Things To Love~

this very minute…

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Singing “Happy Birthday” to my Bald Kid and having him actually here to blow out the candles. :}

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Daughters planning a family vacation far away. I can hardly wait!

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The first preseason football game of the year. Hey, to me, football is football and I’ll watch it whenever it comes on. It makes me so darn happy.

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The Littles who are turning out to be such good friends, even when they are playing with…snails. Gak.

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Seeing this cute van at a truck stop. Best wishes whoever you are!

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Having a shameful, 7 episode Burn Notice marathon with the Bald Kid on one weekend. Just trying to get him caught up. We LOVE Michael Weston…the burned spy. :]

What about you? What do you love today?

Pioneer Days

Our whole family was invited to a 24th of July celebration at Timber Moose Lodge in Heber, Utah. We were promised a pioneer feast as long as we brought along a couple of side dishes. The bald kid has potato salad in one hand and fruit salad in the other. Hmmm…did pioneers eat any of those things? Who knows?

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All I do know it that Mr. Smarty Pants got to the top of the hill long before I did because…well, LOOK at that thing! Oh, and you’re seeing it from half way up. I did make it…slow but steady. Be proud of me.

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The view was amazing from the top, so I whine and whine, but it was worth it. :}

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We made our way through the grounds…

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and when we got inside…who did we see?

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April’s Jacob~and we didn’t even know they were coming. Pretty dang fun!

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We ate our pioneer beef stew and corn on the cob and watermelon out on the patio…

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and came inside to finish up and have some apple pie. Yummo.

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Then we sat around a while looking cool…

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and tying licorice ropes.

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We did however, run into a pioneer or two.

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Then back outside for the real reason we came….

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THE GAMES!!!!

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This is blurry Jacob winning the sack race. That guy was moving like he stole something. He beat the livin’ daylights out of the whole pack.

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Next was the Pioneer Stick Pull. Very, very manly game.

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Pretty sure the bald kid has some great big muscles and really long legs.

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Which means…he won.

Everybody.

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And lastly, Jacob pushed the Bald Kid in the tire swing which may not sound like much. But what you don’t see is that it swings waaaaay out over the edge of the mountain and the very idea would make a normal person sick…positively sick.

Hence, Jacob and the Bald Kid were the only ones who came close to it because they are not now and have never been exactly normal.

ANYway, we had tons of fun with the whole adventure.

The boys won everything and the rest of us watched and clapped…

like good pioneers should.

Yee. Haw.

:}

One Very New Trick

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 I have seen so many crochet projects, over the years, that have been intriguing to me for one reason or another, but nothing like changing colors on the same row. I was certain that there was some kind of magic to it, a secret, perhaps that has been ferreted away by grandmothers throughout the whole history of crocheting…stuff.

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So, when I found this pattern for a lovely Chevron handbag that was too dang cute to resist, I figured now must positively be the time.

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Then, checking in my closet yarn stash, I found that I had EXACTLY the right amounts of EXACTLY the right colors of yarn. The stars were alining just as they should! So, I started one evening and discovered to my utter astonishment, that it was…easy.  Oh, happy day~ oh, happy da-ay!

I believe I am now officially addicted.

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So, if you’re calling, or coming over or looking for me or wishing I’d answer my email or the phone or the door or make my way to the surface or call the mothership or come up for air…

I make no promises.

This old dog has learned a new trick.

And I’m pretty darn happy about it.

I’ll send up a flare when I’m finished.

Watch for it.

:}

Beany Boy

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For those of you who have wondered~ my cute little Beany Boy got his stitches out this week. Of course, I didn’t stay in the room when they did it…not brave enough for that stuff. No siree. The tough old Bald Kid said, “Run along momma. I’ve got this,” and so I did. Hid out in the lobby pacing around just out of ear shot…just in case. Beany has been eating better food and has gotten much stronger in the past few weeks, so, it took someone manly like the Bald Kid to hold him tight for the stitches adventure–and so he didn’t eat the face off the vet. That would have been unfortunate.

But he’s happy to be back home and to be finished with the creepy medicine that we were suppose to give him twice a day. Best of all, now the old war-horse can finally go outside again–which makes us all very happy indeed. Just in the backyard for now, though until his hair grows back because he still looks a bit alarming…like a plucked chicken.

So, we’ll keep him close, till he can go out front with his kitty head held high and his dignity firmly in place.

You know, till he gets back on his feet…

all three of them.

BAhaha!

:}

~ Love Life ~

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“Don’t be gloomy. Do not dwell on unkind things. Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. Even if you are not happy, put a smile on your face. ‘Accentuate the positive.’ Look a little deeper for the good. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life.”

–Gordon B. Hinckley