Happy Birthday, Trev!

Tall

Responsible

Entertaining

Very organized

Outstanding student

Rarely takes a picture without his mouth being open! 

 

We love you Trev-Man!  Happy Birthday!

 

Sacrament Meeting Talk

Hooray, Hooray...the talk is done today!

I'm grateful that's done...it's always good to check that one off your list.  I felt pretty good about it overall, and as the subject was gratitude I had a lot of time to think of all the many blessings I enjoy.  It's a great exercise to ponder all  you've been given, and you come to realize how truly blessed you are. 

If you'd like to read my talk, you should be able to do so here.

Thankful Thoughts

After 5 months of living in our new ward, we've finally been asked to speak.  The topic: Gratitude.

I've been looking around for the past few days for ideas and thoughts for my talk, and I thought I'd share a couple of the things I've run across that have been "food for thought".

*Don't just count your blessings.  Make your blessings count. 

*Yesterday I went to WalMart.  As I walked through the parking lot I came across a car with a shopping cart with a 24 pack of Diet Coke parked toward the back bumper, and a lady sitting in the front seat of the car.  I said to her "Is this your soda?  Do you need some help putting it in your car?"  She said yes, and it turns out she had some back issues that made it hard for her to get it in her car.  She was very grateful to me for stopping to help.  After I put her soda in her car, she said to me "What's your name?"  I told her Libby, and she said "Thank you, Libby, for your help."  Later that evening as I thought more about that little episode I was touched by the fact that she wanted to personally thank me...not just a generic thank you to a stranger, but a specific thank you to Libby, who had helped her.  For some reason that meant a lot to me.

 *It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy.

*One of things I am truly grateful for is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is such a blessing to my life.  This past weekend we had Stake Conference and the youth sang for the Sunday meeting.  One of the songs they sang was called "Pilgrim Song", and I think its lyrics are a good representation of how grateful I am for the gospel and the wonderful blessing it is now and eternally.  You can read the lyrics below, and if you want to experience it even more than just reading, you can listen to this song done wonderfully by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir here.

My brethren I have found, a land that doth abound with fruit as sweet as honey

The more I eat I find, the more I am inclined to shout and sing, “Hosanna”

 

Chorus:

My soul doth long to go where I may fully know the glory of my Savior

And as I pass along, I’ll sing the Christian song, I’m going to live forever

 

Perhaps you think me wild, or simple as a child, I am a child of glory

I am born from above, my soul is filled with love, I love to tell the story

 

My soul now sits and sings and practices its wings and contemplates the hour when the Messenger shall say come quit this house of clay and with bright angels tower  

 

 

As I've thought about gratitude over the past few days I've of course thought about all that I am grateful for.  Honestly, it has been completely overwhelming.  I have been give so much, and am so blessed, and I can't even begin to say how wonderful it all is.  So, I guess all that I can do is say

 

THANK YOU.

 
 
 

Day 24--I'm done!

Well, I'm tired of this 30 day blog challenge.  I've hit the point where everything left on the challenge sounds not that thrilling to write about, so I'm done.  Sorry if you wanted to hear about anything left of the list.

I will write though today about a "break through" I have been having this past week.  You know (because I just wrote about it)  how I had gallbladder surgery almost a week ago?  Well, I have been trying really hard to just TAKE CARE OF MYSELF this week.

Now, as I am a woman, you should realize that is pretty amazing actually.  I mean really, what woman do you know who takes care of herself?  It's usually take care of everyone else, right?  But this week I've tried really hard to just take it easy and take care of me, and no one else.

• I am not getting up in the morning with the boys to make either their lunch or their breakfasts (I normally make their lunches one day, breakfast the next.) 
• I have not made dinner (But a huge thank you from the boys who would have had to cook for themselves to everyone else who has made dinner for us!) 
• I had lounged around.  I have watched a lot of TV (I told my hubby I was maybe getting addicted to BYU Tv...but surely that's better than some of the other stuff on TV, right?)
• I have tried really hard not to go out of the house (except for going to get the mail.)

 I have tried hard to take care of me, and I think that's been a really good thing.  I feel pretty healthy, so far there's been no feeling like I've "overdone it" as I try to get back into doing things too soon.  I actually feel as if my batteries have somewhat been "recharged" taking this bit of a break. 

One of the things that I think has been most energizing has been the feeling that it's ok to just take care of myself, I am worth it.  Maybe that's because so often I personally put what everyone else thinks and feels and wants ahead of my own personal self. I feel so obligated to do everything I think I'm supposed to for everyone else and feel guilty if I'm not taking care of that.  But, it's ok to take care of me.  It's ok to let others take care of me.  It's ok.  I am worth it.

I like that feeling!

Day 23--Write about your first trip abroad

I don't know if I remember much about my first trip abroad.  I would have thought abroad specifically meant overseas, which I haven't really been, but according to the dictionary it's just to another country.  So, except for a brief (like 10 minute) trip to Mexico all my trips abroad have been to Canada.

I'm pretty sure I went on a family vacation to Ontario.  I think I even went there for either a school trip or else a church choir trip when I was a teen.  But, honestly, except for knowing that I went to Niagara Falls, that's really about all I remember about going there.   

I am finding that more often, that I don't remember much about my childhood.  I have vague memories here and there, but not so much other times.  Oh well.  I guess then I can make up whatever childhood I want, eh? ;-)

Day 22--Gallbladder surgery

Day 22 is supposed to be something like review your favorite free software, but since I don't have any idea what I'd write about that, why don't I just write about the gallbladder surgery I had yesterday instead?

Thursday afternoon I was helping clean at a neighbor's house.  Jacob called and said he needed to be picked up, so I left the neighbor's house to pick him up.  As I walked down the street towards my house to get the car, I felt what I thought was some gas bubbles in my stomach.  I got Jacob, went back to the neighbors after we got home, and spent about 10-15 more minutes there helping before we were done and I went home.  My tummy was still feeling gassy, and as I folded laundry it started to get worse.  I thought antacids would help, so I took a couple and waited for them to take effect.

They didn't seem to help at all, and the pains continued to get worse.  I tried to lie down, it didn't seem to help.  I stood up, no help.  I rolled in a ball, no help.  I did yoga cat pose, trying to get what I thought was a terrible gas bubble out.  I called Jacob in to pat my back like a baby who needed to burp, nothing helped.  It was terrible!  I spent the next hour to hour and a half trying to get comfortable, to no avail.  By the time Craig got home I was feeling really yucky and told him I needed to be taken to the doctor.  The pain had seemed to settle in the upper right of my abdomen and reading over things on the internet it seemed to indicate that it could be gallbladder issues.

We drove over to the clinic.  It was pretty much a miserable ride, actually, pretty much a miserable night for me.  Nothing I could do would get me comfortable, and I could only stay in one position for a minute or two before I had to change to see if another position helped me feel better, which it didn't.  The doctor listened to my complaint, did a quick check, and then said that I was obviously very uncomfortable and that the area I said was hurting seemed to indicate the gallbladder area.  He thought it would be best to get an ultrasound and see what was up for sure, so away we went to the hospital for that.

In the end they found that I had two large gallstones in my gallbladder, one of which was blocking the neck of the gallbladder, which the ultrasound tech seemed to think was part of why I was hurting so badly.  They sent me home though, because the radiologists who would read the ultrasound needed to make their report to the doctor before anything else could be done.

I went home, and Craig went off to the pharmacy to fill the pain med prescription that they gave me.  The doctor called a little bit later and said he set me up a consultation with a surgeon for the next morning at 9 AM.  After Craig got home and I got some pain meds in me I felt like I could handle waiting until the next morning.

When we visited with the surgeon in the morning he indicated that his normal surgery days were Monday and Thursday, but he could see if there was an available slot at the hospital that day and take care of it that afternoon.  We decided that would probably be the best, so the hospital was called and surgery set up for 4 PM.

Later that afternoon we arrived at the hospital.  I was admitted and they got me all ready for surgery.  I got a lovely lilac gown, some nice white tights, and they attached me to things that squeezed my legs throughout the surgery to prevent blood clots.  They put an IV in (which I HATE!  IVs are always the worse.  They NEVER feel comfortable to me.), and we waited around until the operating room cleared and they could wheel me in.

When I was in the operating room they got me ready to go, and I really remember only about 3 things before I was fast asleep.  The next thing I knew the nurse was trying to wake me up, which was awful!  You know how it feels when you try to take a nap and you wake up twice as groggy?  That was how I was feeling, but luckily my head seemed to clear pretty quickly. 

The nurse brought me some Sprite and some crackers (both graham and saltine) which I thoroughly enjoyed as I hadn't eaten since the night before.  Before too long I was itching to get up and move, and we took a little walk and she told me that I seemed to be doing well enough that I could go home if I wanted.  I then got dressed back in my regular clothes and Craig took me home.

I came home with a lovely souvenir, one of the two gallstones that was in me!  I slept fairly well last night, although today I am definitely a bit more uncomfortable than I was last night right after the surgery.  I am still doing pretty well, though, and I am hoping to definitely be on the mend!

Day 21--Write about your favorite dessert

My favorite dessert would probably be plain chocolate ice cream.  To ensure extra deliciousness I would add some milk and make it a milkshake. 

When I was in High School the cafeteria sold chocolate milkshakes.  I'd buy one for lunch every day.

I'd probably still like to eat a chocolate milkshake for lunch everyday, but I don't buy enough chocolate ice cream to do that.  I'm not sure whether that's unfortuante (for my tastebuds), or fortunate (for my waistline).  Probably a little of both!

Day 20--Make a list of random things you think about

1. My hair
2. Forgiveness
3. My Family
4. What happened during the day
5. How frustrating teenagers can be
6. My favorite missionary
7. Songs
8. The body quirks associated with growing old
9. What needs to be cleaned up in the house

Day 19--Write a Poem

My eyes are getting heavy, it's time to go to sleep,
To slumber and to snooze away
the night so dark and deep.

The kids are finally sleepy, and up to bed they go,
The homework's done and teeth are brushed
and lights are turned down low.

So one last look at Facebook, the blog and weather too,
Then shut it down and turn it off
Is all that's left to do.

Goodnight!

Day 18--Describe your childhood in sounds and smells

This weekend I went to a Women's Conference and was given a tote bag.  One of the other ladies I was with commented on the smell of the tote bag.  Excitedly I smelled it, hoping it would smell exactly like one of my childhood smells (it didn't, unfortunately).

The smell I was looking for is a plastic or vinyl smell, the smell of my Barbie playsets.  Most specifically I remember having a Barbie airplane that smelled this very distinct way.  I loved that smell, and when I smell it today it takes me back.

Another distinct smell I very much remember from childhood is the Play-doh smell.  Real "Play-doh", not homemade or another brand. 

Art projects were always better when we used the smelly markers, in a multitude of "flavors".  I think the grape smell (purple marker) was my favorites.

I remember the honeysuckle smell in the summer, and picking honeysuckle blossoms to stick in our mouths where we could suck on them like tiny straws, hoping to eke some honey tasting nectar out.

Tomato plants and leaves were another smell of my childhood, and I always thought smelled so good regardless of the fact that I didn't like tomatoes.  Tomato plants smelled like gardening to me, like dirt and the sun all mixed up together.

The sounds of my childhood would have to be musical sounds.  I loved listening to Nanny's eight track tapes of Glen Campbell, the Rhinestone Cowboy, and Jim Nabors and Elvis singing gospel songs.  I remember going to her Baptist church and singing songs there, including the children's songs at Vacation Bible school. 

I remember plunking out songs on the old upright piano we had for awhile, songs like "Bicycle Built for Two", and "The Sidewalks of New York". 

One of my friends gave me a 45 record for my birthday with Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" song (which, in reading the lyrics as an adult make me think that song was a little over my childish head!)  I also remember other 45s I had, most specifically "Le Freak" by Chic. 

It was amazing to me when I first listened to a Sony Walkman.  The first song I ever heard on a Walkman was "Spirits in the Material World" by the Police.  When Stewart Copeland bangs the rim at the beginning of the chorus, I felt like it almost broke my eardrum.  When I took of the headphones I remember asking my friend Philip (the Walkman's owner) "So, really, no one else could hear what I was listening to?"  I couldn't believe that even though what I heard felt like it filled the air around me with music, no one else but me heard it.

I participated in Marching Band in high school, adding to the musical sounds of my childhood.  To this day a marching band gets me going!

I loved camp songs, which I not only sung while I was a Brownie, but also when I went to my 4-H summer camp. 4-H camp also embedded Supertramp's sound in my brain, as they would play their songs over the loudspeaker at camp during the day.

As I sit here and think, song after song after song comes rolling through my brain.  Music has definitely played a huge part in the memories of my life.  Heading down to the Women's conference this weekend we were discussing how one of the ladies I was with is a movie quoter.  She said people say things and a movie quote to go along with that pops into her brain.  I told her that I was a song singer, and songs will pop into my brain.

I had to laugh when we got downtown and started walking towards the conference hall.  As we were about to cross in front of some people trying to get into a parking garage someone said "Just put your arm out there and stop the traffic."  Immediately I burst into song: "STOP...in the name of love!" Oh yes, music is definitely the sound of my childhood.

Day 17--Write about how much you love something that you know no one else will love

Ok, after finally moving from Day 16, I run smack dab into Day 17: Write about something you love that you know no one else will love.

I scratch my head...what do I love that I know no one else will love?

What do I love that I know no one else will love?

Hmmm.  I'm thinking...I'm thinking...I'm thinking.  My family? Nope, others love them. Bologna? Nope, people like that too. Sitting in the sun? Again, people love that. Some smell? Nope, I think I love pretty normal smells that others might love as well.  A funky food?  Nope, I'm kind of a picky eater, so I don't love any food that others will not love too.  Standing in line at the DMV?  Nope, I don't even attempt to love that!

(Cue the Jeopardy theme as I think some more.)

I have no idea!  So...maybe I'll just have to play this blog post BACKWARDS.  So, here goes: What do I HATE that I know no one else will HATE? 

Gotta be strawberries.

Day 16D--Places You've Called Home--THE DREAM HOME!

Just over a year ago we broke ground on a new home.  I had finally talked Craig into moving so that I could have the home I really liked.  We looked at many house plans, and in the end went with a custom house that we helped design.

I LOVE my home.  I was able to pick what I wanted for it, and I think it reflects who I am and the things I love.  We were able to move in at the beginning of the summer, and I have adored my home every day since.

Some things that make me especially happy about my new home:

• It has many windows.  It's light, and bright and happy!
• I have a unique floor plan that no one else has. 
• I have a huge laundry room with a big folding area.  In the rambler home the laundry room was in a closet in the kitchen:  not the best laundry area in the world!
• It's a party home...pool table, gas firepit for roasting marshmallows, trampoline, horseshoes, basketball and pickleball court, a great area for watching movies, and plenty of room to spread out it!
• It's a two story, a house style I've always liked.
• I love the colors in the house.
• My kitchen cabinets are white, which I love, and I have a pantry the size of Rhode Island.
• The garage is HUGE!  I love it after our tiny garage at our other house.

Actually, what I love most about my home is who I share it with.  I hope for many wonderful happy family memories as we have great times here together!

The mud room--left door to garage, right door to half bath

Two story foyer



Family Room

Laundry Room

Kitchen and dining area



Guest bedroom, with its own bathroom, so the guests don't have to
fight the boys for the shower in the morning!

Master Bedroom



Master Bath

 

Boy's bathroom--the glass tile on the vanity backsplash
is also in the shower surround

Downstairs party room!

Downstairs bathroom--check out the "wood"
floor--it's tile!

Extra bedroom/Craft Room

Day 16C--Places You've Called Home--The First Two Houses

Ok, is anyone else ready for me to finish this "day"?  It's only been "Day 16" since July!  I think a 3 month time period is more than enough time for a single "day"!

So, here goes...Day 16 C--Places You've Called Home--The First Two Houses!

Our first home we bought was one we built ("we" meaning a builder built it, we're not that DIY around here!)  We thought we'd live in our apartment for a couple of years when Craig started his first job, but instead we started looking around at houses and ended up deciding to build.  Our first home was a 3 bedroom multi-level home, with an unfinished laundry room, office, and half basement. 

When we built in our neighborhood we were one of the first houses in a later phase, so while there were finished houses close by, we were one of the first ones built in this new phase.  When we moved in that house we had 2 kiddos, by the time we left we had 4.  Craig finished the basement (and the office, I think, although I can't really remember!) in this house, which was a good learning experience...he learned he didn't really want to do that again! 

We lived there for about 4 years, and moved when Craig got a new job about an hour away.  Again, it was a "we were gonna" situation: we were gonna stay there for a year or so before we looked into moving, but after a month or so of long days with that hour long commute I decided I needed my hubby back and we started looking closer to Craig's work for a home.  The fun thing about selling this house was that in 4 years we lived there the housing prices had jumped quite a bit, and we got enough from the sale of our home to pay off our student loans, hooray!

Our second home was a home that I never personally loved.  It was a rambler, and if you know me, you know I don't love ramblers.  When we bought the house it was about 4 years old and fully finished: 3200 sq. ft. total, with 6 bedrooms and 2 full baths with a bath in the basement that had an unfinished shower.  Sad to say, we never finished that shower in the 14 1/2 years we lived in that house, although there were times when it definitely would have been nice to have had that extra shower!

Our home was in a cul-de-sac, and our kids always had great fun playing with the other kids in the neighborhood.  The front yard had a split rail fence for many years, until we took part of it down because the posts were breaking (too much weedwacking around them!) 

The picture I've posted of it shows a new roof that was put on the summer before we moved.  I liked it a lot, but I hated the previous roof, as I thought the shingles were a horrible color!

I have always wanted a front porch, so I had Craig build me a little front porch (basically deck) off the front stairs (you can see the chairs sitting on it in the picture).  My neighbors would say that they could always tell when I was spring because I'd be sitting on the front porch soaking up the sun.

A little bit ago I went back to that house to pick up a letter for us that had been mailed there.  The person who bought the house invited me in, and said "It must be weird seeing someone else's stuff in your house."  Honestly, it wasn't weird to me at all, because as I've never really loved that house, it probably never quite felt like it was "mine".

Up next:  The Dream Home!

Day 16B--Places you've called home--The college years

I started my college housing years at the dormitories.  My first place I lived was Tingey Hall, a 6 girl apartment style dorm with a kitchen.  I didn't know any of my roomies to start with, although a few of them knew each other. 

I lived the summer in another 6 girl apartment style dorm, although I don't remember the name of it...maybe Bowen Hall?  I don't remember much about this place, including who might have been my roomies, as I lived there just a couple of months.

In the fall I went to live in an apartment in a complex called Regency, which was off campus.  I can't remember if there were 4 of us or 6 of us in the apartment.  I lived there with some of my freshman year roomies, but I only stayed at Regency for a semester, and then I moved back to the dorms because of some struggles we had as roomies. At the dorm I was with girls I didn't know at all.

In the summer I moved to an apartment called Brownstone.  Again I didn't know any of my roomies. I think I only lived there Spring term, and then I moved across the street to...uh, I don't remember what it was called.  I probably knew who my roomies were at that point because I had lived across the street for a month or so, but I didn't know them well.  I didn't attend school during summer term (burnout after two straight years of school), and went home for a couple of weeks to unwind.  I stayed in that complex through the fall semester, but in December I married my sweetie (who had lived down the street in another complex) and it was bye-bye to single student housing, hello to a roomie I knew very well!

For our first married apartment Craig and I lived in a little basement apartment of a small house not too far from the area we had met.  We had 2 bedrooms, a family room, a kitchen and a bathroom.  We started out with the daughter of the landlord and her family living upstairs, but at some point they moved out and a couple with a little boy moved in.  One thing I remember about the second family that lived upstairs was that the guy liked to lift weights, and while he lifted he would play M.C. Hammer's "Can't Touch This".  He'd turn it up so that I could only hear the bass.  I also remember when I got pregnant with Melanie and was suffering through morning sickness the upstairs neighbors canned salsa, which was not a lovely thing to live below with morning sickness!

We next changed colleges so Craig could finish school, and we lived in the married student housing there.  One thing I loved about this apartment (if you can believe it!) was that it was made of cinderblocks.  The reason I loved that was that our first little basement apartment had walls that were as crooked as can be, and I loved seeing the straight cinderblock walls!

After Craig graduated, we moved to the big city and lived in an apartment for about 9 months until we decided to build a house.

Next up...the houses!

Day 16--Write about each of the places you've called "home"

This could be a very long post, as I've been a mover most of my life.  In fact, it could be so long that I probably will break it up over a day or two.

Home #1--Drayton Woods Drive House--This was the house of my very early childhood.  Here are a few things I remember about it...Pine trees in the backyard, a swingset, a two story house with my own bedroom to the left at the top of the stairs, my brother's bedroom to the right.  I remember pretending that floor vents were "fireplaces" and sitting over the top of them in a nightgown at night that I held down over the vent so that all the warmth blew right up the nightgown and kept me toasty warm.

Home #2--Pickfair Drive House--Another two story house, with a mansard roof.  I remember the "fence" around our patio in back, which was brick pillars with chains strung between them.  I remember using those chains as tightropes and trying to walk across them (didn't really work!).  I remember there was a fireplace in the family room as well as built in bookcases, and we had a pocket door in the main floor bathroom.  My bedroom was in the front of the house, across the hall from the guest bedroom. I remember this was where I had my pet guinea pig, Spot Brown, who would squeak when we opened either the fridge (yum, carrots and lettuce) or the backdoor (yum, grass).

Home #3--Arlington Drive--This home was a two story townhome.  It wasn't the home my parents really wanted, but when we couldn't get one they were really interested in we settled for this one.  I remember a big hill in the back yard, and behind the townhomes across the street was a woody area, and we used to play and explore there often.  There was a pool close by that we spent many summer days at, and I remember having one of what was my most embarrassing experiences here.  One Halloween when we were out trick-or-treating a man invited us in to his house while he got the candy.  He shut the door, which sent my Dad (who had been walking around with us, but staying on the sidewalk while we rang the doorbells) up to bang on the door to get us safely out.  Although now I can look back and be thankful for a protective Dad, at the time it mortified me! 

Home #4--Fawn Ridge Drive House--A few years later we moved a little ways down the road to the house that my parents had wanted when we first moved to town.  It was on a dead end street, and we were nestled between the local college basketball coach and his family, and the Coca-Cola distributor man, who'd pass out cans of soda at Halloween.  I remember there was a fence that was kind of a woven thing.  The neighborhood boys and my brother and I used to play baseball and football in the backyard.  We'd fondly call the championship games "The Toliet Bowl".  I rode the bus to school and remember one winter when it snowed and snowed and snowed making snow caves at the front of the subdivision in the massive drifts.

Home #5--Ealing Drive--This was a rambler style house, the first and only one my family ever lived in (see where I get my love of two-story homes?).  It was pretty much NOT like any other house we ever had before.  No real dining room, not a two story, only three bedrooms, no foyer.  The kitchen was tiny and L-shaped, and there was a separate entry room you entered in before you came into the actual house.  My bedroom was down in the basement, on the other side of the laundry room, with my parents and brother's bedroom upstairs.  We had a deck off the back of the house, which you got to by exiting out the living room. 

Those are the homes I lived in as a child.  Stay tuned for the next entry, College Homes....

Day 15--Write about how lucky you are to be you

I know I'm a lucky man
God's given me a pretty fair hand
Got a house and a piece of land
A few dollars in a coffee can
My old truck's still running good
My ticker's ticking like they say it should
I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving
And one more day to be my little kid's dad
Lord knows I'm a lucky man

Ok, so I'm not a man, but I love the above lyrics from the song "Lucky Man", which remind me of a few of the reasons I'm lucky to be me.

First of all, God's given me a pretty fair hand.  I certainly have no reason to think that I've gotten a raw deal from God: I live in a land of freedom, I have more than I truly need, including wonderful friends.  Not only is my life overall pretty good, but I also am blessed to know about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and how can anyone not think that we've gotten a pretty fair hand with the great atoning sacrifice of the Savior?

I've got a house...a beautiful new one that I love, and a piece of land...our new house sits on 1/2 an acre, with a beautiful view: mountains to the east, gorgous sunsets to the west, and open fields and farmlands to the north.

I've a got a few dollars...although not in a coffee can!  I'm thankful for having plenty...I don't feel overly rich (although comparatively I am rich to many in this world), but I certainly don't feel lacking at all.  I'm thankful for my own little personal pile of mad money that I have stored away from all the subbing I've done, it's nice to know that I have a little extra that doesn't have to be used for necessities only.

My old truck's still running good...yep, it's true.  Craig's '96 Tacoma is still running good.  As well as the three other cars we drive in our family.  I even get to drive the nicest vehicle, with leather seats, a sunroof, and seat warmers (I know, it's summer, they don't sound that awesome, but in the winter they're GREAT!) I'm lucky to have  decent, reliable transportation.

My ticker's ticking like they say it should...as far as I know, I'm in good health, and I'm thankful for that.  A body is one of life's greatest blessings, and I'm glad mine works and that I am able to do all I need to.

I've got supper in the oven...even though I sometimes grumble about having to cook all the time, I am thankful that we've got plenty of good food.  I'm thankful that it's easy to access...I don't have to grow it from scratch or butcher any animals. 

A good woman's loving...I'm lucky because I have an awesome husband.  He provides well for me.  He takes good care of and is loving and kind to me and our kids.  He's a righteous priesthood holder.  He works hard.  He gives me pretty much everything I want.  He's patient with my wackiness.

And one more day to be my little kid's dad mom...They aren't that little any more, but I am thankful for more days to love my kids, to see them grow and become who they are.  I'm lucky to have great kids; who are smart, hardworking, funny, faithful to God, and make me proud. 

I'm lucky because I have it all....the gospel, material necessities, good health, a great family.  And I am so thankful!

Day 14--Post 3 pictures of yourself that you normally would NOT share

Ok, here they are, three pictures that are overall NOT my best looks!  I'll enter them in age order...

Picture Number 1---I was a freaky alien baby!  I was just about a month old in this picture, and I find myself NOT a cute baby at all in this picture for sure!  My mother assures me I was, but how she can look at this picture and think I was cute shows just how beautiful mothers think their own babies are, regardless of how skinny and weird they look!

Picture Number 2--Looking lovely in 9th grade!  Not my best hairstyle ever, and there's that gap in my teeth I told you I wasn't fond of.  There's a song by Mark Wills called "19 Somethin," and as he sing through the song you hear about his growing up years and all the things from that era...microwaves, big side burns, Stretch Armstrongs, Star Wars, PacMan, Evil Kinevil, bell bottoms, skating rinks.  The chorus to that song goes "Looking back now I can see me, and oh man did I look cheesy!"  Uh, yeah, that's how I feel about this picture.  Oh man, did I look cheesy!

Picture Number 3--Wait a minute, I thought Shamu was at Sea World, not Disney Land!  Oh, the joys of pregnancy pictures!  Between the over sized shirt (I bought some extra large woman's size because they were cheaper and more available than maternity shirts) and being pretty far along in the pregnancy I must say that I feel like I'm looking pretty round (uh, make that UGLY round) in this picture.  My daughter would probably tell you that this is also a picture she would not normally share, as her hair is in her least favorite style and she has a ginormous bow in her hair, which she thinks is pretty ridiculous.  Of course, because mothers always think their own babies are cute (see picture 1 for example), I would tell you that I always thought she was cute, even with a short haircut and a ginormous bow!

Day 13--Write about something you collect

If you went to my mom's house, you would find about 52 million frogs.  Frog statues, frog toys, frog pictures and pillows and paraphenalia.  Unlike my mom, though, I am not really a collector in general, so I am finding this subject a little hard...

I once collected shells and sand from beaches we'd been to and displayed them in my "beachy bedroom", but then I changed the decor scheme, and I haven't visited a beach in a few years, so I don't know that I'd say I collect those things anymore.

Oooh, I guess I might say that I collect Nativity scenes.  That's my favorite Christmas decoration, and I have a few, but nothing along the lines of my mom's frog collection.  And since I only see that collection once a year sometimes I forget about it.

Being somewhat of a social critter, maybe one thing I collect is friends.  Having just moved I'm finding it fun to add to my "collection".  I have loved my new neighborhood and the people in it, and I'm enjoying getting to know them. 

It's fun to find out who they are and what their lives are all about.  It's fun to make connections with them...Ooh, your sister was my back door neighbor at my old house?...Oh, you used to live here, do you know this family?...You grew up there, do you know my college roommate who grew up there too?...Hey, you have a son that was friends with my daughter in High School!...and on and on. 

It's fun to get to know their quirks, interests, and talents (neighborhood firework setter-offer...Our own local Bill Nye the Science Guy...The couple who seems nearly identical to Craig and I...the humanitarian aid superstar lady) and I am thankful for the chance to get to know them all!

Day 12--Top 10 gadgets that you use

Haven't I already written this blog post?  I guess probably not...products vs. gadgets, so this one should be slightly different.

1) Rotary Cutter--Good for the crafty stuff I occasionally do.

2) George Foreman Grill--Handy for cooking up chicken.  I also use it to make grilled cheese sandwiches.

3) Pampered Chef microwave cookers--I have one that I use for hamburger.  Put a frozen chunk of hamburger in, microwave for 3-3 1/2 minutes, drain grease and break up meat.  Microwave for another 3 minutes, drain off any more grease, and it's done.  MUCH easier than browning meat on the stove, IMO.  The second one I use is the microwave rice cooker.  It cooks for about 5 1/2 minutes on high, then 15 1/2 minutes on 50%, and then the rice is done!

4) Orange peeler--This is the greatest invention for me!  I am not very good with knives and it kind of grosses me out to get orange skin under my fingernails, so this enables me to be a big girl and take care of peeling my own oranges. 

Not MY actually ironing board,
but just like it!

5) My built-in ironing board--My new house has an AWESOME feature, a built in ironing board.  In my old house I kept the ironing board set up all the time (I even made a fancy ironing board cover to match the decor in the room) because I do not like putting up and taking down a regular ironing board.  However, this new built in ironing board is easy...just open the cabinet door, move the little lever holding it in, and lower the ironing board.  When you're done, just close it back up.  It's very nice!

6) My new washer and dryer--First of all, there's always lots of wash, so I use these a lot.  But, these would have to go in the top 10 because I LOVE my new washer and dryer!  They work ever so much better than my old ones, which is a plus!  I love that my washer is HUGE, I can get so many things in it--I can put my king size quilt in and wash it, hooray!  I also love them (such a silly reason) because my washer and dryer play me a happy little song when they are done, instead of just buzzing angrily at me!

7) My new refrigerator's in-door ice and water dispenser--Ever so much easier than ice cube trays!  Just a couple of things I'd change if I could...first: the amount of ice it makes.  I'm a big ice user, so the 2 1/2 pounds a day that it makes is maybe ok for me, but when other family members want to use ice too it doesn't go far enough.  The second thing I would change on it, is that I'd change it so it made my favorite ice, the little soft pellet ice. 

8) The regular two-prong plug in my car--I love that I have a regular plug in my car.  I don't have to have a fancy car charger for my phone, I can just use the regular plug in one.  Although my phone charger is mostly what I plug into it, I have the ability to plug ANYTHING into it that has just a regular plug.  So handy!

9) The speaker system in my house--It's nice to be able to pipe music through the house! I especially like it on Sundays, we can turn on the nice Sunday music and just enjoy it all day.

10) My hubby's cellphone--He's got a cooler one than I do, and it connects to the internet.  When we're out, I find myself using it to look up things on it such as directions, addresses, etc.  Or I play the games on it, of which there are many, and that is a bit more fun than the single game of Pac-man that I have on my cell phone!  Craig has offered to let me get a phone like his, but that's actually probably a bit dangerous for me.  It's better that I don't have free reign of the internet at all times.

Day 11--Top ten products that you use

1) Caress soap--This is my soap of choice for showering.
2) Vlasic Pickles--I am a pickle fan, although I go in spurts for having them.  I'll have them in the fridge regularly for a month or so at a time and then I'll not buy any for awhile.  If I'm buying pickles, though, it has to be Vlasic brand.  Fresh pack Kosher Dills.
3) Mini Chocolate chips--I've decided I like mini chocolate chips much better than regular size chocolate chips in cookies.  The brand doesn't matter to me, I've had the Toll House ones, as well as the local grocery store brand ones.
4) HP computers--It's hard to imagine life before computers.  I use my many, many times per day.  Too many, many times a day, probably.  I'm not necessarily pro HP or anything, it's just the computer part of that product that is what I use.
5) Honda Pilot--I use this pretty much daily for getting around town and accomplishing the stuff I've got going on.
6) Mary Kay Time Wise Bar--I use this twice a day for washing my face.  I'm glad for a Mary Kay selling sis-in-law who can get me my bars for half price, woohoo!
7) Mountain Dairy Milk--I've gotta have a glass of milk with breakfast, and I often have one with lunch as well. 
8) Corelle dishes--I'm a big fan of Corelle, because it's lightweight and seems less fragile, making it so easy to clean, stack, use. 
9) Colgate Toothpaste--I used to use Crest all the time when I was a kid, but as a cheapie adult I found Crest didn't seem to go on sale as much as Colgate, so I used Colgate now. 
10) SaladMaster cookware--We bought some SaladMaster pots and pans about 20 years ago, and if I cook dinner, then that's what I use.  ;

Day 10--Top 10 websites that you use

1. My blog website.  I use it to check my favorite blogs.
2. www.ksl.com   Gotta check the local news.  The free classified ads on there are nice too!
3. www.google.com  My favorite search engine.  I most often dislike immensely other search engines.
4. www.slate.com  I like to read "Dear Prudence", the advice column, it comes out on Monday and Thursday.  I'm a sucker for advice columns.  Always have been. Some people have some pretty wack-a-do problems.
5. www.creators.com  Again, a place where I go for an advice column.  I like "Dear Margo".  Once upon a time she was "Dear Prudence" over on Slate, and I found her after she left.  "Dear Margo" runs on Fridays and Saturdays.
6. scriptures.byu.edu   I haven't used it in awhile because I've not been teaching Sunday School lately, but this is a site that links scriptures (just put in your reference) with LDS conference talks where those scriptures are quoted.  It's very handy for preparing talks or lessons.
7. google maps or map quest.  So I can get around without any problems. I like to know where I'm going, and I think looking at a map helps me visualize where I'm headed. 
8. www.facebook.com  I like to see what's up with my friends, especially the ones you don't see often.
9. www.youtube.com  This is where I enjoy watching the latest funny videos, or looking up other things such as songs, old music videos from my childhood, etc.
10. www.lds.org  I'm LDS, and this is the source of great info---ward directory, references for talks and church magazines, videos, manuals, hymns, etc.

I'm a little surprised that I had 10 websites that I regularly use.  Although I'm on the internet a lot, most of it tends to be random surfing and not a "regular" thing.  I love the chance that the internet gives to find out stuff, that's kind of my M.O.--I tend to know a little bit about a lot of things, and the internet makes it really easy for me to find that little bit.

Day 9--Tell a joke

Ok, because it's so late, I'm gonna actually tell you two jokes!

First, the long joke...

A man runs into the vet’s office carrying his dog, screaming for help. The vet rushes him back to an examination room and has him put his dog down on the examination table. The vet examines the still, limp body and after a few moments, tells the man that his dog, regrettably, is dead. The man, clearly agitated and not willing to accept this, demands a second opinion.

The vet goes into the back room and comes out with a cat and puts the cat down next to the dog’s body. The cat sniffs the body, walks from head to tail, poking and sniffing the dog’s body and finally looks at the vet and meows.

The vet looks at the man and says, “I’m sorry, but the cat thinks that you’re dog is dead, too.”

The man is still unwilling to accept that his dog is dead. So the vet brings in a black Labrador retriever. The lab sniffs the body, walks from head to tail, and finally looks at the vet and barks.

The vet looks at the man and says, “I’m sorry, but the lab thinks your dog is dead too.”

The man, finally resigned to the diagnosis, thanks the vet and asks how much he owes. The vet answers, “$650.”

“$650 to tell me my dog is dead?” exclaims the man.

“Well,” the vet replies, “I would only have charged you $50 for my initial diagnosis. The additional $600 was for the cat scan and lab tests.

And now the short joke...

Why was the sand wet?   Because the sea-weed. 

 (By the way, one of my sons told me no one would get that joke.  Do you get it?  If I said because the sea wee-weed would you get it?)

Day 8--Write about all of the items in your junk drawer

Because they say a picture's worth a thousand words...

This is the closest I get to a junk drawer right now, probably because I've just moved and things are relatively unjunky right now.

Seriously, do you want me to write about all these things?  What am I gonna say? There's just really only so much you can say about the calculators, tape dispensers, rulers and notepads I've got cluttering up that drawer. 

Thinking about how there's only so much to say about this stuff makes me think of Brian Regan's comedy routine about  refrigerator sales.  So, instead of reading some mindless dribble about the stuff in my junk drawer, how 'bout you just check out Brian's spiel on refrigerators?  I promise it will be much more entertaining...and that's a real nice feature!

Day 7--Write about the top search engine keywords that bring people to your blog

Well, if I'm reading the statistics correctly, there are two things tied for the main search engine keywords that bring people to my blog. 

The first is searching "Libby Fry Utah".  So, obviously I have a few fellow cyberstalkers out there trying to find me, 'cause that's the first thing I do when I'm looking for someone...type in their name and location in a search engine. 

The second is searching for "cleaning sink at Angie's".  That will pull up one of my first blog posts about our family eating a bunch of ice cream, otherwise known at the restaurant as "cleaning the sink".

Here are some of the other search engine keywords people use that takes them to my blog...I'm gonna guess that they are NOT really looking for me when they put in these key words:

*Libby Lou in Mississippi--When I enter that into my favorite search engine I got a bunch of entries for Club Libby Lu stores in Mississippi.  Have you ever heard of Club Libby Lu?  I hadn't either, so check it out here: Club Libby Lu
*Libby Lou Lemonade--This one brings up a bunch of links to Club Libby Lu stuff too...looks like maybe they served pink lemonade there?
*Necklaces by Libbylou--This one pulls up a bunch of random things, so I'm not sure if people entering that search term were looking for necklaces from Club Libby Lu, or maybe Libby Lou's Bottle Cap and Scrabble Tile Jewelry and accessories (check out their facebook page!)?

Day 6--Part three--the final third!

Ok...you're almost done finding out all about me!  Hopefully it hasn't been too terribly boring for you!

67) I went to 3 different schools for the elementary grades. First one was for kindergarten only, then 1st through 3rd was another, and 4th through 6th was the final.

68) I think "The Princess Bride" book is twice as funny as the movie. And the movie is pretty darn funny.

69) When I was a child, I cut my forehead open a few times because I'd fall and whack my head. I have a nice little row of scars on it to prove it.

70) I had post partum depression after a couple of my babies. Depression stinks.

71) I find it very hard to think of 100 things about yourself!

72) The first substitute teaching job I ever did was for my daughter's kindergarten class. It was on a Saturday. It was a make-up snow day. Not very many kids came.

73) I once won a contest associated with the NBA All-Star game.  It was a "finish the poem" contest, and I won second place.  My prize was tickets to the Slam Dunk contest, a gift certificate to the mall, and maybe something else, but I can't remember what.

74) I lost my wedding ring when we moved from our first home, but the new owners of my house found it and called me so I got it back.

75) However, about 5 or 6 years ago I had what I call a "mid-life crisis" and had my hubby buy me a new sparkly wedding ring.  My first diamond was probably not much bigger than this "o", and I just wanted something a little bigger and more sparkly.  It was most unlike me, I'm usually not very flashy.

76) My hubby lost his first wedding ring at the bottom of Waimea Falls in Hawaii when he went swimming there.

77) I have naturally curly hair.  Or as I like to call it, naturally boingy hair.  It doesn't seem to curl that nicely, it just seems to boing.

78) I can only curl my tongue inside of my mouth.  If I try to stick my tongue out of my mouth it can't stay curled.

79) I like to talk to people and try to make connections of some kind with them.

80) I only have had one tiny cavity in my life.  And I probably got it within the past 5-10 years, so I went a pretty long time with no cavities.

81) I haven't broken any bones.

82) I am not a big fan of fruits and vegetables.  I call myself a carnivore.

83) My checkbook balances on the first try 99% of the time.  If not, it balances on the second try.

84) I have no desire to play the board game "Ticket to Ride" even though it is an extended family favorite.

85) I have pierced ears.  They've been pierced since I was probably 8ish.

86) I always wear dangly earrings.

87) The only jewelry I usually wear is my wedding ring, my CTR ring, and my dangly earrings.  I almost never wear necklaces or bracelets.

88) I like swinging on swings and rocking in rocking chairs.

89) I used to have a gap between my front teeth, but it's kind of closed up the older I've gotten. Good. I was not a fan of that gap.

90) My first car was white, and my current car is white.

91) If I'm not going shopping I don't really like carrying my purse around.

92) I still have my tonsils, even though I had strep throat a million times when I was a kid.

93) I could really use some ice cream tonight!

94) When I would go to Nanny's when I was a kid she would make me fried bologna, eggs, and toast for breakfast.  I thought it was cool how the bologna popped up in the middle when you cooked it.

95) I hate driving over the Coronado Bridge in California.   I'm always afraid I'll drive right off it.

96) I've never had chicken pox.

97) I get cold sores.  I have discovered if I apply liquid benedryl to them regularly it seems to keep them from being out of control big and sore.

98) I like laughing so hard you cry.  The last time I did that was last Tuesday.

99) Sometimes my daughter and I spontaneously break out into the same song or quote the same quote at the same time.  It's kind of freaky weird, but I like it.  That is why I laughed so hard that I cried last Tuesday, we both broke out in the same song at the same time.

100) LAST ONE!!!!  I am pretty much completely opposite of my husband.  When it's not driving me crazy I appreciate it because he's strong where I'm weak.

Whew!  Did you make it all the way to the end?  Thanks for reading through it all!  So what did you find out about me that you didn't know?  Is there anything you found out about me that's just like you? 

Day 6--Part Two

36) Blue Cheese (Bleu Cheese?) dressing is my salad dressing of choice.

37) I had a mini turtle for a pet when I was a kid.

38) I have always thought I have "calves only a cow could love", so I wear long skirts.

39) The bane of my existance lately has been little holes worn in the tummy of my shirt.  Every single shirt I own has them, even if it's a pretty new shirt.  It ruins every shirt I have.  Rumor has it (from internet research) that it has to do with my jean buttons and shirt being rubbed against countertops, seatbelts, etc.  I guess I should start sucking my tummy in more and stop leaning up against things if I don't want to be a hole-y shirt gal. 

40) I don't wear flip flops because I feel like my toes ooze over the side of them and it doesn't look pretty.  Any sandal I wear has to have a horizontal strap holding my toes properly in place.

41) I am pretty competitive at games.  I like to win.

42)  I played on my high school softball team.

43) I do not like soft water.  It feels slimy to me when I shower and kind of freaks me out.

44) I am known for being very good at remembering people's names. 

45) I am kind of a cyberstalker.  I like to look people up on the internet.  It's amazing sometimes what you can find out about people.

46)  I used to wear flat heeled dress shoes all the time, but I've kind of started liking low to mid heels lately.  They are hard to find though, it's usually flat heels or sky highs in the store.

47) I am a fan of cardigans.  Is that some kind of Mr. Rogers thing I've got going on?

48) When I wear my cardigans, 99% of the time I have a white shirt on under them.  Remember, white is a good accent color, right?

49) I LOOOOOOOOOVE my new house.  Love it.  Love it.  Love it.  Yes, I know, I need to post pictures. Maybe look for those on Day 16?

50) I hate taking my car to the shop.  I wish I knew all about how to fix cars because whenever I take my car in I have great fear that I'm gonna get ripped off.

51) I am not a germ-a-phobe.  My hope is that if I'm not scared of germs, then I'll build up a healthy immunity to them so that one day when the germs get bad I'll be able to fight them off!

52) I'm very bad for the enviroment.  I leave the water running when I brush my teeth. When I try to turn the water off when I'm brushing my teeth it just feels wrong.

53) I've discovered that brushing my tongue (which they say helps keep bad breath at bay) is much easier for me to do if I look in the mirror.  If I don't look in the mirror while I do it, I just gag.

54) I played the trumpet in my high school band. 

55) Maybe I should clarify: in my FIRST high school band.  I went to two high schools (moved after 10th grade).

56) I wanted to play the clarinet, but my dentist said I had a bit of an overbite and playing the clarinet might make it worse.

57) If you want to get a hold of me, it's best not to use my cell phone for that.  When people call me or text me on it, and I often don't see it until a day or so later.  I've got an old, low-tech cell phone and it sits in my purse, where I can't always hear it.

58)  I like older music a lot (big band, 50's rock and roll).

59) I like to sing a lot.  But not really solos.  Normally I sing alto, although I like to try all the parts.

60) If you ask me what my favorite book is I would tell you The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

61)  I am a big fan of happy endings.  And they lived happily ever after...my favorite phrase.

62) I just went back and looked at my "A to Z--All About Me" post.  I have repeated a few things in this list.  Sorry.

63) I like flowers in pinks, purples, whites, blues, and yellows. And if you mixed all those in a garden or bouquet I think it's extra nice!

64) For smelly stuff (lotions, candles, etc.) my favorite flavors (scents?) are vanilla, cinnamon, and the clean laundry smell.

65) When I was in 5th grade we held a "Beauty Pageant" as a talent show for our music class.  I won the title of "Miss 5th Grade".  I don't remember what my talent was, probably singing.

66) In 4th grade I learned to knit.  My teacher taught us, and after lunch we knit while she read to us.  We made an afghan that was donated to some charitable cause.

Ok...it's time to take a little break from this list.  Stay tuned for part 3, the final third of the list of 100 things about me!

Day 6--Write 100 Things about yourself

1) I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I love the church and I am thankful for the peace and joy it brings to my life.

2) I am happily married with 4 wonderful kiddos!

3) I am left handed.

4) I have one brother and zero sisters.

5) I love chocolate ice cream.  Overall it's my favorite flavor of ice cream.

6) I am a substitute teacher (elementary school).

7) I have a beast of a name.  I have a formal first name but I go by a nickname.  I have a middle name and both a maiden and married name.  I never know quite what to answer when I am asked my name.  Am I:
"Nickname-Married Name"? 
"Formal Name-(Nickname)-Middle Name-Maiden Name-Married Name"?
"Nickname-Maiden Name-Married Name"?
 I have pondered just changing my name legally so I know exactly who I am but...

8) I am cheap (do you know how much it costs to change a name?)  I buy a good 90% of things on clearance/sale, or at a thrift store.

9) I like to decorate my house.

10) I had a dog (mini dachshund) when I was little.  I liked my dog a lot back then, but I don't think I'd have a dog again though, much to the dismay of my youngest son, who has always wished for a dog.

11) I would like to learn how to crochet.

12) I want to brush up on my French language skills, but I also want to learn Spanish.  I did try to take Spanish in college, but it was very hard after 4 years of French, I wanted to pronounce everything with a French accent.

13) I have always wanted to go to Africa on a humanitarian trip.  There is a lady in my new neighborhood that does that, and one of these days I'm gonna go with her.

14) I have been in two community "theater in the round" plays.  One was called "Laundry and Bourbon" and the other was called "When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet".  I really enjoyed being in the plays and now when I go to the theater it makes me wish I was in a play.

15) My hubby and I have season tickets to a local theater, so I get to wish I was in a play every other month or so.

16) I love reading books to little kids.  Some of my favorites are the Sandra Boynton board books, such as "Barnyard Dance", "But Not the Hippopotamus", or "Moo Baa La La La".  One I really like to share with kids that most have never heard of is "The Hungry Thing", by Jan Slepian.

17) I like to cook, but I'm not a gourmet cook.

18) I like the chocolate rice krispie cereal a lot.  It's fun to make rice kripie treats with it too.

19) I have an irriational fear of large bathrooms.  The ones that are in stores, where there are no stalls, just a toliet out in the open with a door that's about 50 feet away from the toliet.  I am pretty sure that one of these days I will not lock the door properly and someone will come in while I'm doing my duty!

20) I like walking for exercise.

21) I don't like strawberries.

22) I usually sleep well at night.  And I'm usually out so well during that sleep that I don't hear middle of the night things, like large storms, or other neighborhood going ons.

23) I went fishing a lot when I was a child when we were visiting Nanny and Granddaddy's. We'd catch catfish.  When my hubby and I got married he tried to take me fishing but he didn't use little red and white bobbers like we used to when I was a kid and it just wasn't the same for me.

24) I tend to like my food with stuff on it: sauces, dressings, breading, etc.

25) Sometimes I put my chips directly on my sandwich at lunch and eat them that way.

26) I am a fan of shell collecting at the beach.

27) I can stay up way too late sometimes.   My trick when I do it is to not try to look at the clock so I don't know what time it really is.  Then I just tell myself it's 10:30 and I'm gonna get a good night's sleep, right?

28) I like white much better than cream as an accent color. The white is just nice and clean and bright and fresh looking.

29) I like things that are bright and happy.  Like sunshiney days over dreary ones.  Or bright white lights over yellowy lights.

30) I like brown as a decorating color more than black.

31) I like Pepsi (kickback from childhood), but I don't drink it very often because of the caffeine.  I'll usually drink Sprite instead if I'm having soda, which I don't very often anyway.

32) Wendy's used to be my favorite fast-food place, but then they changed the way they make some of their food so now I don't really like it at all.  I'll go to McDonald's now.  Although I do still like Frosties at Wendy's.

33) I don't really get very excited about breads, they just seem kind of dry to me a lot.  So, I'll tear off about half the bread on a sandwich/hamburger usually.

34) If I'm gonna eat a cinnamon roll, it's got to be ooey gooey bread.  I despise dry cinnamon rolls!

35) I am only 1/3 of the way through this list and I am not sure how the heck I'm gonna finish 100 things!  I must be kind of boring.

So, I think for now I will post my 35 things.  Look for another entry soon with the rest of the things about me!

Day 5--Post an old picture and some commentary

(Please excuse the "day of rest" yesterday that I didn't post.)

Ok, an old picture and commentary...

When I was a kid, I used to bowl on a Saturday morning bowling team.  As you might could tell from this picture, I was one of the oldest kids on the team.  Overall we weren't really that great of a team, but we ended up pulling a "Hoosiers" like victory over the bigger, better teams at our local bowling alley and heading to the state tournament, which is where this picture was taken.

Day 4--Ten things I can't do anymore

1--Bend over to touch my toes so that my upper body is directly against my legs.  I can at least bend over and touch my toes still, but the upper body is far, far away from the legs when I do it!

2--Talk on the phone to Bradley more than twice a year for the next 13 months.  He's on a mission.  He gets to call home on Christmas and Mother's Day.  I miss talking to that boy.

3--Fit into single digit sizes.  That's no fun when it comes to shopping. Or looking in the mirror.

4--Touch my hands behind my back like the picture to the right----->

5--Stay up all night long without being a total zombie the next day.  I used to be able to do it every so often and survive the next day day, but it's pretty much impossible nowadays.

6--See things close up clearly.  You know how you laugh at the "older people" holding books at arm's length in order to see them?  Well, watch out, because it will happen to you too when you get older.  It has an official name, which is presbyopia.  It's very weird to not be able to focus on things that are close up.

7--Enjoy a full day at an amusement park--some of the rides make me dizzy.  The whirl around in circle ones mostly.

(By the way, just a little side note to this list...it's a bit distressing that many of these things I can't do are "age related".  It's hard to reconcile that you're getting older when you feel so un-old overall!)

8--Go across Burton Lane and take Sammy to lunch at Wendy's on my motorcycle (family joke), 'cause Sammy moved to Colorado! :-(

9--Hear a marching band without wanting to march and/or dance.

10--Remember all the numbers properly so I could count to 100 in French.

Day 3--Write about teachers...

Today's post is about teachers you had growing up, and why you did or did not like them.  To start with, I'll brief you on some favorites.

My absolute favorite teacher was my 2nd grade teacher, Miss Young.  She loved hippopotumuses (hippopotumii?) and hippos always make me think of her.  One of the things I liked in her class was that she had a box of pictures that we used as story starters.  You were supposed to pick a picture and write a story to go with it.  I think I wrote more stories that year than anyone else in the class.  I loved the story starter pictures.  In fact, every so often I see an interesting picture and think "I should write a story about that!"

In High School, one of my favorite teachers was Mr. Reed, who taught math.  Mr. Reed also had a flower shop that he owned, which the students called "Mr. Reed's Weeds".  I think one of the reasons I liked him was that I like math in general, and so it was a favorite class.  He might have even taught me a couple of years in a row, if I remember correctly.

In College my favorite professors tended to be my religion professors. There are 3 I specifically remember, although only two whose names I specifically remember!  I liked S. Michael Wilcox (took Pearl of Great Price from him, loved the lessons I learned in that class) and Stephen Robinson (not sure of the class I took from him, but I remember his "Parable of the Bicycle" pointing to the Atonement of Christ touching me deeply).  The 3rd I can't remember  his name, I want to say Russell somebody, and I took a few different classes from him because I liked him so much.  I just remember him being funny and intertesting.

In thinking back on all these teachers, I find I don't necessarily have what feel like any super interesting "I loved my teacher because..." stories.  I guess mainly it would be that I enjoyed their class and what and how they taught, and I felt like they liked me as well.

As for a teacher I didn't really like, there's really only one that I remember not liking much when I had her.  She really probably was a good teacher (I say that because it was my french teacher, and I do remember enough french to think she must have been pretty ok), but I remember feeling like she made us do things that I didn't enjoy, and she wasn't fun and happy, but rather was grumpy and strict.

Because I feel bad about how grumpy I was about her as a teen, I will not tell you her real name.  I will tell you that we all called her "Madame Moonboots" because she would wear moonboots in the winter with her dresses (she and Napoleon Dynamite must have shopped at the same store).  She had short black hair and her eyebrows were arched so that somehow it seemed to make her look angry all the time. She used to ride her bicycle to work, and I remember one time watching the Wizard of Oz where I saw Dorothy's grumpy bike riding neighbor and thinking "It's Madame Moonboots!"

Mme Moonboots

I used to draw pictures of her for my friends.  I'm a bit out of practice, but they looked something like this:

As I said before, she probably was actually a pretty decent teacher overall (Merci Mme Moonboots!), but at the time I certainly didn't appreciate her. 

Day Two--Share your favorite recipe

Ok, technically I am not sure that I actually have an overall favorite recipe, so instead I am doing the recipe that gets the most raves when I make it.  If I tell you the title of the recipe, "Raisin Oatmeal Cookies", you might not be that impressed.  But if you make the recipe you will find that they are not really much like what the title of the recipe conjures up in your mind, they are a mysterious flavor...kind of spicy/gingersnappy/yummy tasting.  Chances are you won't even know there are raisins in them either.  They are sneaky cookies.

Raisin Oatmeal Cookies (This recipe makes a TON of cookies)

Blend in blender: 4 Cups of oatmeal until powdery.  Set aside.

Blend in blender: 2 cups raisins, 6 eggs, and 2 tsp. vanilla until the raisins are pureed.  Set aside.

Cream together in a large bowl:  2 cups sugar, 2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups shortening.  When that is well creamed slowly mix with raisin/egg/vanilla liquid until well blended.

Add: 5 cups flour, 4 tsp. baking soda, 2 tsp. cinnamon, and 2 tsp salt.  When that is all mixed in, then add the oatmeal powder.

Roll dough into little balls, and roll balls in white sugar.  Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degreees for 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Here's a plate of them from a fresh batch I made this morning...