Thankful Thursday... The Halloween/ Fall decorations are up!

Thankful Thursday... All my Halloween/ Fall seasonals are up!

It was a crazy day, but I got it all done...

&

didn't break my neck with all the acrobatics I was doing on the ladder hanging the stuff from the ceiling! My guardian ghoul was watching...( guardian angel Halloween style)

This is my armoire... there is a witchy side and a boo side...

The witchy side.... all orange and black.
This is what started my Halloween decor two years ago. I had never decorated for Halloween until I saw these cute jars in a store and thought, " A little bit of Halloween wouldn't hurt."... now I have got mostly Halloween and I am loving it!

My "BOO" side... a few skulls and other haunted mansion type things...

My mantel... This year I made the "All Hallows Eve" banner...

it was a fun project! Plus I got a few new skulls.... You can never have too many skulls laying around your house!

p.s. my candelabra now has bright purple candles and it looks much better...

My FAVORITE new Halloween addition... "Quoth the Raven, Nevermore!"

I saw this sign at Dear Lizzy and LOVED it!

I reminds me of teaching English... every year my classes would study Edgar Allan Poe and then we would read "The Raven"... I sure wish my name was LeNore, righ about now!

That is all my Halloween stuff...

Mitch told me I had WAY overdecorated, Caylor said he felt haunted, Jacks thought I had lost it... & Meg loves it!

What do those boys know anyways?

Below is all my Fall decor...

Fall Decor...

While I have been in love with Halloween decor... I can't forsake my first love...FALL!

Like my neighbor, Dean, said Sept. 1st,

" I have got to get my Halloween and Fall decor up, because I've got so much Christmas , I will have to start that soon... maybe before Halloween."

I just laughed! We are kindred spirits!My favorite FALL thing... My Autumn witch. Not a Halloween witch, but decorated with leaves and acorns... she is perfect until Thanksgiving! The best thing about her is she was a gift from a dear friend... now every year forever- I will think of her while I decorate for my favorite season!

Pumpkins and Feathers... Gotta Love the colors of the season!

This is my front porch... A little bit fall... I will probably put some real pumpkins out when the weather finally starts co-operating Mother Nature needs to get the memo that it is FALL!

This is part of what is on my table... A few pumpkins and an acorn and a cornucopia.

Under Construction...

I just couldn't stand the yellow anymore...

So- For a minute or two this blog is

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

Loser?

A few weeks ago I did something I never thought I would do...

I went to a movie by myself!

There has only been one other time I ventured into a theatre on my own...

I was in 3rd grade or so and I was supposed to meet some friends at the movie theater. I think my dad just dropped me off at the "new" movie theater on the red hill and told me he would be back in two hours. Kramer Vs. Kramer was the movie being shown and all my friends decided they didn't want to see it and I didn't get the memo.

So... I sat through Dustin Hoffman and some ugly little long haired boy dealing with a divorce.

Yes, I was in 3rd grade. I guess I didn't tell my mom which movie I was seeing. I couldn't watch Three's Company, so I doubt Kramer vs. Kramer would have been on the family viewing list.

That is random and wacky and I really can't believe I just got dropped at the theater alone, but it really did happen.

ANYWAY... I digress...

So my first experience was pretty crappy... I didn't want to do it again.

Two weeks ago I was at the Gateway and tried to get my ipod fixed. I hadn't made an appointment with the genius, so they couldn't help me until the next day. I made some returns and just really didn't have anything else to do. I saw the movie poster for Julia & Julie and remembered how I loved the book and wanted to see the movie, but couldn't really ever hook up with friends to see it.

Right then... I got the idea to just go by myself and then felt totally like a loser for thinking that.

Then I decided... I was going to see it by myself!

I got all determined and cocky.

The next showing didn't start for an hour so...

I bought Caylor some birthday presents, got a Costa Vida salad, went outside WITH my sunglasses and totally checked out every person walking by. That's right TOTALLY stared at the people at the gateway and ate my salad ALONE! I LOVED IT!

I gawked until it was movie time, bought myself a nice LARGE coke and entered the theater.

I was a little embarrassed, thinking I was such a LOSER!

An amazing thing happened...

I laughed out loud at the movie... drank my coke and had the best time.

I felt totally secure- I didn't care that I was alone!

I am no longer a loser for going to the movie alone...just someone who found her own company to be quite enjoyable!

It was much better than Kramer vs. Kramer.

Thankful Thursday... Fall... Bring it on!

Today I am most thankful for one very important thing: Fall!
I have not been feeling well so... I just haven't been in the mood.

I was starting to worry...

BUT THEN...

Monday it was a little bit cooler...

It even rained a little bit...

I saw a deer in my back yard...

And Secret Haven held their Witches Night Out...

Add all these things together AND it means... Fall is on its way!

Margie, Meggie and I donned our witch hats ( to get 30% off one item)

and hit the sale.

It was a wonderland of fall and Halloween goodness...
More orange and black than I can even begin to describe!
Today I finished a few Halloween/ Fall projects...
and tomorrow I am going to decorate!
Once the weather truly cools down I will be in absolute Fallish heaven!
It IS the best time of the year!

Oh... on Wednesday... Tammy sent me a text message that says only 100 days until Christmas...
YIKES!

Happy Day to My MAN!

Wednesday 09.09.09 was Caylor's 39th birthday!

I was so into the fact that it was 09.09.09

He didn't think it was as amazing...

I guess a somewhat cool numbered birthday has rolled around every ten years for him... so he was over it.

Because I like to have a theme around most everything in my life... I decided to go with the obvious... 09.09.09 and the skull and cross bones thing...

I racked my brain thinking of things that had to do with the letter 9.

Here is what I came up with...

Dressed to the 9's- a new outfit. The tag said it was his new birthday suit.

You deserve the whole 9 yards- Some football things.. tickets, a poster, etc.

9 iron- don't laugh... a new iron and ironing board... he loves ironed clothes & he is a perfectionist ironer...

The tag said... You can't use this on the links... You won't holler FORE!

It keeps you looking o' so crisp.

someone we can't ignore!

9 love notes from your biggest fans- letters from us, my parents, his parents, boss, & best friend

Cloud 9- He loves chocolate chip cookies and Krispy Kremes

Love potion #9- cologne

I even got him some tattoo sleeves... because I am alway wanting him to get a tattoo and he always just laughs... maybe for the big 4-0?
So... My thinking on adding the skull and crossbones to everything that it can be on the poster this year and on the arm next... He told me to keep dreaming!

THe kids were excited to help me wrap and put it all out for him!
Earlier in the day I took cake and several posters to his office to announce that it was his big day! He was embarrassed by all the fuss...

We ended the evening by going out to Texas Roadhouse for dinner.

Jackson was very disappointed when he wouldn't sit in the saddle as they announced his birthday.

The thing that was so dang funny was... Mindi's nice pic of Caylor...

It made its rounds on the blogosphere and the facebook circuit.

He thought with friends like that... who needs enemies!

So... my tough guy... skull and crossbones...humble businessman...fluffy bunny is now 39.

It was funny when on 9.10 I told him he DID look a day over 39.... I am such a comic genius!

He just rolled his eyes.
So... Happy Birthday ( two days late) to my man! HE is really the best thing that ever happened to me... If you don't believe me... just read my mom and dad's letter to him.

He is the best... I am one lucky lady!

The Best Gram in the Whole World...

This post was totally stolen from my sister, Brandy...

I want everyone in the blogosphere to meet the best gram in the whole world! Connie... Constance for real, but I just like to call her Con, Constantinople or Constantine!

She is the best... she was only 40 when I was born, so she really is young enough to be my mother! As Dennis the Menace so beautifully said, "She is the best old gal on the block!"

We love to get her to St. George... the photo above was taken at my sister's house and we were all having a wild party. Gotta love the Route 44 Diet Coke...the shades...the raft... and the cell phone. She is GLAM!

This Grandma is no stick in mud... We took her to Chico's and made her get a whole new spring/ summer wardrobe. Orange flip-flops included!

When we all went to Park City she stayed longer and had her quilting friends come up to party. BTW... Her quilting gals call themselves "The Ladies of the Evening"... scandalous? No... They quilt all night long!

18 months ago my Grandpa Garth died after years of fighting Parkinson's Disease. When we tease Con about dating or getting a boyfriend she quickly pipes up with, " THE only thing a man would want is a purse or a nurse... I have my own purse and I don't want to be their nurse...NOT INTERESTED!" She is a firey babe!

My kids are so lucky to have such young AND young at heart great grandma. Caylor loves her and she loves him right back. Sometimes if we are disagreeing about something he will teasingly tell me to call Connie to see what she has to say... He knows she will always pick his side.

Our family absolutely adores our Grandma Connie... I am going to join my sister, Brandy, in the dog house for posting this pic, but it IS PRICELESS!

She is priceless and we are all very lucky to have such an amazing grandma!

We Love you, Constantinople!

101 Random Things About Me...

1. believe it or not, I am doing this because I ran out of things to say
2. I am ready for fall
3. can't wait to decorate for Halloween
4. Have wasted many hours already looking for ideas on the internet
5. I am looking for clever "ideas"using the #9
6. I sometimes get anxiety about going up or down an escalator...
7. especially if I am pushing a stroller
8. When I was little I was afraid of escalators,
9. I was also terrified of bats
10. Caylor, with the help of Steve Kemp, killed a bat at our first apartment.
11. I love the color lime green-
12. but really don't like yellow too much
13. oh, yeah... what color is my blog right now?
14. When I was first born, we lived in a mortuary.
15. My lifetime goal is to watch someone pop a boil or a cyst
16. I Have felt like I don't have anything to say on my blog anymore.
17. I don't like to swim in the ocean
18. I would almost sell my soul to the devil for a swimming pool in my backyard.
19. I miss being really tan...but I am now afraid of skin cancer.
20. I put vinegar on most of the vegetables I eat.
21. I don't collect anything.
22. Sometimes I am really bored, yet my house is a disaster.
23. I am the oldest child of 4, 2 sisters and one brother.
24. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!
25. I have unusually short arms... pretty much alligator arms.
26. I cut off over 18 inches of hair at one time.
27. I wish permed hair would come back in style... I rocked it the first time around!
28. I totally loved Caylor the first time I met him... He didn't really notice me.
29. He thought I was kindof hyper, weird for many years...
30. We have been married for 17 years. He still thinks I am kindof hyper weird.
31. I got my ipod wet and it didn't work
32. I took it back to ipod ( I bought the warranty) and played dumb and got a new one.
33. I am happy the nice guy at the apple store hooked me up!
34. I want a new apple computer and laptop.
35. I think santa is feeling the effects of the economy...
36. so... no new apple computer and laptop!
37. I don't know if I can list 101 random things about myself.
38. I still don't know what to say.
39. Football season is my favorite time of year...
40. I love that Mitch loves to play football ( and secretly glad he is a good player)
41. I am really glad the new TV season is about to start
42. Some of my favorites are: Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice,
43. Life, the Office, and I am soooo excited to get into Glee... I laughed out loud at the pilot.
44. My feet are in desperate need of a pedicure... but my wallet is more in need of cash.
45. There is something about fall that makes me want to create!
46. I am going to start making aprons... it has been a while.
47. It is the the beginning of the 37th week of the year today.
48. I wanted to read 52 books this year... I am only at 26... I don't know if I will make it.
49. Pizza is my favorite food
50. It is not a good thing for my fewer carbs diet I am going to try.
51. I have never been to Europe
52. Hell, the only "foreign" countries I have been to are Canada and Mexico
53. I need to travel more!
54. Sometimes I like to say hell... among other things.
55. My mom is the life of any party... she is the most fun person I know!
56. I call my mom by her name... VIV!
57. My sisters and I all look quite a bit alike.
58. Nobody in Caylor's family looks alike, but they all sound alike... well -the brothers anyway.
59. I love the Halloween season, but actually don't like the Halloween day...
60. The dressing up and the parties at school stress me out.
61. Cyndi Lauper was my absolute favorite singer when I was in high school.
62. I met her and got her autograph when I was 16.
63. Someday I am going to write a book about growing up in a mortician family.
64. I like to shop and spend way, way, way to much money!
65. I DO NOT like to wear tennis shoes unless I am working in my yard or working out!
66. My first kiss was the summer before 9th grade... it was with A.T.
67. I didn't really like him... it was, as we said in the 80's, "just a scam".
68. I am still doing my project 365.
67. I am two weeks behind... I have got to get with it and stay current!
68. I love treats- cinnamon rolls and baked goods rock my world!
69. I am also a diet pepsi slave... I love to drink!
70. I love to entertain and have parties, yet haven't for awhile.
71. I have over ten sets of dishes... it is the first thing I look at in a store.
72. I am NOT an animal lover!
73. Some of my friends have cats and I want to disown them...just kidding!
74. I told the littlest cat owning daughter that "I eat cats" and then had to say "JK".
74. All Meg wants in her life is a puppy...
75. Not going to happen!
76. I don't think I will ever live in St. George again...
77. sometimes that makes me sad.
78. usually NOT in July, though.
79. I was in Donny Basile's class with Mindi... and he was a jerk to her.
80. Can you tell I copied this idea from her.
81. I sing in my car.. sometimes loudly.
82. I can't carry a tune in a bucket...
83. My hair is falling out.
84. I bet I have lost half of it this year...
85. That freaks me out... I hide behind my hair.
86. Meg is really naughty in the morning...
87. It is all I can do to be nice and cheerful when she throws her am fits.
88. I have never been under anesthesia...
89. I know, a body like this without any "work" done? AMAZING!
90. You know I am kidding don't you... I know I don't have an amazing body!
91. Do you have any clever ideas using the #9?
92. My man is having a b-day on 9-9.
93. I hate to vacuum... and mop my floor.
94. I am horrible at math... in fact, I just learned my times tables with my son, Jackson.
95. I taught high school English and History for 10 years.
96. I love to read... but I am not really well read
97. I don't love Jane Austen! There I said it... Pride and Prejudice= HATE!
98. I hope you learned something random about me...
99. Can't believe you still are reading this!
100. I am very insecure without lipstick.
101. I am done...yippy!

Happy Day Tonia!

Anyone who says birthday parties are only for kids has never met Tonia!

Tonia is the queen of fun parties...so...

For her birthday a few of us had a day of fun with her.

First we all got pedicures...

It was so much fun to all sit together and get pedis
We were all having a hard time deciding if we should bag our other cute shoes and just go for the orange flip-flops for the rest of the day... decisions, decisions!

Next we went to Nordstrom Bistro for lunch...

As we were seated we all found a plethora of birthday goodness.

Tonia had made us all glitter cups and other goodies for a surprise for us. Her man, Mike, had brought them to Nordstom before we got there. There is nothing like a hot guy carrying a bag full of glitter cups into Nordstom for a birthday bash for his wife... so cute!

Tonia is a great friend... She is the most creative, generous, and amazing babe I know.

Happy Day, Tonia!

I can't wait for your party next year!

I want to be a Twenties Girl...

Yeah! I just finished it... Sophie Kinsella's newest novel

Twenties Girl

I love, love, love Sophie Kinsella... author of the FABULOUS Confessions of a Shopaholic series.
If you are a Sophie fan then you are in for a treat! Twenties Girl is true to form... a delightful heroine, a wacky love twist, and a wild British adventure. This time there is a crazy flapper- girl ghost named, Sadie. This is the cutest book ever! It is a light read... won't solve the problems of the world, but will make you forget about your problems and loads of laundry for a minute or two GO get it... enjoy the read! You will be so glad you did!
(p.s.- It is 400+ pages and I read it in a day...oops...sorry responsibilities)

CKU... What a trip!

Saturday night I returned home from living a rockstar life!
I went to CKU with the talented Margie Romney-Aslett...
Now, I knew she was famous because I googled her and found out she had her own shirt.
But... I didn't realize how famous she really was and how famous her friends were.

Let me tell you... She knows people... and people know her!
(And worship her)
All kidding aside, I had a wonderful time. I met some great people and really enjoyed my 2 day mini-vacay!
I took Miss Margie a glitter cup and everyone at CKU went wild!
I think the glitter cup rage has reared up again... it had a celebrity endorsement!
The most hilarious part about the whole weekend was that I was hanging out with Scrapbooking royalty ( Tim Holtz, Debby Schuh, Elizabeth Karchner, Teresa Collins, etc...)and because I didn't even know who they were, I couldn't be star struck. We went out to dinner and people were sending over drinks and desserts to our table. Just like the movies... no kidding! They were all the Nicest, most creative people ever!
I had a great time and am so lucky Margie took me along to hold her purse...
(just kidding... inside joke!)

HANGOVER!

I am hung over!

I stayed up reading last night and now I am hungover!

When I was little this picture was in my grandma's house and I think it seriously affected me!

I go through phases in my life when I just can't seem to put books down.

I am in one right now...

I finished a hard read on Tuesday night, read most of another book yesterday... and then started another one about 9:00 and read until 2:00 am.

Why can't I get on a laundry binge... or an exercise binge... or something that is going to help the status of my house and butt?

I know I sound like such a slug to say that I think reading is my favorite sport- I am not a real athletic kind of girl.

I love the book To Kill A Mockingbird, and I totally relate to the statement Scout makes about reading... She couldn't remember not knowing how to read, it was like breathing.

I learned to read the month before I turned 4... I had a funny old great aunt that was a reading teacher at a middle school and she LOVED to teach kids to read.

I was a total NERD in Kindergarten, because I took the Children's Friend to read at recess.

I taught English for 10 years and loved it... nothing better than being constantly enrolled in a literature class!

But... don't think for a minute that I am a classics reader OR a self-help reader... NO WAY. I don't really like science fiction either. I am not quite a Harlequin Romance reader, but give me some stupid Chick Lit and I am all over it. Historical Lit is by far my favorite... remember I am a history nerd too!

Is this something that I could say is a disease and blame for my messy house and full hampers?

Do you think the Relief Society would come in and help me deal with the problems associated with my disease... ( ya know, clean my house while I read)

Today I am going to do 4 batches of laundry and whip through my house before I pick up the book I started last night... well maybe 2 batches of laundry!

Is there anyone else that is a book worm? If so, what have you read.
( I am almost out of books)

An Update...

Whew! We have had the busiest summer of our lives!

I thought when we got back from Hawaii our lives would be settled a bit and we could relax in July... NOT SO! Today marks only the third -7 day stretch that I have been home this whole summer. July proved to be just as crazy! Here is what we have been up to lately...

We had the Tournament of Champions in Park City over the 24th of July weekend. Viv had the condo in Park City that week so all of my family reunited and had a great time. Cousins, bike rides, swimming, the Alpine Slide, puzzles, treats, and the Baja Cantina... it just doesn't get any better than that!
When we got home from Park City we had to hustle to get Mitch ready to go on TREK. The youth of our church went to Martin's Cove in Wyoming and participated in the whole pioneer thing for 4 days. I was excited for Mitch to go, but he wasn't as thrilled. I tried to tell him that it would be an amazing experience and he told me that boys don't have experiences, only girls do. WHATEVER! He had a great time- He said it was the hardest thing ever, but he was glad he went. I am very proud of him for being a good sport and going!
While Mitch was pulling a handcart... Jacks, Meg and I were going to movies, hanging out and enjoying a relaxing summer!

We were somewhat sad baseball is over. Mitch hung up his Crusher's jersey for good... next year he will try to play with the high school automotive team. soo...
Out with the old-

and, In with the NEW!
Today Mitch starts football season and it is a total commitment... practice everyday! So... no more trips or travel. We have got to wind the summer down, shop for school clothes, and get ready to be organized and structured again!
Yeah! It is the best time of year!
Football and new school clothes mean Fall... I just can't wait!

Oh... what do you do in the summertime?

When I was little one of my favorite songs to sing in primary was

"Oh... what do you do in the summertime"

This past week we all had a taste of my childhood...we played in the pool!

Growing up in St. George (with its 110 degree days) summertime meant swimming...EVERYDAY!

We didn't have a pool in our backyard then , but we would go to the Bloomington Country Club pool!

We would load up with our cousins, the Trumans...take a cooler of treats, get our nose plugs that looked like silly putty and head out!

I can't really remember that sunscreen was the top priority it is now... so we all got VERY TAN!

Sometimes for a really great treat we would all head up to Veyo pool.

Anyone that is a St. Georgeite has been to Veyo pool...

the corn dogs, cherry 7-ups.. and the wall of chewed gum... and the sign that said " welcome to our ool, notice there is no "P" in it...please keep it that way"...ahhh memories!

My favorite was when my dad would come swimming with us!

He would chuck us and let us dive off his shoulders he was the biggest kid in the pool.

As I got to be a teenager... Las Palmas was THE summer hang out.

My family bought a membership and we were there EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

I would go with my friends, but I had to take my little sisters and brother with me. We would be there from about 11:00 am to about 4:00 pm... one time we took one of Brock's friends... one of Brock's blonde- blue eyed, fair skinned friend. I wasn't very responsible with the sun screen. When it was time to go he was laying on the lawn chair with the towel wrapped around his sunburned eyes and face....OOPS!

I later taught that kid in high school and on the first day I reminded him about almost killing him... He could remember...YIKES!

There were diving boards, hot guys, fun music, and so many fun times. We ruled the world!

This past week we were in St. George and swam every single day. My 78 year old grandma even came down from Cedar City to sun and float in the sun. One day my dad came home for lunch and ended up swimming with all of the grandkids. He had them laughing and crying all at once... just like old times.

We had good treats, lots of cool drinks, & popsicles by the dozens... and this time the kids had sunscreen check every 30 minutes!

I was taken back in time... but, this go around I didn't look so hot in a swimsuit!

A scary night...

Saturday night our phone rang at 1:00 am... never a good sign.

Caylor answered it...said thank-you, got up and went and stood by our stairs.

Then he came back in our room and went into the closet.

He came out dressed - carrying his gun and headed out into the dark house.

I was totally confused and somewhat alarmed.

Here is what happened...

Jackson heard some noises in our un- finished sub-basement that is below his room... he was too afraid to get up and way to afraid to call up to us. He grabbed his itouch and got on facebook to see who was available to chat. He found a little girl named Stephanie and messaged her to call our house and tell his dad that someone was in our house. She did and that was when Caylor got up.

He also heard noises so he got dressed and grabbed his Winchester cowboy gun.

He turned on lights out on our deck and then called 911.

Minutes later, two policemen came to our house...

one through the front door and the other was in our backyard.

The one inside our house asked where our kids were and got a basic layout of our basements... He then took his gun out of the holster and headed downstairs... as he got to the bottom of our stairs he hollered out..." This is the (our city) police... if there is someone in there, make yourself known... you have been warned"

HOLY CRAP!

I was dying, but all I could think of to say to my boys was..."He is going to see my apron body, Bette, and shoot her"...

They thought that was somewhat funny...

The other policeman found the bottom basement door open, but they couldn't find anyone.

They "secured" the basement, checked every nook and cranny and left us to enjoy the night.

Did I say HOLY CRAP?

HOLY CRAP!

I don't know whether it was the wind, maybe my boys left one of the doors unlocked, or maybe someone really was there; and when Caylor started making all that noise and turning on lights he scared them away.

I wasn't really afraid because Big Daddy was here, but sometimes I stay home alone.

Again, HOLY CRAP!

Nothing was missing...nothing was hurt... the basement did look ransacked, but it looked like that before- nothing a burlger did. If there was a burgler, they could have a least cleaned the storage room up.

( this pictures wasn't taken Saturday night... it was taken when we lived in Boise and we had a bird in the house... Caylor successfully protected us then with the BB gun)

Today I am a little shaken by the "what could have happeneds"

I am so proud of Jackson that he thought to facebook someone... Even though he was so afraid, he stayed calm and had a great solution.

I am glad that little girls stay up half the night chatting on facebook.

I am glad that it was only what it was...

I am also glad Caylor keeps that real life "cowboy gun" in the closet ( on a special shelf with trigger locks, of course)

I have never seen him so calm and adrenaline driven...

A little freaky...

But the moral of this story is...

True story!

I am not laughing and being glib... but it is good to find some kind of humor in everything.

What is not funny... that my boys probably won't sleep down in their rooms for a while.

The good thing that came from this is... I think ADT is getting a new client!

Oh... and Bette is safe!

Aloha!

Aloha...

I wanted to post my pics from our Hawaii trip...

We had such a great time.

A little bit of something for everyone...

Here is what we did...

As a family we all really enjoyed just hanging out. It wasn't a busy trip...lots of beach and pool time. I even attempted boogie board surfing...let's just say I got sand where sand isn't supposed to go and my bathing suit became somewhat of a sand bag...lots of sand between the liner and the suit! Caylor died laughing at me catchin' the waves. OK... so I am not so co-ordinated and athletic...but I did keep my earrings on. We stayed at the Marriott Wailea on Maui! Beautiful! We brought home so many wonderful memories that will last a lifetime... much longer than the henna tattoos we all got.

Mitch- The reason we went was so Mitch could go with his friend to a Just Win football camp in Maui. He was the the only freshman DB and 1 of 6 Howlies... needless to say when they did the Haka...he bailed to the locker room. He did great at the camp. One coach from UNLV thought he was a junior...It got him all excited for the upcoming football season! He was very impressed with all the other players tattoos... I think Mitch wants to be a painted man... he got 2 jaguar ink tattoos ( a tribal band and a mermaid) the first day we were there and then two henna tattoos ( a tiki tribal band and the same band as before) the day we left. It is a good thing they just lasted a few days. Mitch loved to snorkel and just hang out his buddy, Walter. He has an obsession with tank tops and sunglasses...the risky business kind. He was the hottest howlie on the beach!

Jackson was the master of the beach! He built sandcastles, and even buried himself. He loved to boogie board...one time he totally wiped out and thought he was going to die. He quickly recovered and hit the surf again! Jacks was very interested at the Maui Ocean Aquarium. For a boy who won't even touch the gel for his hair, I was surprised he touched a starfish and a sea urchin. When we went to Big Beach and were watching the real surfers in the BIG waves, Jackson was more into catching sand crabs. I could see Jacks growing up to be a surfer...marine biologist...ocean lover! He excelled at the hang loose way of life!

Meg wants to be the next Roxy babe on the beach. She loved the ocean...excuse me, the sea. She swam in the ocean or the pool most every day...ALL day! She really is a mermeg! She made several friends ...one from Alaska, Georgia, and California. She took hula lessons and wondered if instead of having a recital, they were just going to let her perform at the huge hotel beach luau. She was mad when it was only a half hour lesson and she only learned one dance. Although, she was jazzed with the certificate that was delivered to her room later that night. It gave her Hawaiian name...MeKana. She is thinking about changing it legally, or for the second grade at least. She loved everything about the islands and was our cutest little hula girl!

We had a great time... didn't want to come home!

It really was a vacation of a lifetime!

Happy Day Brandy!

Today my little baby sister, Brandy, turns the big 3 0

Yikes!

I am so lucky to have such amazing sisters!

She is a scrapbooker champion....

I think she takes the photo and has it in a scrapbook within 24 hours... unlike me who has is in the book... oh yeah...never!

She is the best mom to her two boys... Jace and Briggs!

She is married to a real hottie... Ryan!

Their wedding was glamorous...like a wedding on a soap opera.
She is beautiful and talented! My other sister Jody and I donated our singing talent to Brandy. It is better for one sister to sing REALLY well than for three sisters to kindof sing.
Happy Birthday!
30... wow you're old!

Get your Freak On!

Last Thursday I was in Hawaii when I heard that Michael Jackson died...

If I would have been home I would have sat glued in front of the TV for hours...soaking up every report and story and rumor. Unfortunately I was with the Media Nazi and was unable to watch very much of it. I have had a tendency to suck into any media frenzy. When Princess Di died, I was up all night with a newborn and watched it 24 hours a day. Finally, Caylor said that if she and I were such good friends she should have come to our wedding or at least send a baby gift. Same with JFk, Jr.... Caylor wondered if we had dated because I was so into it. What can I say... I am interested in pop culture. About this Michael Jackson feeding frenzy... I haven't really heard every little tid-bit rumor that has been reported by every z-list celebrity... I am a little behind. Somewhat okay with that, and somewhat feeling like I am missing out on very important info....

Today I bought the Essential Michael Jackson album from itunes and have listened to it all day. I am sad that he had to become such a freakish side-show! Why couldn't he have just stopped when he was still black and still had a nose. I was somewhat saddened by the loss of such a musical genius. But then, as you look back through time at all the creative geniuses the world has produced, most of them were freaks in one way or another. As I listened to some of those songs I was totally taken back in time. I even had to pull up YOU Tube to watch the We are the World video.( It was amazing to see the not so surgeried Michael Jackson AND Kenny Rogers) I also watched several of Michael's music videos. Wow what an amazing dancer. I Loved my little stroll down "before Micheal was so damn weird street"! I felt the need to discuss, so I called my Pop-Culture Guru friend, Mindi, and chatted about the freak he had become. I knew that Caylor would have absolutely shut down any conversation starting with " wow, today I was thinking how sad I am that Michael Jackson died, but even sadder that he became such a freak". Mindi helped me talk it out and I don't think I will seek therapy over the loss.

The album is amazing! So many memories from my own life! Too bad his bazaar behavior had to overshadow even his music in the end. I am just wondering how many times I can have the word "freak" in one post? But, then when talking about Michael Jackson... there aren't any other words that quite work. So... Go listen to the Essential Michael Jackson...grab your crotch, wear a glove, and get your freak on!