The last day of school

The last day of school. It's such a happy day! I love it, yet fear it! I am so excited to have the kids home and yet...... You moms know what I mean!

I made a new job chart for the summer and the kids love it! I vow to be organized this year. All jobs and piano needs to be done in the morning. We will do a little school work every day and keep up reading.

Then fun! fun! Fun! Jake was able to raise is grades and will be able to spend a month in South Dakota again. He has been dying to go but we told him that unless he had all A's and B's, he wasn't going anywhere.

I love the lazy feel of summer time. I can't wait to go camping and fishing and all the fun stuff you can do wearing shorts! Lemonade and swimming pools. I can't stand it!

SO many good things are planned. July will be the most busy with our trip to Moab, and Wyatt's adoption and sealing. The kids take swimming lessons in June and baseball will finish up too. I hope to spend lots of time with my sisters and their kids playing and well, I guess that is about it.

I hope you have fun stuff planned for this summer too!

K, getting my hair done today. I don't know what it is about getting your hair done but I almost feel like a new woman thinking about it!

I wanted to tell any of you who might possibly read this how much I look forward to reading your posts every day. I love this network of friends I have here in cyberspace.

Thank you for always being a part of my day.

I spent the day yesterday with my little sister. They are building a new house and are in the late stages, almost ready for the final inspection. She is overwhelmed with everything that still needs to be done.

I haven't had many oppurtunities to go down and help with Wyatt being sick for so long and the kids in school etc... But yesterday, I was able to go (with the whole fan damly) to help. Sometimes I wonder if people would rather not have the help with the 5 kids I bring with me but to be honest, we had a blast!

We made like 3 or 4 trips taking boxes and putting them in her storage room. All of you who have built know that you cant move in before inspection yet, you're supposed to move out of where you are living on a certain date! What happens when they are different dates???? lol

Any, it was fun to see all the cool things they are doing with their house. They have a fireplace outside on their patio which I loved. They have a pot filler over their stove area which is REALLY cool! Everything in oil rubbed bronze which I love. Beautiful plush carpet that you sink in to. Vaulted cielings with a rock fireplace that goes to the top. Heated floors in the bathrooms and beaitful tiles. The hardwood would melt your heart not to mention the game room, movie room, massage room, play room, mud room and all the other beautiful things they have come up with.

This is their second house to build so they have learned the hard way what to do and what not to do. If I ever build, she is coming with me to help plan!

Their house will be wonderful. A place where adult and child will want to hang out ALL day. I think I will find myself sitting next to their new pool frequently, or maybe playing pool. I don't know for sure, but I think I want to move in with her!

Bad Dogs

I want to just say, that normally, I love dogs. I have 3. I train them to behave and they are well behaved.

My neighbors on the other hand are not on the same wave length. I am to the point that if their dogs come after me again, I'm calling the police.

Every morning that I go out to run (ya right. let's just tell the truth here and say walk), these dogs come after me from their porch barking and ready to bite. Normally dogs will just bark and act vicious to scare you away. Then there are the dogs who come after you that really will bite. One of their dogs bit Jake when they first moved in. Another of their dogs bit my little neighbor boy. Those were different dogs than they have now.

I have now idea what they are doing but they are raising mean dogs for some reason. The problem is that they are really nice people. I like them a lot. I tried calling them as soon as I got home but they don't use an answering machine and no one answered. I know they were home.

So, I will see them at church and tell them there. Wish me luck. I hate being one of those ornery neighbors that always complains, but I've had it!

David Cook

I have followed American Idol avidly this season. From the very beginning I have loved David Cook! I love the slightly gravelly voice, his rugged looks and his talent in musical arrangements. Plus he plays the guitar! I have voted for him many times and downloaded many songs of his as the season went on.

Now, I didn't vote for him every time. I honestly voted for who I thought performed the best on that night.. On the last night, I did vote for Archuleta because I thought he performed better that night, but I have to admit, Cook has been my favorite all along. I am glad he won. Let me tell you why.

Cook is older,more mature, more experienced and better for the job this year. I am sad for Archuleta but relieved too. I think that that "world" corrupts. Even the best of us are affected whether we admit it or not. I didn't want that to happen to little David. He is so naive and innocent. So sweet and wholesome still. He didn't pick up on the dirty jokes by the "guru" and is still pure in heart. I love that!

The interviewers were asking Paula about that before the show and she said, "Give him a year or 2". It made me sad. Why is sex, nastiness, immorality and immodesty so "OK" in that world? I don't like it and hope with the fame he has now that he will be able to withstand the evil out there in that world. I wouldn't want my 17 year old son a part of it.

Anyway, enough of my soap box! I am very happy for David Cook and I think he deserved and earned it!

Wet Desert

I have just finished a really good book. It made me think of things I've never really thought about before.

The story centers around the Colorado River and the controversy around all the dams that block it up.

Before the river was dammed, only about a thousand people ever saw Glen Canyon. That is the canyon that is now under Lake Powell. It was said to be spectacular. Another thing I learned from the story is that the Colorado River Delta is bone dry now. It used to be an oasis for thousands, possible millions of birds and other animals like jaguars and cougars etc.....

Yet, as the story explains, the major cities in Arizona, Southern Cal, and Nevada would not be able to exist with out it.

The story is about an environmentalist who takes it upon himself to right what he sees as a problem. He bombs Glenn Canyon Dam. The story is about the people affected. The ones on Lake Powell at the time, and all the people down the river at the Grand canyon and Hoover dam. Plus all the other smaller communities and dams down the way. The incredible flooding and the many deaths caused by the catastrophe. It is so well, written, very touching and gives both sides of the issue and equal say.

What is the right thing to do? I actually really liked what the end decision was in the book. It made everyone happy. I wish we could really compromise in real life. It would be wonderful to restore the Delta and have people cut back a little and possibly live with desert scape instead of green grass.

DO we waste? Do we abuse what we have? Was it taken with no consideration to our earth and wild life and even each other? Was the River given to us to use and not just to look at? These are the questions I have been asking myself since reading this book. I couldn't lay it down. I definitely recommend it!

I have an update to the previous post. Bry was feeling bad this morning about our little disagreement and said that he would go with me if I wanted. I told him he was too late and that I had already registered with Jake. I also said that I didn't believe that he really wanted to go and that I know how he feels about that kind of stuff.

Well, he just called and said he was really sorry about his reaction before and that he REALLY does want to go and to take all 3 of the big kids and just leave Gabe and Wyatt home with Grandma for the weekend. You have to be 5 or older to go on the rafts. So, I could tell he really meant it and I signed the rest up! I am really excited! It will be a great family trip!. Maybe people can change! Maybe you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! lol

Race for the Cure!

What a great weekend it was. Saturday, I went to the race for the cure here in Salt Lake. I took Jake with me. I had originally planned for our whole family to go together. I thought it would be so fun to do. Anyway, it didn't work out that way. Bryan had been sick with a fever for the 2 days before and still hadn't gotten much better. Wyatt is always sick and I didn't want to take all the kids without him.

So it ended up being my 3 others sisters and their 2 big boys who are Jake's age. They had a blast! Jake had sprained his ankle earlier in the week and couldn't run the whole way so we walked half the time but it was still really fun.

My mom died from breast cancer and I always like to support the breast cancer cause.

While there, I found out about a "Raft for the cure". HOW DANG FUN!!! It is in Moab on the Colorado River. They will provide lunch at the Red Cliffs lodge, Dinner, t-shirt and a concert that night. They supply everything for the day. I am so excited!

I thought it would be so fun for Bry and I to do together. I was a little nervous to tell him about it though because he doesn't enjoy the same things I do. It has been a struggle for me our whole marriage. Well, surprise surprise, he does not think it sounds like something he wants to do. He doesn't like being around that many people.

I am going to take Jake instead and my sister is taking her son too. She's not married so it will be us girls and the boys. I think that will be more fun anyway.

When I make Bry go on trips that he doesn't want to go on it ruins the trip because he doesn't want to be there. To be honest, I should not care after 13 years. I know what he is like and it still amazes me that I married someone I have so little in common with. I didn't realize how little back then because he was wooing me and trying to please me. I does bother me now though to know that if I ever want to take the kind of trip that I think is fun, I need to go with friends or sisters.

We do family trips that he enjoys though. They includes no other people, fishing, camping and that is about it. Oh, and hunting. If I ever want to go on a cruise, or on a tropical trip like Hawaii or California to someplace like Disney Land or Sea World with the kids, I'm on my own.

I didn't intend for this post to end up like this but it is on my mind. I am so irritated at him about it and I told him so this morning. He NEVER wants to do what I like to do. It makes me remember all those fun boyfriends I used to have that loved what I loved. I know I am supposed to be with Bryan. I know I didn't make a mistake in that way and I do love him very much, but .....I think I will say no more because I will say something I regret! Don't want any of you to know what foul language I really have! lol

So, for any of you out there who want to meet me on the Colorado, look it up under raftforthecure.com. It's the weekend before my B-day!

My vice!

I want to be honest here. I feel frustrated that I can't talk about something I really love to do for fear of being criticized by those who really have no place to judge.

I am talking about how much I enjoy playing "World of Warcraft". Yes, I am completely aware that there are people out there with strong opinions but I don't think WoW is a bad thing. It is one of those things that is set up in a way to keep you wanting to play. That is just good business. People need to decide for themselves how much they want to play and I do know people who play too much. Is that WoW's fault? I don't think so. The game is no more at fault than the grocery store for letting an extremely over weight person buy crispy creme's.

That being said..... I play wow! I do laundry. I take my kids to piano, dance, baseball, school etc.... I go to meetings, teach primary, Sing in the choir ( when I can make myself go), Soak in the tub reading great books, visit family, chat on the phone with friends and watch Rachel Ray.

I am amazed how many wonderful people play that game. I have made SO many dear friends who I look forward to chatting and playing with when I get on. I would rather play than watch tv most of the time. I play when the kids take naps and sometimes at night after I put them to bed.

I have played for a year and have one level 70. I just got there! I just love her!

Level 70 is as high as you can go. I know a lady, who I just love, that has like 3 or 4 level 70's. She has played as long as I have. I think she plays too much but she plays with her husband and they are both retired and their son is grown and out of the house now and who am I to judge anyway!?

I have 2 "toons" I love to play with. My 70 is named Blackonyx. She is a "Night Elf" hunter. She has a pet tiger who helps her. She uses a bow and traps and is so much fun! Then I have my Shaman. She is a Dranai. I call her Sisina and she uses totems and has magical powers and can heal.

This may sound stupid to you but I am very attached to these pretend people! I love having something fun to do when I don't feel like doing anything else.

I used to think this game was SO stupid and a complete waist of time. My friend who plays kept nagging me to try it so to get her off my back, I did. It is kind of complicated and there were many times at the beginning when I thought it wasn't worth learning to play but once I did, it became a lot of fun.

I used to be so judgmental of my sister who let her kids play game boy or Nintendo and thought they were too addictive and that she should make her kids do something more productive. Like she said to me, you have to know when to limit. Use it to motivate. Be strict with your own guidelines and it stays a good, fun thing. She was right.

I love meeting other "players". I just found out a lady in my ward plays and has a level 70. It really surprised me because....well, it just surprised me! Now we love to talk about it together and have something in common that we didn't before.

I have a neighbor who told her son he was not allowed to watch us play let alone play on our computer, (which I wouldn't allow anyway), but he is my sons best friend. She told her son it is black magic! I just had to laugh. There is no blood and guts and most of the time, you are killing monsters. It's a lot like Lord of the Rings, which I loved too.

Anyway, I just want to be able to share about the things I like. We all have our vices!

hard things

I just found out today that a dear friend's husband wants to leave her. She is distraught of course and I don't think she suspected he felt that way. She knew they had problems and was feeling frustrated about their relationship but I don't think she realized he was ready to quit until he TEXTED her to say that he was done.

All I can think is "What a loser!!!!" They have been married for 7 years. Are professional ballroom dancers and teachers. From what I know, I think he is having an affair with a student. Her sister is my really good friend and she is the one we just went to see in Texas. I never suspected a thing either. It is all so bizarre.

He has been married once before and had no kids and they haven't been able to get pregnant in this marriage. I think that is a blessing now. How sad. It's all so very sad.

I can't quit thinking of her and wondering what I would do if it were me. How would I feel? Devastated, I think. I would feel like my world was over. How do people go on and get past such a rejection by someone they have loved for for so long or even longer?


Anyway, that is my news for today. I pray for all those people who are feeling what this friend is going through or who have gone through it already.