I'm a Scout Camp Widow!

I have a new found respect for single moms! Wow! It's hard! Both Brad & CJ are gone to scout camp all week. I've lost my right hand man & my babysitter all at once. It's not fun! I thought I'd enjoy the break....nope, no enjoyment so far! I can't juggle work, primary, kids, & housework all alone! I'm a very INDEPENDENT gal! Not the needy type at all! But I have to say....I NEED THEM! They both make life much better! Here's to Saturday....and their safe return! Can't wait!:)

See? Do I look well to you?:) No! Don't let the half smile fool you. It's fake! I definitely don't make a good widow!:)

I'm a quotation junkie!

Here's my latest favorite!

"Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds!"
Gordon B. Hinckley

Here's a pic of the hardest working guy I know. This quote reminds me of him! No weeds within a 20 mile radius of this guy!:) Even when he's home, he's the ultimate multi-tasker! Wish I was more like him!

Let's get ready to rumble!

I'll admit it, it's my worst nightmare! Football season for C.J.! And of course, it's that time again...they got their uniforms yesterday and practice starts next week! Where has the summer gone? Can we stall a little longer? I liked football til' my own child played the game. It's not so fun for a soft-hearted mom to watch her son pummel and be pummeled! But the boy loves it, it's all he can think about and talk about! What's a mom to do? I guess I'll just have to get ready to rumble! :)

Kenna & Carson are ready....!:) Go Vikings!

Blogging Contest.....Homemaking Tips!

www.rtheyallyours.blogspot.com

Winning the War on....LAUNDRY!

We all have it! We all hate it!
Okay, not my new friend Jen. She loves laundry! My all time favorite blog post belongs to her and it's entitled "profound piles of laundry!" You have to read that post. http://rtheyallyours.blogspot.com
I cried. It made me appreciate all my precious piles. What would I do if one of those piles was no longer there? I can't even imagine. All I know is that NOW, I have a new found appreciation for my piles!

SECRET WEAPONS
Here's a few of my favorite tricks of the trade/secret weapons!

(not weapons of mass destruction!:)

1. BIZ BLEACH
My friend Deanna from Mexico taught me about this glorious stuff!
Why were her whites so white? Her brights so bright?
What did she know that I didn't?
Biz Bleach is the miracle worker! Put a scoop in with your whites....or presoak tough stains in a bucket of warm water & Biz for about 20 minutes before washing! Or soak overnight if needed!
It's color safe and comes in a powder, not a liquid! You'll love it! Guaranteed!


2. ZOUT
No, I didn't misspell it. It's Zout, not Shout! It works Fabulously! It's better then Shout. You'll find it in the Laundry Detergent section NEXT to the Shout! Gotta try it!

3. CLOROX BLEACH PEN
This is great for bleaching small spots or specific areas. Just apply it to the stain and throw it in the wash! Don't leave it sitting on the garment for very long before washing or it will eat a hole in the clothing!:)

And there you have it, my top 3 tips for Spotless, Precious Piles of Laundry!

Here's a peek at Jen's Blog Post on Profound Piles of Laundry!

The most heart-wrenching experience I had with piles of laundry was when Rob suddenly and unexpectedly passed away four years ago, leaving me a widow with six children, the youngest of whom was two years old. As I folded up the last of his dirty fatigues after his funeral, I was heart-broken to think that I would never have his pile on the coffee table again. We were down to just seven piles now - the kids' and mine.

Enter Jen's Blogging Contest for a Mazatlan Souvenir at
www.rtheyallyours.blogspot.com

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

24th celebrations!

Salt Lake Bees Baseball Game & Fireworks Show!

We got to lay on the field for the spectacular firework display after the game! Well, most of us laid on the field...Carson laid on Dad!:) Poor dad, he was sooo sick, but was a good sport about being there anyway. Kenna twisted her ankle and ripped her pants while doing cartwheels! Jace ate so many snow cones and churros he was on a sugar high the whole night... mom got her workout for the day just chasing him around! And Ceej...he had the best time ever - no worries, no troubles! All is good in the world when Ceej is at a sporting event!:)

This was much better then the Bountiful Parade!:)
(see post below for details:)

Pass the Prozac, Please! :)

Happy Pioneer Day!

And, what a day it was! Where did all the nice, kind, respectful, Utahns go? I thought we lived in the land where love abounded!:) I thought today was a celebration of our ancestors who sacrificed so much! Not in Bountiful! In Bountiful it is parade day.... and parades bring out the claws in the women of UT! Who knew? I know now.
Below is a picture of our store, Whisperwood! It happens to be on main street in Bountiful! The parade route passes right in front of our store. Did I mention, Utahns are crazy about their parades! They had to make a LAW here saying, "No one could put chairs out until 7:00am the day of the parade to reserve spots!" I guess people would camp out for days before until the LAW became effective! Fair enough! Not a big deal, right!? Let me tell you, UT women take this parade thing WAY TOO SERIOUSLY! My friend (and co-owner of Whisperwood) Julie, showed up at Whisperwood at 7:00 this morning to make a little pathway from the sidewalk to our front door in order to allow customers a small walk way during business hours today. The parade didn't start until 6:00 pm this evening so we were open for business all day...as USUAL!
When she arrives, there are hoards of women (who have been there since 4:00 am) waiting to CLAIM a spot. They are not happy about Julie roping off a pathway to our store entrance! It's Parade Day! They WANT to cover the entire front of our building with chairs and ropes to save spots for the parade that night! WHAT?? And block our front door so we can't do business! It's the 23rd of July! Not the 24th! We're open for business all day! We need people to be able to get in the front door....is that an unreasonable thing to ask? Yes! Apparently it is! And their claws came out! Yikes! It all ended somewhat peacefully, but I'll just say this....more prozac please...and not for me, I have plenty!:)

Parade time! See the orange barricades by the door!:) The police sided with us! The crazy parade ladies had to leave our doorway "unblocked!"

Kenna & Mom!

Jace...happy only if he could hold Kenna's flag!:)

Kenna & Jace...not so happy without the flag!:)
Brad was out of town, Carson didn't want to go, & Ceej informed me that 12 yr. olds are too old for parades. His 38 yr. old mom doesn't think you're ever too old for a parade!:)

Governor John Huntsman & his wife were even in the parade! Maybe that's why everyone wanted to reserve a spot at 4:00 am - a bit of a celebrity sighting!

It was a fun parade! AND I am very grateful for the pioneers! I can't imagine what they went through! We are so blessed to live in a day with so many modern conveniences and luxuries! We even have prozac, if needed!:)

A Great Kid!

The picture below is of Sharlene Wells-Hawkes. Remember her? Miss America 1980 something!?:)She's in my ward and lives up the street. A couple of years ago she told me a story that has stuck with me since. She said her dad, Elder Wells, never told his kids he was proud of them. Instead, he ALWAYS used the word PLEASED. He was PLEASED with them!
He felt that since the scriptures admonish us not to be a proud or prideful people, using the word PROUD, gave a negative connotation. I hadn't ever thought of it that way before! But, I do agree. I think those are great little words of wisdom & I try to do the same with my kids!
Soooo, having said that.....

...this post is for Carson! I am so PLEASED with him. He earned his purple belt in karate today and has been so diligent in practicing and learning all the techniques. He works hard to always do his best and never give up. He is bound and determined to be a black belt. I especially love his determination because NO ONE in our family is into the martial arts....he's found this on his own and has made it a very important part of his life. I think all kids need to find something they love to do! And, I think all moms should be PLEASED with their kiddos!:)

Konner & Carson

Water + 30 days = A New Me!

I'm off on a new WATER health kick! The latest cleanse going around town is this: Drink only water for the next 30 days! Now don't get confused here...you still EAT! Some people thought it meant you don't eat. No! No! Please EAT normally, just get rid of the juice, soda, milk, etc. in your everyday diet! It's WATER ONLY! Think you could do it? I hope I can! It will be sooo good for me to get off soda! I'm a soda junkie! Soon to be reformed!:) Try it with me!

Good Behavior!

I'm patting myself on the back just for TODAY!

I was on my Best behavior for the BIG NORDSTROM'S SALE! I didn't even set foot in the store this year, shopped online, and only purchased ONE thing!

The price of GAS has us all scared straight here! No more excess, only necessity at our house for a while! So here's my big "Must Have" purchase!

A Winter Coat!

And, that is a necessity, Right? Yes, of course it is! I live in UTAH!:) In fact, I think that qualifies as an "emergency essential!" Yes, that's the category I'll place it in on quickbooks!
Don't forget to shop the sale for your Necessities/Emergency Essentials!:)

6 Boring Or Quirky Things About Me....

I've Been Tagged!
This may shock you, but I could tell you a MILLION boring & quirky things about myself!

Here are 6 of them:

1. I LOVE Peanut Butter! I'm a closet addict. Mmmm! Peanut Butter on toast is my favorite! Straight out of the jar is equally as great, on apples, on celery, with chocolate, with Lays potato chips crunched up on a sandwich! Please don't tell my kids!:)

2. I would make a law, if I could, requiring EVERY wedding invitation, graduation announcement, blog post, etc. to have a PICTURE! I must see a picture in order to be happy! Please don't ever send me an announcement without a picture! Please don't expect me to read a post on your blog without a picture! MUST HAVE PICTURE!:)

3. Chocolate Brown, the color, I'm obsessed with! LOVE IT! Have to have it! Have to surround myself with it! Deep Dark Chocolate Brown!

4. I can't MAIL anything! I have a mental block against it. Here's a little story: I lived in Mexico several years ago. You can't mail anything there, it will rarely, if ever, arrive. We had to drive 3 hours to El Paso, TX or Deming, NM to mail ANYTHING or to receive anything! I almost had a mental breakdown over the lack of frequent mail! There was no such thing as e-mail or online bill-pay at the time. Ever since moving back to the states, I can't make myself mail anything. After all those years of driving to another country just to get to the MAIL, I can't make myself walk 10 feet to the mailbox. I'm telling you, it's a huge mental block. I actually do mail Christmas cards & birthday cards, but it takes me all month to tell myself, "you can do this, the mailbox is just 10 feet away, you don't have to drive 3 hours!"

5. I have a secret room underneath my stairs! That sentence right there should wake you up if you're dozing while reading this!:) Hee! Hee! Anyhoo, the walls of my secret room are all cement (like the one in this picture) and you could actually bring a friend or two and spend the day shopping in it because....I buy lots of great things. Home decor things! I've received lots of great gifts.... I put them all in this room under my stairs.
I have decorated MANY people's homes and earn my keep doing interior decorating, but when it comes to my own house, the walls are minimumly decorated! Why? Because I'm waiting for everything to be PERFECT! I need the perfect rug, furniture, drapes, light fixtures, you know....the perfect everything! And then, I will decorate with all my wonderful treasures in my SECRET ROOM!

6. I run out of gas all the time! Yes, gasoline! Yes, my car (digitally) tells me exactly how many miles I have left, & yes, the gas light goes on, and yes, there is even a little beeping noise when I'm down to 50 miles, then 25 miles, then 10 miles, and finally ZERO! I still, can't seem to get to the gas station before I'm coasting on a side street, calling my PATIENT & LONG SUFFERING husband to come rescue me, yet again!

So now, thanks to my friend Shelley, who tagged me.....I realize: I HAVE ISSUES!:)
I now tag: Laurie, Lindy, Debbie J., & Deanna! May you too discover that you have issues!:)

The Amazing Babylove Walks! And.....

rides a scooter....all in the same week! :)

How do you like the outfit? Only 2 sizes too small!:) Reminds me of one of those old-fashioned men's swimsuits. I can't complain though, Ceej bathed him and lovingly picked it out for him to wear on his debut "walk!"

I know, no one else's baby has ever walked as "amazingly well" as mine!:) You would think we'd won the lottery at our house by the excitement level! It's a regular 3 ring circus with the amazing babylove around!:)

Got a visit from the Sherriff today!

So I'm working my little Thursday morning shift at Whisperwood when in walks the Davis County Sherriff Captain! 6 ft. plus tall! Huge! Gun on his hip, the whole works. Carson was with me...he stops dead in his tracks and says, "did my mom do something bad?" Hmmm! Not good! Without giving the Sherriff a minute to respond he then asks, "can I hold your gun while you talk to my mom?" Sherriff laughs. I don't!:)

The one thing you need to know about Whisperwood is that it is very RARE for a man to even set foot inside our doors. If they have a list from their wife, then yes, we see a couple of them here and there. Otherwise, no men! Not even Brad...who has a vested interest!:)

Turns out, the Sherriff is not there to take me in for being a bad mom or a bad driver:), he's there to shop! He's headed to Yellowstone on a motorcycle trip with all his buddies and he's looking for these things called "climaties" or "neck wraps!"

Here's how they work: You soak them in water for about 10 minutes, the hydro crystals inside expand when you soak them, then wrap them around your neck, the special gel inside keeps them cool and wet for hours! And, we carry them at Whisperwood! I'd seen them at the store, but had no idea what they were (until the Sherriff educated me)!

(random picture I found on the internet, not a picture of me!:) This is what they look like!)

I decide to bring one home to Brad...he golfs in the heat of the day (alot)! He says they are amazing! They keep him SO cool! I give one to my neighbor who is heading out for a bike race...he says they're amazing! I wear one while I'm mowing the lawn (it's 98 degrees outside)! It IS Amazing! The Sherriff was right!

So, now they are my new "thing" ...I'm making sure Ceej has one for scout camp, the kids can wear them at the 24th of July parade, I garden and do yardwork in mine....Love 'EM! Where were these when Brad farmed and worked in the hot sun for years down in MX? Wish I knew then what I know now! It's quite possible that everyone in the world knows about these except me...so, if this is old news to you...why didn't YOU tell ME about them!?:)

And, I now hold the record for the world's longest most boring post!

CoOkiE CuTteRs!

Here's the scoop: The cutest haircutting shop for kids opened in Bountiful! It's a mom's dream come true! There's a little playland slide, the kids sit in different cars while they get their hair cut, they can choose to watch a movie or play a video game (while getting their hair cut), each station has it's own TV & DVD player, the stylists are all kid friendly, there are suckers and balloons, & best of all.....EVERYONE IS HAPPY! Yes, happy about a haircut....that is rare at our house! Even Jace sat motionless while the stylist used the CLIPPERS!

The whole place is decorated for kids....even the bathroom has a little kid size toilet and sink! I loved it....why didn't someone think of this sooner!? If you're looking to start a new business, I'm thinking this would be a great one! It was very busy, and VERY fun!
And such a cute name, "COOKIE CUTTERS!" Two thumbs up!:)

Tradition

Hooray for a warm, yet overcast, day! We even got a few sprinkles! The Centerville parade was GREAT! Short and sweet, just like we like 'em! Breakfast at IHOP and then home to rest up for the evening BBQ & fireworks! It seems our 4th of July routine has now become tradition!

Everyone Loves A Parade! Yes, even dad!

Kenna's Favorite Float!

We Want Candy!

Carson's Favorite Float!

Breakfast at IHOP! Always a good way to start the festivities!:)
We're missing Ceej today! He's waterskiing with friends in St. George! Hope he's wearing his life jacket at all times like he promised!:)

Happy 4th of July!

Hope this holiday is a fun one for all our friends and loved ones! It's always fun to decorate for the 4th! Whisperwood (our store) has been so busy these past few weeks - I love seeing what people put together to decorate their home with! Hope there are lots of family get togethers and BBQ's this weekend! Happy celebrating!

A little disclaimer: This is a pic of some of Whisperwood's decor, not a picture of my house!:)