Funny Stores from 2009~Reprise

Sometimes people write the funniest posts that just keep coming back to me through out the days or weeks. Here is a two part story. It is written by my friend's husband (our current bishop) and  I thought it was great. This is the second part of it and I love the title of part 2!

Our daughter, Jen, has had some funny ones lately too. Actually she hasn't

been blogging much since she got her new iPhone but when she does, it

is a treat! Here is the first one. 

Me, I would relent and take care of it, but not my Jennifer. No way!

I also loved this one from her household.

I am having trouble with this link so I am just going

 to paste it over here from our daughter, Laura.

Sleeping With The Enemy~By Laura

"I absolutely despise doing the laundry. I hate everything about it- sorting
it, washing and drying it, folding it, and putting it away! It is
without question my least favorite household chore. Anyway, my overall
dislike of laundry has everything to do with this funny little story and
its title so I had to share it with you first thing.

Okay so I went to bed last night REALLY late because it took me 4 1/2 hours to
order the boys school clothes on-line (in order of dislike shopping
on-line is second only to doing the laundry) Anyway, so just after 1 am I
stumble up the stairs with one eye open and walk into my room. Much to
my dismay there was a pile of laundry on the bed that I did not get
around to folding. I was too tired to deal with it then (though I would
like to say it is NOW done) so I pushed it over to Roberts side of the
bed (as he is out of town) and dropped into bed.

The next morning Ross woke up before me and came and stood beside my bed. His eyes were

bugging out of his head but he didn't say a word. "Ross what is wrong?" I

asked feeling a little frightened. Seeing the pile of laundry under the

blanket but not knowing what it was he blurted out "MOM, WHO IS IN BED WITH YOU!?!"

I could not help myself- I burst out laughing! What a funny kid."

A Simple Woman's Daybook~June 20/21, 2012

Just for today~Wednesday June 20, 2012

Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember

the everyday moments and my thoughts about them.  

That is what this Daybook is all about.

Focusing on the little things that become my life.

One week at a time.

Outside my window...it is 9:40 pm and the sun has not set yet.  It is the longest day of the year.  There is a beautiful pink and blue sunset going on and it is relaxing and quiet right now.


I am thankful for...the people I love and care for very much.   People that are thoughtful and kind and good.  People that serve others, that aren't selfish or self-involved but seem to be always giving of their time and talents.

 

From the learning room...So much today. I went to a family history and genealogy seminar today that took pretty much all of my brain power for all those hours.  I need to go to bed but am feeling that if I do I will be wide awake at 1:00 am.  It was one of the best seminars I have attended.  Loved it.

I am reading...the papers from today many presenters with fantastic hand-outs.  And lots of kid books for the grandies.

From the kitchen...zippo.  Just haven't even thought much about that these days away from home.  Mostly because Jen was very prepared for us when we came and because many friends have brought dinners to us as she has been recovering.  So lots of gratitude and kitchen abandonment.  Oh yeah!

I am missing...home.  I am not good at being gone so much.  But of course we are happy to be here and help out but there truly is no place like home when all is said and done.

Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...if families were not forever just what would be the point of any of this?

I am hearing...nothing but the sounds of a summer night.  3 of the four girls are not here tonight and Lowell is gone so it is 1/2 as many in the house as usual. Wow, it is hard to fathom the difference.

One of my guilty pleasures...potato salad and watermelon both in season now so I think I'll make some potato salad when we get home which should be fairly soon.

Pet Peeves...wrinkles in my clothes and skin! 

I am going...to go out to lunch with our son today.  Just the two of us, what a treat. 

One of my favorite things...my new iPad.  Wonderful invention!  Paying Utah sales taxes on big ticket items. I think theirs is 6.25 and ours is 8.75.

I am quoting..."Do not regret getting older, it is a privilege denied to many."  Unknown

An enjoyable movie we have watched lately...I finished the Forsyte Saga series, I really enjoyed it.


I am curious about...when enough greed is enough for the Middle East and the oil companies and gas will get reasonable again.  Haha.  Is that a pipe dream or what?

If I could change one thing it would be...my weight and fitness level. I am on it when we get back.  Enough is enough.  Never, Never, Never give up!

Plans for the rest of the week...Lunch with Chris today and then Ikea with Jen to get a new bed for Julia, tomorrow, Penny Lane and jewelry repair with Kim and Jen,  Saturday bonfire in the evening with family and friends, Sunday head home.  Monday get reacquainted with home.


Some photos I am sharing this week...

The trees give off the much needed oxygen in this place!

 The mini-waterfalls are so loud and and fabulous!

I know I posted this the other day but I love it that much!

The wildness of the river up here in the mountains!

Jewelzy just playing in the river!

Our family is just in love with Sundance.  It is so beautiful and peaceful and we can hardly wait to get up here to stay for four days in July.  We drove by the house we rent and it was even prettier than last year.  Such a treat!

Grampa Haven

 Chloe, Julia, and Piper with Grampa today!

This could possibly be that one picture that is worth a thousand words.  Grampa with three of his favorite people, resting on the bank of the Provo River at Sundance.  Heavenly Granddaughters, Heavenly Moment.  You know what he is thinking..."It doesn't get any better than this!"  Happy Father's Day James!  You da best!

Peace Like The River

 

So much fun and so peaceful!

There is this beautiful river near where Jen and Lowell live. We came out here today and it is the perfect day. I love it here. Someday they hope to build a home right near the banks.

 The short path to the river bank

 Right now it is 82 degrees in the shade and perfect. You can hear the babbling of the river, the sounds of children's laughter and the birds are chirping and two monarch butterflies just fluttered by. I can barely remember the last time that I saw a butterfly.

This is the vision of summer that we long for in winter. It's one of those moments we always think we will enjoy in the summer and some years we never quite achieve it with all our busyness. It is relaxing and casual and for me the ultimate; an inspiring place to write.

The tranquility of nature, the joy of family and grandkids and the astonishing capability of electronics brings me to my epicenter out here with my new iPad. It seems so little and non-intrusive and gives my many thoughts a voice. I love it.  Jim likes to keep track of all the places in the world he has run, or ridden his bike or camped out, for me it is the inspiring places I have written. 

 
Grampa, Owen, Zachary, Chloe, Piper, Julia and Aynslee

The big kid with all the kids!

 The Provo River is really great for kids when it has been a relatively dry winter and the water isn't rushing with a fury from the snow runoff. This year it is shallow and fun for the kids to wade in without too much danger even for the little ones. Of course they are being supervised by the biggest kid of all. The nice part about where we are is it is not far at all from the cars so we could cart all the picnic stuff quite comfortably without a major hike. We have all of Jen's girls and three of Chris and Missy's kids. Missy is enjoying a much needed break as Chris and Connor are at scout camp this week.

 

       

Owie in his fishing/exploring hat! 

 This is so fun being able

     to bring him out with us. 

 He is really growing up at five!

           He looks like Henry Fonda in

"On Golden Pond!"

Hazie loves sitting on the stump

 and her big cousin Zachary!

Jewelzy and Aynslee goofing around!

 Zachary and Chloe had quite a bit of fun making 

warts out of a tiny bag of pastel marshmallows that made

 its way into the picnic basket.

 

 Don't we all wish we could be this cute 

with marshmallow warts all over our faces?

 So the kids have been playing in the water, we had a nice picnic and they have been enjoying swinging in a large tree swing some very nice person had attached to a giant tree. The kids love this swing, especially when they are pushed as high as possible. There is something so refreshing about the sights and sounds of all of God's creations in nature. Nobody does green like He does. It just cannot be duplicated by man no matter how much effort is put into it.

Hazie swinging on the big swing. 

 She makes it look tiny but it wasn't. 

 It could fly so high in the sky.

Spider Swinging

for these girl cousins and good friends.

What a lovely morning and afternoon, one in which you can truly immerse yourself in being alive. Sometimes I really dislike busyness immensely. We just miss so much.  In my older years I am trying to live differently whenever possible. I am all for letting the rushing be in the river, while I enjoy the beauty with my eyes wide open. I feel like I just need to soak life all up like a sponge and be acutely aware of what is all around me.

Do you ever have these feelings? I wonder if it is just a manifestation of aging and/or extreme gratitude? Which ever, I like the way it is changing my life. It is never too late to learn to be and not just do.

A Simple Woman's Daybook~June 12, 2012

Just for today~Tuesday June 12, 2012

Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember

the everyday moments and my thoughts about them.  

That is what this Daybook is all about.

Focusing on the little things that become my life.

One week at a time.

Outside my window...It is an overcast morning in the valley looking out toward the lake.  The breeze is gently blowing but it does not fool me into thinking it might be cool this afternoon.  Nope, it is gonna be hot here today.  It is nice not to be cold.  I like summer!

I am thankful for...Jennifer's fairly good recovery from her surgery.  There are still few little hiccups but time will take care of all of it and then she'll be all set.

 

From the learning room...Nothing ever stays the same when you think you have something licked...new challenges arise.  Earth life is meant to be this way, it is how we are refined and how we grow.  I don't always love this process but know it is essential.  Without changes we don't meet our full potential.

I am reading..."Look Kids, It's Big Ben"  A book I wrote after our three week trip to Europe in 1995.  It is fun to go back and have the words paint the memories that would otherwise be forgotten by now.  

From the kitchen...Grampa has been cooking up a storm and doing a fantastic job.  He just loves this...lucky me!  Every morning he makes some fantastic breakfast for all 8 of us.  Today it was an Italian omelet so delicious.

I am missing...Lots of sweet friends.  I wish we all could just live in the same place.  It is funny that even when I do not live by someone when they are gone from their home I miss them more.  I don't miss Robert as much now that he is in RI even though I cannot see him.  There is something about just being able to envision someone you love in their home that is comforting.

Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...just constantly getting affirmations that the Gospel of Jesus Christ gives one a definite advantage in all we do.  It just brings so much protection and peace and happiness.  I cannot think of life without it.  Unbearable is the word that comes to my mind.

I am hearing...the chattering and goings-on of a house with 8 people in it.  Constant motion, commotion, emotion...it is alive here, 24/7.  Just the way it should be, that is what I am hearing.

One of my guilty pleasures...electronics.  This really surprises me when I think about it but I love electronics.  I watched the World Wide Developers gather for the keynote speech of the new CEO of Apple, Tim Cook and the unveiling of the new products and found it very exciting.  It was really neat because I watched it with Lowell and so if there were things I didn't understand he would just pause the presentation and explain it.  Very enjoyable.

Pet Peeves...People that tamper with consumer products so that they have to package things in ways that make it impossible to open them without implements of destruction in your hands.  Annoying!  Ever tried to get a toy out of a box or pop a pill out of a foil and hard plastic container?  Then you know what I am talking about. 

I am going...to possibly get a haircut today.  Jen has a hair stylist that comes to her house.  Love it.  My hair is so straight here in the desert that it is giving me fits.  At home it would be fine.  But not here. 

One of my favorite things...Robert is home from Afghanistan for two whole weeks.  We are thrilled.  Their little family is reunited!

I am quoting...Hazie.  "Mamma, can you tell Jim-Bob I need him?"   She is talking about her Grampa and heard someone else call him that. Too funny.  He acquired this nickname from me about the time the Walton's peeked in popularity and they would all say good-night to each other in the dark at the end of the shows.  His name is actually James Philip.

An enjoyable movie we have watched lately...I am currently watching "The Forsyte Saga" on my new iPad each evening before bed.  Love it so far.  I really enjoy the British treatment of the 19 century in the media.  It is really well done and enjoyable.

I am curious about...All the details to be learned with my new iPad3 and what the learning curve will be.  It is so similar to the iMac and iPhone but each has their own little nuances that require a bit of experimentation and studying to get it down.

If I could change one thing it would be...that people would just quietly live and let live without constantly having to justify their choices by putting others down.  Of course everyone is going to have differing opinions and that is our God-given right, but to have to be boisterous, rude and offensive in declaring one's own opinion just rubs me the wrong way.  Ultimately we will all have to live with the consequences of our own choices. Perhaps it just boils down to The Golden Rule.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 

 Sometimes when I see people being so rude and unkind I hope they are not living the Golden Rule because I cannot imagine that people would actually desire to be treated in the way they are acting at that moment.  What I am saying is neither liberal or conservation, it is humanitarian.  People just need to regain some civility.

Plans for the rest of the week...it is very odd but everyday is just full of its own little surprises. As Jen recovers we are gradually adding in a few things.  One thing Jim and I want to do is cook ahead and freeze things for our family reunion up here at the end of July.  I also want to spend some one on one time with Chris next week and I want to go to the BYU Genealogical Library.  There is also a training center here for Family History Consults and Genealogy I am told, and I would like to find it and visit it next week.  There is also a sweet elderly friend I want to visit if she is up to it, and maybe a little shopping but not for much.  Friday is our 44 wedding anniversary so we will be going out to a play, movie, concert or something and dinner.  That should be fun.  Other than that it is baby time for us.  Just hanging out with the grandkids and enjoying them.


Some photos I am sharing this week...Sometimes it is just so wonderful to have girls' time out just away from the house and little kids and all the rest of the responsibilities.  Over the last almost two weeks I have been able to do this with Piper and Julia at the Trolley.  We had a great time.

Yesterday Jen and I got to leave for a couple of hours so we just went up to Sundance and had lunch.  It was so gorgeous up there.  We ate in The Foundry Grill.  It is pretty western looking, think Robert Redford and at the same time quite elegant.

The view from all  the windows...drop dead gorgeous!

 

The flowers all around in the whiskey barrels caught my eye.  Especially the pansies.  I do adore those little beauties.  My Dad loved them too and use to plant them in our yard when I was growing up.  

 We had dainty little salads with shrimp so we could try these lovely lemon parfaits.  Very light and refreshing on a warm day.  Everything was lovely except how fast the time flew by.  Especially great was being able to finish a thought without interruptions.  Love me some Mommy/Daughter time.

So beautiful and such lovely memories!

Julia, The Business Woman

Julia is trying to create a business. She is going to do a great job! This is a fun way for her to be productive and creative during the summer. It is a way for her to build her self-esteem and makes a few bucks. The best part is what she will learn in the process.

Julia has always been very entrepreneurial. Even when she was little she wanted to have a day spa and do foot massage and provide pampering for others. She still engages in serving constantly. Her massages are amazing. Often she has me lie on the bed, she lowers the lights, gets out the lotion and puts some very relaxing music on and and does her reflexology to perfection. She is a very nurturing person. She'll make a wonderful wife and mother someday.

The other day we were all crowding into the office/library which has several chairs, one of which is a chair and a half so an adult and a child can sit together.  Hazie and I were sitting on it just hanging out.   I was thinking it would be nice to put my feet up so I asked Julia where the ottoman was. Her response was cute and funny. She said, "Gramma, I don't know have the faintest idea where it is."

I was kind of lost in the noise and confusion of the moment and wondering just how you lose an ottoman in a household? The next thing I knew she was on all fours in front of me.

She then said, "Go ahead...!"

 To which I replied, "What?"

 Smiling up at me with her stunningly gorgeous, big chocolate eyes, she said, "I am your ottoman!"

Now I love a person who is a servant but that was going beyond the mark...there is no way on the planet I was going to use my beautiful granddaughter's back as an ottoman! What a funny kid she is. Needless to say, I adore her.

So she is going to start a business this summer called "Julia's Cupcake Cart" and Grampa is going to be her venture capitalist. She has convinced him through her written business plan, that he has reviewed and approved, that her business will be a good investment for him.

She has made a really darling flyer and has selected a few families to pilot her marketing strategies on for Father's Day. She has calculated her costs and set her prices and is off now to the store to gather her ingredients and experience "overhead" for the first time in her life.

 I am almost positive this will not be the last time she does this. Julia has "business woman" written all over her. She is energetic, resourceful and has a desire to be productive. These are all things that make her a potentially successful entrepreneur. When you add in her humble, service-oriented heart you have the one characteristic that is essential to achievement in any industry that supplies goods and services to others.

This is thrilling from a grandparent's point of view because any child that is enthusiastic about learning how to work when they are young is one you will never have to worry about later.

So I'd say, "Break a Leg" Jewelzy, but since the very idea of that is something that we cannot possibly handle around here, I'll just say, "Good luck on this pursuit. I know you can do this!"

Here are her first batches of cupcakes for Father's Day!  Awesome!

- Posted using the BlogPress App from my new iPad!  Woohoo!!  Bon

Rocky Mountains High

We left last Friday to come out here for Jen's surgery and Zach's Baptism and Owen's fifth birthday. The drive out was long, it is always longer than we remember it being in the past. But still it takes about six hours door to door to fly and costs more than twice as much and it is about the same ratio for time as well. Plus then we don't have a car when we arrive so we drive when we can.

The landscape looked particularly dry through Nevada and wasn't too beautiful. But we still do enjoy driving because we don't have the airport hassles and because we have alone time and that can be boisterous or quiet and we get to choose. At this age this seems to be a welcomed luxury and also rare.

I am trying to do this blog post with an iPad and a wireless, Bluetooth keyboard. Trying to decide on which new portable device I want to get. Will it be a Mac Air, a Mac Book Pro or an iPad with wireless keyboard? This is a test, it is only a test. Any ideas on which is better for blogging away from home?