You can tell I'm no photographer!

I'm cracking myself up (which is usually the case)! I just enlarged one of the pictures of the play structure - what else should I call it? - and I noticed that it looks like a giant bird feeder is part of the 'structure'. Yay for great composition. The bird feeder is attached to the tree, not the play place. DUH, Sue!

So, here's what's new at our house, the play area in the backyard. It's actually not even an eyesore. Lots of the grandkids have been over to play on it and it has been accepted as a member of the family. I love our backyard! We still have the area behind Gma Betty's room/little patio for the kids to play baseball. And the roses/flowers are lovely (that's a Bailey word). Dang!this is a great time of year.

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I almost forgot!

Just gotta add this to the 63 year old birthday note...

Mickey! Mickey! ... you're so fine! You're so fine you blow my mind !...Hey, Mickey!

(just had to do it!)

Why is May 8th important?

Because that is the day 63 years ago...(yes, six-three), when Mickey happened. Gee, that must mean that May 8th is his birthday! YEP! He sure is easy when it comes to birthdays. All he wants is a phone call or a b-day card. That's good because I can NEVER figure out what to buy him. He's such a little shopper that he buys stuff when he wants it. AHHHHH!

May 8th sure has made my life more enjoyable. I love his laugh! I love his big hairy hands. I love his voice. I love it that for the next couple of weeks he is 3 years older than me. I love it that he lets me stay at school until I get my work done. I love it that I get to have my house cleaned professionally every two weeks, and I don't have to feel embarrassed or guilty. I love it that he took me out of the world of 'singlehood' almost 14 years ago. I love it that he will go to the temple with me or let me go alone if I need to. He just has not thwarted or squelched me in any way AT ALL. If I want to go on a road trip with Lindsay, Carter, and Marin, he just says go ahead and have fun. He knows how much my kids and grandkids mean to me. And he thinks I am really funny. I do have those frequent 'blonde' moments and he just laughs. And, he sure is good to my mom. Yep, I scored when I married that man who is 63 years old today. Dang, he is old!

To quote Andie...'Going, Going,...GONE

This used to be my school creative corner/classroom. BUT things will be changing the first part of June. I have been instructed that I WILL BE CHANGING ROOMS. I think I will be in Room 8 instead of Room 22. I am truly sad. I loved my room. I had a beautiful view from the windows that were on the east and west side of my room. There it was,a beautiful lawn that fed Canadian Geese as they traveled from North to South. The field is ( I should say 'was' because it will only be in my imagination from now on, except for minute views as I traverse the campus) bordered by tall leafy evergreen trees that monitored the breezes. What a beautiful, open view of where the sky meets the earth. I did love watching the clouds move across the window. The other window has some of my favorite deciduous trees - Chinese talo. I watched the seasons change through the leaves of those trees. DANG! I am NOT happy...did I already mention that?

A Small but Lovely (that's Bailey's new word) Birthday

A small, but loving celebration of Marin. Andie, Morgan, Easton, Bailey, Grandma Jill, Emily, Logan, Papa Mickey, Lindsay & Norm (DUH!), Grandma Betty, and me were all there. That is one hecka long clumsy sentence.

A Pink Birthday Party

Marin is three and LOVES pink (and just as a side note...so does Carter!) We loved watching her Tuesday night. Thinking about where she has been and what she has had to endure just made the celebration sweeter.

What is a Lindsay?

A Lindsay is 30 years old on April 9th.
A Lindsay is a wife, a mom, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a friend, a sister-in-law, a niece, an aunt, a stepdaughter, a homemaker, a college graduate, a hairstylist, a coach, a mom/cardiologist, a caregiver, a Primary teacher, a minimalist (she is NOT a clutter collector), a home designed card/announcement maker, a tennis player, a dancer and a singer. There is much more to be said and I have risked leaving something out as I have created this list. But above all, she is someone I am so grateful to call my daughter. She does it ALL and she does it with flair and kindness. She is one determined woman. Happy Birthday, Lins.

Oh, brother

I wonder if I could figure out how to blog in correct order if I did it more often. Nope, I doubt it! Should I keep on trying? Maybe...

Palo Alto with the Sells Family

Carter and I took a jaunt to a park in Palo Alto. Norm and Lindsay were busy at the Lucille Packard Children's Hospital with Marin. She was involved with the pre-op process. Carter had a great time and found LOTS to do and he didn't even get hurt under my watch...RELIEF! I would not want to explain to Norm how one of his kids was injured...FEAR!

We met at the park and then went to the Stanford Mall. Holy Cow! That place is beautiful! It could be because the stores there are the kind where people go there who have too much money and don't have the good sense to know how to use it. Stores like Neiman Marcus, Nordstom, Coach, etc. I bought a $30.00 keychain. OOPS! I have joined those who don't know how to spend their money and I don't even have it! Cute keychain, though. It was great fun!

What's Going On...

Look at what was waiting for me when I returned from Palo Alto...I am one lucky lass! Thank you, Sis Sue! I just love them! And they are the very first things I ever won...is this a beginning?

I'MMMMM BAAAAAACK ...Kinda

The Mother and Father of the BRIDE

Love those son-in-laws...this one was the unsuspecting recipient of unsolicited affection...the others RAN!

Newly wed feet...where will you find another picture like this one?

This is the wonderful man who officiated at the sealing/wedding. OH NOOO! I can't remember his name...someone will, though.

What a beautiful day for a wedding...the view from the front of the Provo Temple.

The Gospel Doctrine lesson is as done as it is going to be for a Saturday night and I've had enough caffeine that I can't sleep, so here I am - reporting in!

"The" wedding was magnificent and simple, which tends to make it even more magnificent. The pictures posted so far have been great, so here are some that are NOT so great - fun, though. Just another perspective, I guess.

Literary Quote of the Day

Just a thought as we bring 2008 to a close...

T.S. Eliot
"For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."

Some favorites from Christmas 2008

Each Christmas is different...here are some things I noticed about this particular Christmas that are worth noting for me, if not for anyone else.

Christmas Eve was noisy and crowded, up until about 6:00 p.m. and then it became quiet. The quiet reminded me of an early Sunday morning, so peaceful. The streets were nearly empty. All of the stores, except for Walgreens, were closed.

Christmas morning was also quiet. We woke up late, about 8:00 and had a breakfast that I had prepared the night before. No, I wasn't trying to poison anyone with spoiled food. It's one of those breakfasts that really takes all night to get ready.

There were presents to open, not a lot and I am glad for that. After a few presents were opened I gathered the wrapping paper and started wadding it into balls (stones). Mickey stood up on the couch and I started throwing wrapping paper balls at him as he acted out the part of Samuel the Lamanite when he was prophesying about the Savior's birth. Samuel (Mickey) was telling us to repent as I threw the paper balls at him. That was the fun part...but, unlike Samuel, Mickey was not protected and I 'accidentally' hit him with the 'stones'. Picture Mickey in his not-long-enough shorts with the rim of white showing standing on the couch. CUTE! and ENDEARING! AND, oh, so spiritual...hmmmm.

The middle of the day has become a blur, so there must not have been much to remember...oops, that doesn't mean much,because I don't have much of a memory anyway.

I love thinking about Christmas night! We went to Lindsay's for a truly wonderful meal. We spent some time with Norm Sr, Sally, Norm Jr's sister, Sarah, Andie, Norm Jr., Emily and David, as well as the little kids....Carter, Marin, Bailey, Easton, and Logan. I went outside after we had eaten and got scared to death because as I was unlocking my car, the horn honked .... not supposed to happen and as I looked around me I saw a long shadow approaching. AHHHHH, I saw my quick demise at the hands of a stranger. Not so! Morgan, who was scheduled to work until 10:00 p.m. took the opportunity to sign out and was there to surprise Andie and the kids. When we walked in it took Andie a few minutes (honestly, that is no exaggeration) to figure out that Morgan was standing next to me. She just kept looking at him like she didn't know him. A blank stare...hey, she's my daughter, what can I say? We had to tell her that Morgan was standing next to me. When she finally got it, she ran to him and hugged him.

And then the fun really began. We sat down for a few games of Nurtz. DANG it was fun.

The end of another great day, and a Christmas Day at that. Not too spiritual to be sure, but a BUNCH of fun.