A-Team Movie

Completely diverting, action-packed and fun. Just what I needed.

Joyful Readers

My favorite Sunday activity:

Monday Morning Thoughts

If it doesn't scare you to death, it will make you stronger.

Hmm, I'm trying to prove that to be true, but it is slow going. Today I tackled weeding our rock wall. It runs rampant with all the things I hate most about weeding. Big stickery weeds, lots of morning glory (which I learned on Jeopardy grows counter-clockwise), snails, and of course, spiders.

There is nothing worse than grasping a large clump of weed, and simultaneously hearing and feeling the crunching squish of snail. I shudder just thinking of it.

Well, maybe I spoke too soon. Perhaps the worst thing is a large spider darting out of its crevice in the wall right at my hand.

Just as I had decided not to continue weeding (too many of above incidents happening), Austin and Matthew came out to help me. I decided to continue working. Their conversation kept me diverted.

Here is the best conversation of the day:

Matthew: G'ma, here is a spider web! (Like I hadn't noticed.)

Me: Yes

Matthew: G'ma, spiders live in a spider web. (Like I didn't know that.)

Me: Yes

Matthew: G'ma, I will protect you from the spiders with my weeding tool!

Sweeter words have never been spoken!

Sisters 2010 - the Latest Generation

My favorite weekend of the year is Sister's Weekend, and that was this weekend for me and my daughters. No children (except nursing babies) or husbands come along for this. Just us. Three days of girl stuff, relaxed and no pressure. Each year is different, which is part of the charm. So, here's the weekend in brief:

Thoughtful gifts:

This is one tradition we do each year. We each bring a gift for the rest of the group. I gave each of the girls this year's Newbery and Caldecott winner books, and made each of us an apron. Audrey made necklaces for us, and a perpetual birthday/anniversary calendar. Debra gave each of us an "excuse me, I asked for a large" mug. Red, of course. Beth gave us a small spatula from Pampered Chef that we will all use (we started with the brownies we made on Friday).

Good eats: the Blue Lemon Bistro in Highland, cupcakes from Dear Lizzie in Highland, homemade bread (thank you Debra), French dip sandwiches, and we made the California Pizza Kitchen Barbecue Chicken Chopped Salad.

Fine viewing: So You Think You Can Dance, Little Women (Wynona Ryder version), and North and South.

Terrific productivity:

Beth made several hair accessories. (No, she is not trying out for a synchronized swimming team.) Beth would also like to note that they are not designed to all be worn at the same time.

She also made a miniature version of our aprons for her daughter Rachel.

Debra finished her quilt. She had it all pieced and ready to quilt. She completed the quilting and put on the binding.

A good time was had by all, and we can't wait until next year!

The two Dianes

Beth, Diane, Debra, Audrey, all in our aprons

The whole gang: Beth, Diane, Debra, Diane, Audrey

Happy Birthday Debra!

Labor began about 2:00 a.m. It was June in Utah - hot, and I tossed and turned wondering if this was it. Finally about 3:00 a.m. Ray turned over and asked what was going on. I told him I was having contractions, and we began timing them. We kept hoping to go back to sleep, but that didn't happen.

Finally at about 5:00 a.m. we decided we better go to the hospital. I called Ray's sister Orva and asked if we could bring Audrey over. We bundled Audrey (2 years) into the car, grabbed our bags, and off we went. It was an uneventful labor and delivery, and Debra was born at 10:23 a.m.

She weighed 7 lbs 8 oz., and I marveled at how small she was. I must have mentioned it a few times because the nurse finally said, "She's not at all small. She's exactly average weight." Then I told the nurse that Audrey had been over nine pounds. She understood what I meant after that.

Debra, 4 months

Debra was our only baby we didn't have name picked out and agreed upon before her birth. Back then I didn't know what I was having until they were born. We knew the first boy would be Ray, so that was easy. We just could not agree on a name for a girl. Ray wanted Debby, but I was teaching school and had a Debbie in my classroom that was a terror. I just couldn't name a sweet new baby Debbie.

About a week before I had Debby, we had some business transactions with a woman named Kelly. Ray said he liked the name Kelly. I was not crazy about that name either. We had tried for months to agree on a name. I figured we must be having a boy. Not so. When she was born, Ray looked at me and asked what we should name her, Debby or Kelly. I decided that since I didn't really like either name, and Ray preferred Debby, we'd go with that. We named her Debra, and I call her that a lot of the time. Most people call her Debby.

Now I adore the name. Almost as much as I adore her. What a joy she is for me.

Full House

All four children here with spouses and children

or

All six grandchildren here with parents

Either way you look at it, it was the perfect Saturday!

Happy Birthday Audrey!

She was a little butterball. Weighing in at 9 lbs. 9 oz., Audrey joined our family on June 3.

Audrey, 2 months

Audrey came almost two weeks past her due date. I don't think she's been late for anything since. I'd been to the hospital a couple of times with false labor and was very anxious to have her born. June 2 we went to the movies and saw The Four Seasons starring Carol Burnett and Alan Alda. In the middle of the movie I began having labor pains (again), but this time they felt different. I leaned over to Ray and said, "I think this might be it." We both agreed there was no rush, but were a little distracted during the movie while we timed contractions.

We went home after the movie and my water broke. Time to go to the hospital, for real this time. We arrived a little after 10:00 p.m. as I recall. They stuck me in a labor room, gave me an epidural, and Ray and I watched Johnny Carson. Finally it was time to push. Ray asked the nurse, "how long do people usually have to push?" She gave some answer, and Ray determined that at the most I would have to push 100 times (don't ask). The next contraction I began to push. Ray said, "only 99 more!" Imagine the look I gave him then. Suffice it to say there was no more counting. There was no need. Two more pushes and out she came at 4:14 a.m.

There she was, our first child, our first daughter, and the delight of our lives. We could never have imagined before then what she would bring to us. She still continues to delight us and bring us joy each and every day.

We love you Audrey!

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

My friend Carrie recommended this book, and I'm glad I took the recommendation. I really enjoyed it. Fun, quirky characters, good plot development, and good resolution. These are some things I've missed in some of my recent reads.

It seems I'm on another mystery binge, but in reality it's mostly because that's what has come in at the library, and with that comes a definite due date.

I request a lot of books from the library, and on some I'll be 50th or 200th on the list, sometimes I'll be right at the top of the list. Somehow they all seem to come in at the same time and I'm scrambling to get them read in time. So I even prioritize my library stack either by due date or whether or not it can be renewed. Right now I have some books in my stack that I didn't get to the first time they came in. I don't want to have to request them again, so I'm having to read a little more than usual (like that's some punishment - Ha!)