points. They can spend their points once a quarter at the AR store on things like pencils, erasers, highlighters, pencil bags etc BUT there are couple of bigger items that would require them to save their points. Picnic lunch on the playground and the field trip are two that require you to save your points. G purchased this NCAA Woman's Basketball Game field trip last year. This year he purchased a field trip to the Art Museum.

I had worried that this won't be fun for the them, but thanks to Ms Nicely (museum volunteer). It was GREAT!

Bus Ride up with G's friends

Eating lunch over looking the sculpture of the Thinker

My Little Group

G in front of the Original Rules to Basketball
this is the closest I could take a picture of them!

We learned that Crickets have been kept as pet for centuries in China

They even have cricket fights.

This is a display of ancient Pet Cricket accessories.

Buddha

Friday Find

Miracle Gro with Weed Preventor
I know, I know this probably isn't new to you, but it is to me!
and just look where I get to put it!
My new flower bed in the front of my house!

Heeellllloooo Remember Me??

I can't catch up with everything right now so you'll get a tease!

*Greatest Mother's day gift I could have asked for!

* Couldn't shave my legs!

* "It's a kids life"

* Cat Crazy

* landscaping vs heavy duty nylon straps

* I'll just teach THAT tree!

* orientating G

* "Something Borrowed"

* Excuse me, but you fit last summer

Wordless Wednesday ~ Traveling Hoard

Doodle

W brought home his Lifeguard training calendar.

I was so impressed that it was a cool, decorated calendar........

..... then I realized W had doodled his own calendar!

Sunday Thoughts ~ This I believe!

Heard around the House

G ~ "What did you guys have for supper last night?" (he spent the night with a friend)
Me ~ grilled Chicken
G ~ "oh that's the same as we had, only it was Pork"
Me ~ "how does that make it the 'same as we had'?"
G ~ "Well, they're the same things just one is Chicken and one is Pork"
Me ~ "No Chicken is a Chicken, Pork is a Pig and Beef is a Cow"
G ~ "Oh, well, they're all farm animals"

Friday Finds

I walked into the Post office today and

saw the newest LOVE stamps!

I love them!What do ya think?

They're 'forever stamps' so I can't wait until I've used up all my "Pine cone forever" stamps so I can replace them with a bunch of these!

Life on Thursday

Today was a City Errand day! Not all errands were successful but all were ran!

I furthered my quest to find a cushion for our Chaise. These things are expensive ($40 on the average) and getting thinner and thinner every year. We use to buy a nice thick cushion for the same $40 as now you get a super sleek thin cushion! I'm still holding out for a nice thick one. That quest continues......

Next stop Kohl's to get G some new clothes. Success!

Lunch at my favorite Pei Wei for a Pei Wei spicy chicken Salad! Yummy success

quick stop by Target. Success!

Next to Nursery to pick up some 'good' dirt for Hubby's potted tomatoes! Hoping for sucess.

Home. Success

Go to pick up G at school. On the way home we pass W and friend on the road (they were taking W's truck to the mechanic to see if lives or dies). When I walk in the house, I'm greeted by our outside (and I mean VERY outside, digging in the field, chewy unidentified things) dog. He's happy to see us, of course. Seems when W's friend walked in he didn't realize that you have to be careful of the dog on thundery days. I've gone to the position that there is really no fighting the dog when it's storming BUT today it wasn't storming, just a distance thunder! The Storms just weren't coming our way today but try telling this to the dog!?! Finally a couple hours later, after I'd run the vacuum (didn't really faze him) G successfully gets him out! long drawn out but a success!

Then we rush off to Church for a night on Family History. We shared some great websites, one being Findagrave.com you can put in the your family's name and get information from their grave stone! Just how cool is that?! Success

Doodle

Sunday Thoughts

I love the 2 talks today in church there were several points that jotted down.....

*Anytime you find yourself negotiating with the Lord you need to repent!
There are times in our lives that we don't understand why we're going through certain situations (or others around us), but maybe it's just so we'll know exactly "who saved us". I do believe that we are placed in situations sometimes as a trial. The Lord does this so we'll have the chance to turn to Him, to rely on Him, to stop trying to handle it all ourselves and ask for His help.

Questions to ask ourselves .....
*Are you better person now? better than 5 years ago? 10 years ago?

As I sat in Sunday School, I pulled out my scriptures. Attached to my scriptures was my almost expired Temple Recommend. I unattached it and put it back in my bag. A few minutes later I pulled out a pen from my bag. Attached to that pen was my almost expired Temple Recommend. I unattached it, put it back in my bag and went on. Several minutes later I went to pick up my phone and stuck in my phone was that same almost expired Temple Recommend. I decided to act on the obvious promptings .... it was time to get the almost expired Temple Recommend renewed.

It took a few minutes to get that temple Recommend interview (see note that end to understand this process) arranged. I sat in the interview that I'd been in several times in my life, with the same out come, getting my temple recommend renewed. At the end of the interview process that man asking the recommend questions stopped and told me "I don't know what's going on in your life and I don't need to know but I want you to know that I've been prompted to tell you, that the Lord is aware of everything going on in your life and wants you to know that you're not alone." (see here for a bit more of this)

As you might well image, I had tears in my eye but so did the man holding the interview.

Once again, I knew my Father in Heaven Loves me and just how he goes about making sure I know it!

** Temple Interviews. We believe in modern day Temples, we believe that they are the house(s) of the Lord on this earth. We go there for further instructions on how be more Christlike, and to be closer to our Father in Heaven. To do all of these things we believe that we must be accountable to certain guidelines (ie: Our belief in Jesus Christ and in Our Heaven Father, our honesty, our modesty, our commitment to obey our baptismal covenants etc). In order to go into the temple we are questioned about our worthiness to go inside this House of the Lord.

OH OH and look at the temple that is being built in our area.

It should be done by this time next year!

Last Week's Round up!

Since I have taken a week off from blogging lets just do a simple round up of last week's news

**I subbed a couple of mornings

**Had a PEO luncheon (just confirmed that maybe we should change our luncheon place)

**Had PT just once last week. Seems my Therapist has a fun life with her family!?!

**W's truck has died. We're debating on whether it's permanently dead or if we'll PAY more $$ to relive it!?!

**I sort through G's summer clothes from last year. VERY very few things will fit this year! That boy is just getting taller, not much growth in width but TALLER!

**W's phone died (the night before his truck died). We gave the gift that keeps on giving by getting him a new phone for his birthday... that has yet to come!

On second thought maybe this isn't a round up at all.....I think it was a let the money roam post!

Sunday Thoughts

I had spent the past few days just pondering a situation in my life, trying to make a decision about a relationship that didn't seem to be on the right path. Not only was I feeling that it wasn't on the right path but I was beginning to wonder if it was dragging me into a dark place.

I really really had decided it was time to cut my ties in this relationship. It would be much easier to be the kind of person that I wanted to be and the kind of person that I thought my Father in Heaven wanted me to be IF I cut my ties with this relationship. I also just plain wanted to be like them .... MEAN!

I knew it would be difficult journey while cutting the ties but I also knew I'd be fine in the long run.

I was sitting in Church today when it came to me loud and clear..... I needed to revisit a set of scriptures that I hadn't visited in a while. I opened my scriptures to ones I had prompted to and found my answer.

(in the Book of Mormon, Alma chp 34)

in verse 40 "......I would exhort you to have patience and that ye bear patience and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out ......., lest ye become sinners like unto them"

well, I can't be MEAN right back now can I??

verse 41: "But that ye have patience (now I've been told to have patience twice!) and bear with those afflictions with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions"

There was my answer, I needed to stay in the relationship and have not just HOPE but firm HOPE that someday I will be able to rest.

There was also a message in verse 39 ... ".....I exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually...."

And there was my answer to how I was to have FIRM HOPE, prayer continually.

I'm so thankful for a Father in Heaven that loves me!

Life on Thursday

Today started early, with a trip to get my yearly Mammogram! It was quick painless and done for another year! Then off to get G's Boy Scout things. WOW! the BSA has a monopoly on that stuff and it's pricey! I stopped by Chipotle to get lunch for our Moved Get it Done day. As I pulled into my parking place noticed a table of police officers, as I was getting out I noticed a couple other police office eating at another table. I walked in and had the door opened by a couple of Highway Patrolmen. I knew I was safe! As I was pulling out of the parking lot there was another Highway Patrol car with 4 Patrolmen in it! WOW the safest place around at 11:30 on a Thursday is Chipotle's OR you could take this as a time that you could run amuck around town, since they're all at Chipotle's!?! I had an odd little bout of a bug on Tuesday so our Get it done day was moved to today. We worked at Stephanie's house. She has company coming and we worked on getting her bedrooms ready. After a quick trip to the grocery store I came home. Took a nap, I don't ever really have allergies symptoms but I get sinus headaches and tired when everyone else is sneezey and drippy so it really must be allergies. It was pork chop sandwiches for supper. I really like Pork Tenderloins and this is my low fat substitute! Pork Chops pounded into tenderness and grilled on George! Slap'em on a bun with mustard and pickles ~ Yummy!

Happy Birthday G!

G celebrated his birthday at school with Brownies on a Stick .....It was April's Fool's day so the class had on silly hats to trick their teacher......Then Saturday G celebrated with a NERF WAR party with 5 of his friends.

We started the day out with doing Mento's/Diet Coke Fountains .... Then it was off to the basement for several hours of NERF WARS......

There was NERF Target Practice ......

Grandma and Grandpa came up for awhile .....

Happy Birthday G!

Pinewood Derby

Post Race Face!

Packing it for the Race ......Pit Crew.....1st place Winning Racer

1st place Winning Car