Grandpa

April 16, 2013
We went to dinner with Jeff's side of the family a few weeks ago. With two people who have more food allergies than I even thought possible, several "meat eaters" who like shrimp, two pipsqueaks who want to eat only ice cream, and me who falls somewhere in the middle the natural choice was Golden Corral.

I always roll my eyes at a buffet until we start eating and I realize everyone - including the kids - are happy as clams.

But tonight when we walked in, I thought to myself, "I wonder if my Grandpa is here for dinner?" and started looking around.... then I remembered. It was like a physical shock to my body to realize he wasn't going to be there. My heart sank and I almost cried.

Mourning the loss of someone you love seems to hit you at moments when you least expect it. Like tonight when you see a stack of colored plates at a buffet restaurant.

Warm Weather, Where Art Thou?

April 15, 2013
We're going to send winter out of here kicking and screaming even if it means we have to eat Popsicles inside while wearing sweatshirts!

Birthday

April 14, 2013

Birthdays are a big deal when you're five. At "100" not so much. It's just like any other day.

Pearl however, was more excited about my geezerhood than myself. To celebrate, she made me breakfast. Given the fact that I haven't been to the grocery store in close to two weeks, we'd been out of town all weekend, and we have early church, I'd say I was pretty lucky to get the last pieces of bread and cup of OJ.

Then when we got home from church, Pearl handed me a little orange Easter egg. She had the biggest smile on her face. I opened up my present - all while wondering how she kept an Easter egg hidden from me - and inside was a teeny, tiny note that said, "Happy Brthay Mom" on one side and "Love Pearl I love Mom" on the other side. And there was a seashell Pearl had gotten from school that she had kept hidden from me... because I like seashells according to Pearl. I guess it's because I have a jar of seashells from Bear Lake and my trip to Florida in the bathroom. Jeff told me after I gave her a big hug that she'd kept this little present hidden from me since January.

That effort right there was all I could have ever asked for.

Kids Day

April 13, 2013
After today, I couldn't remember if we went to Vernal for my work or for the kids. Not only did they get to decide all of yesterday's activities (minus my meeting of course), but today we got to attend the Ute Tribe's Kids Day event. It's funny because I've taken them to these type of safety fairs before and they complain about how boring they are. Well, today they didn't want to leave. Of course I'm well aware that it might have been the thought of sitting in the car for three hours that was more of an impact on their sudden enthusiasm for my line of work in injury prevention.

They had fire trucks and a police dog. Candy, basketball, pencils, coloring books, and free lunch. But the best part of the day was getting a picture of Jeff and McGruff.... Jeff's mom was McGruff when he was a delinquent... and watching Pearl ride the crash simulator a dozen times. It was her favorite part of the entire weekend. Crashing into her mom or dad and having her head band come flying off while she stayed nice and safe thanks to her seat belt. Cole was more than upset that he was too little to ride the "crazy drivers" ride.

Here's hoping something from the weekend stuck and those two always buckle up.

Vernal

April 12, 2013
I had to go to Vernal for work this weekend so we decided to take a mini family vacation.

I know. Vernal. We roll in style when we vacation.

Actually I have to give Vernal - or Vernerial as Jeff lovingly calls it -  credit. Minus the hanus drive with two bored, hungry, and whiny children, the town isn't so bad. The hotel was really nice. It had a pool just waiting for us to splash and jump in (over and over and over until Cole threw up). We got a free continental breakfast, even if it was at 7 a.m. thanks to Pearl's circadian rhythm. The temple is in an old tabernacle so it's really unique. Vernal has a ton of dinosaur stuff including a free museum day at the exact same time I had meetings so it gave Jeff and the kids something to do. Even if we drove all the way out there to NOT go to Dinosaur Monument... epic fail. There's a movie theater in town so we could watch "The Croods." Highly recommend it!!! Cafe Rio is in walking distance of the hotel.

And of course there are hotel beds perfect for jumping on!

Caselot Sale

April 11, 2013
Want to know how much $95 at the caselot sale gets you? Besides the look of "huh... we still don't have anything to actually eat?"

First of all, a receipt longer than you are tall.

Then about a dozen or so seasoning packs, 12 boxes of Macaroni & Cheese, five bottles of ketchup, 23 cans of assorted beans, five cans of Mandarin oranges, nine cans of refried beans, 24 cans of diced green chiles, 14 cans of tomatoes, eight cans of olives, six cans of tomato paste, and six cans of pineapple. Approximately.

Oh and one loan, misplaced can of Southern style chili beans that we will never eat.

Shoes

April 10, 2013
I have decided you can learn a lot about a person from their shoes.

We had our Young Women "New Beginnings" program tonight. The theme was "Stand Ye in Holy Places" so naturally we - and 50 gazillion other YW groups thanks to Pinterest - went with a shoe theme.

We had each girl bring their favorite pair of shoes and write a short explanation of why they were their favorite shoes and how these shoes helped them to stand in holy places. I can tell you our girls are amazing. I was so impressed and humbled by their written testimonies.

As I'm sure they were with me after I presented to them my "Knowledge" and "Good Works" shoes. A pair of fluffy cheetah print slippers that remind me of all the good works mothers do in the home and one embarassingly, worn-out, stinky, falling apart (No seriously, they are falling apart from the inside out and the outside in. Just look at the right shoes' broken heal, worn clean through the leather until there's nothing left but the metal heel and broken plastic.) pair of black heels I wore the day I graduated with my Master's degree and which have seen one too many meetings as a public health professional.

Perhaps we should have added an element of worldliness to tonight's program and had the girls go shoe shopping with me.

Aggie Roots

April 9, 2013
I took my annual pilgrimage back to my Aggie roots today.

The ole HPER (pronounced "hyper") building to teach a class for one of my favorite undergraduate professors. This year's topic? Storytelling in public health. Something near and dear to my heart. And something we as public health professionals really stink at and are now facing the dire consequences of not sharing our story as our country is literally re-defining public health in the wake of health insurance reform without public health... not healthcare reform mind you.... oh don't get me started!

Anyway. I love this building. I heard it's getting torn down for some new fancy schmancy building which makes me sad. I will miss all the quirks. They still have the same old desks in the classrooms as when I was there eons ago. And the bathroom stall doors only go up to my chest, which I always thought - and still do - was humorous for anyone over 5' tall.

As I was sitting in the lobby on the same old chairs they've always had, it dawned on me why I throw on a tee-shirt and sweat pants the second I get home. It's all because of my Aggie roots in the HPER building. Everyone who majors in health, physical education, or recreation dresses in sweats, tee-shirts, shorts, and workout gear.

No wonder it drives Jeff crazy that I look like an old hag the minute he gets home. He spent all his USU waking hours in that stuffy business building.

I'll tell you one thing, I'll take comfort and saving people's lives over money any day!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

April 8, 2013
Sadly, it's a cold, wet, umbrella sort of day today. Make that, week.

The Prodigal Sock

April 7, 2013
The prodigal black sock has returned.

And where was the said missing sock you ask? Right where my husband last put it. No more blaming the "laundry lady" aka me anymore!

Book Bandits

April 6, 2013
I am DONE with puppy sitting!

That rascal decided to get up at least four times last night in the span of two hours, and on top of Cole getting up because he wanted a drink twice. Not only was LeRoy completely uninterested in going back to sleep, but she decided she'd teach Blu a few new tricks.

Like how to eat a book.

And not even a book I own. It's my sister's. Or was my sister's book.

Real Beautician

April 5, 2013
We avoid giving the boy a haircut for as long as we dare. Any mom out there with boys knows that not only do they need haircuts every month, but that for the price of paying someone to cut your thrashing, screaming, crying child's hair you might as well do it yourself.

So about a year ago I bought Jeff a set of professional clippers so he could give Cole haircuts over a period of a few days until he looked presentable. It really drives Jeff bonkers when Cole's hair - and his own - starts to cover the top of his ears. So tonight was the night whether Cole wanted to cooperate or not.

Luckily, he was on his best behavior. And with Jeff's skills - he informed me "I'm like a real beautician!" - my baby boy was looking pretty handsome afterward if I do say so myself.

The letter "K"

April 4, 2013
Every Thursday is show-and-tell day.

Which is the most important day of the week when you're in Kindergarten.

Pearl starts prepping us for the week's show-and-tell theme at least three days in advance and would absolutely DIE if we forgot to take something. The tricky part is when the theme is a letter of the alphabet, Pearl insists that we can't take something that has already been written on the board. No matter how much I try to explain that they just write down words that start with that particular letter for practice, and that it's ok to take the something that is on the board, she inists we find something unique.

Do you know how hard it is to find something that starts with the letter "Q" or "X"?

Even the letter "K" this week took some thinking. Until it we both realized "Kimmy" starts with the letter "K".

So Pearl happily took two pictures of her and Aunt Kimmy with her for show-and-tell. I knew a lot of the kids would remember her from when she worked at the daycare so it was a hit with everyone. And with Kimmy.

Sweetie

April 3, 2013
Even though having a new puppy around is fun, nothing beats coming home to your "Sweetie."

LeRoy

April 2, 2013
This is LeRoy. Our furry, four-legged foster child for the week.

She (yes, it's a she and we call her LeRoy... long story) is the sweetest puppy I have ever seen! She snuggles and gives loves and is just so dang cute. It's even rubbing off on Blu-zo (as Jeff has started to call her). Any time LeRoy comes running over for loves, Blu figures she better get in on the action. Even if it means plopping her 80 lb. self right on top of you, slobbering everywhere, and breathing heavily in your face until you give her some affection too.

LeRoy and Blu have gotten along great. And the kids love LeRoy... fine. I admit I sort of am in love with the idea of a temporary "baby" around here too. The first few hours were a tad touchy, with LeRoy hiding under the car in the garage because Blu was being mean. But once I grabbed Blu by the throat (asserting my alpha female status) and told her to be nice, those two have been best buddies. They follow each other around the house and yard all day. The only problem is that LeRoy is a bit of a clepto and has not only taken over Blu's kennel - I'm afraid Blu has decided she is now a "big" dog who doesn't need to sleep in a kennel anymore - but she steals every single toy or treat that belongs to her.

I will say this, getting a puppy with an older, albeit still not mature, dog already has been so much easier than just having one puppy to keep track of. Blu does all the "mothering" for me.

I'm sure gonna miss LeRoy when she's gone.

No April Fools Joke

Picture courtsey of Rick Parker, Utah Lacrosse News 

 
April 1, 2013
It's no April Fools joke that my little brother is a stud.

Even the Utah Lacrosse News agrees. He was named Epiphany Lacrosse Player of the Week today.

The pathetic thing - besides finding out my brother is a star from Facebook and NOT a personal phone call or text (not that I'm bitter or anything) - I have yet to see him play this season. His senior year. Worst sister ever right here. Unless you counter that worst sister ever with the fact that Kurtis convientently forgets to tell me when his games are.

Apparently you need a talent manager when you're big time.

Here is the article on Kurt.
Source: http://www.utahlacrossenews.com/2013/04/epiphany-player-of-the-week-week-4/


Kurt Jewkes – Sky View Bobcats Midfielder
Sky View Head Coach Troy Oldham had this to say about Jewkes: “A very positive and hard working team leader. Kurt is our team president and he has set the bar high for work ethic, sportsmanship, team leadership and shots (on goal) and points.  On a team with multiple shooters Kurt is both a big shooter and a selfless feeder.  The culture that has been set by his leadership is a big reason why Skyview is 5-0 going into Spring Break.” Jewkes had 6 Goals, 1 Assist, 9 GBs, 4 Caused Turnovers in 3 games this week.