Katelyn's Yearbook Ad

Today I wrote out the ad for the yearbook. The ad that will try and sum up 18 years worth of feelings in 300 characters or less. This is what I wrote:

Katie B,

We love you and are so proud of you. The work ethic you have developed will bless you in all your endeavors. We have no doubt you will accomplish many good things.

Love, Mom and Dad

I should probably change the Katie B  to Katelyn. Other than that, what do you think?

Now I just need to pick out a picture.

From the "Love List"

Yes I have a love list. I make it the last day of January so I can have  omething to reference in case I wind up with completele brain block during the month of February. It only helps if I actually blog, which for some reason has not been a daily occurrence this year as it was last year during February. Anyway, I have a lot of things left on the list so...

Tonight's installment is about my love of trip planning.

Actually I love trip planning because it helps me deal with the stress of the trip, particularly if there is flying involved. I really don't like to fly. So planning helps me not think so much about the flying part.

And guess what!

 I have a trip to plan for this summer. Dave, Carson and I are going to Germany and France for about 10 days. Don't worry that Katelyn is getting left out. She will already be over there. We are meeting her in Paris.

I have two guide books for France.

I have been all over tripadvisor.com, raileurope.com and several town tourism websites. I don't have the itineraries worked all the way out, but I have several months to obsess about this. My family can vouch for me when I say that I don't go into any trip unprepared & not  planned out.

I get giddy when planning for a trip. I also really enjoy helping other people plan their trips--especially if they are going some place that I have been before & absolutely love, like DisneyWorld or Yellowstone.

Gross, But Fascinating at the Same Time

I spent most of my day checking kiddos for head lice.

It's a pretty mundane and monotonous task.

But...

As I was checking a head today I found something that I don't see every day. And it totally made my day.

I found two lice really busy in the process of making new baby lice.

I caught them in the act on a piece of scotch tape.

Interesting enough, there wasn't one teacher who found my discovery fascinating. But there were plenty who found it disgusting.

On a Binge

Since January I have been on a serious binge.

On books.

I have lost track of the number of books I have read.

I have read the Hunger Game series; Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World; Two Part Invention; Flunking Sainthood; Run Less Run Faster; Stupid Fast; and  Before the Dawn.

Those are most of them, I think.

Some of them were fiction and some of them were non-fiction.

I enjoyed most of them.

I found Lords of Finance fascinating and eerily similar to what is happening today.
But I read so many in such a short amount of time that I feel like I just binged and didn't really enjoy.

I really need to learn how to pace myself and enjoy the book; to take it in, savor it and digest all that I have learned before I move on to the next one.

Love 'Em

Last night, this girl

And this boy

Came to play with Katelyn, Carson, and Uncle Dave while I went to the temple with their mom & dad.

They had a great time playing. Unfortunately they were so busy having a good time that nobody noticed that the dishwasher wasn't filling with water.

When I got up this morning this morning at 4:30 I couldn't figure out what smelled so hot--like it was on fire. Fortuntately there was no fire, but the dishwasher's motor ran all night with no water in the dishwasher. The motor may be toast.

But there was no fire.

Josie II

Katelyn is enjoying putting my homework pictures through photo editing and making them look better.

Would it be cheating if I had Katelyn photoshop my photos before I took them to class?

Josie Girl

This week's homework for my photography class was to learn to adjust depth of field. The goal was to have the subject in the front in sharp focus & the background blurred. Josie got to be my model. I think I did a pretty good job.

I'm really enjoying learning how to use my new camera.

This Could Be Mushy

To My Man,

I love you. Thanks for being so awesome and hard-working.

Thanks for watching "Up" with me and then working to make our adventure come true. But of course that is just the kinds of guy you are--working hard to do everything in your power to make our dreams become a reality.

Thanks.

I love you.

Friends

Friends double your joy and divide your grief

That quote describes the group of friends I have now. Some people are fortunate to have those friends from childhood. It took me quite awhile to find that kind of friendship. Matter of fact, I didn't develop those close relationships until I started running.

There is just something about running that seems to break down barriers that seem to exist in other situations. Maybe it is because we are all engaged in something hard but worthwhile, moving towards a common goal. Or maybe because small talk is quickly covered when you are running more than 3 miles & unless you like listening to yourself breathe, you  find something else, maybe something deeper to talk about.

Whatever it is, I am so glad that I have found it with my "sweat sisters (that's what Kristen Armstrong, a blogger for Runner's World refers to her running group as). I know that come what may, we will always have each others' backs.

I'm also happy that my running group has expanded and I am looking forward to forming those same close relationships with these ladies.

The Garden

Each year my father-in-law plants a bounteous garden.

It is the garden that my children harvested vegetables from to sell at the Farmer's Market.

I love this garden.

Last night at dinner my father-in-law said he ordered his seeds for this year's garden.

I was so excited to hear this news.

I can't wait to watch it grow.

And then enjoy all of the ymmyness that comes from it.

I love this garden.

And my father-in-law for planting it and sharing it with us.

This is What Gets Me Through the Winter

I am a chocoholic.

There I have admitted it.

I also hate to be cold.

I have found the perfect remedy.

Starbuck's Hot Chocolate

It's what I turn to in the winter to curb my chocolate addiction

And to keep me warm.

It is my "love" for today.

And Sometimes They Really Do Love Me

I wasn't home very much today. I left for work at 8:00 a.m. I was home briefly from 5:00 to 5:30 before I left again to go to a photography class that I am taking. I knew that laundry was in desperate need of washing. I didn't know how I was going to get it all done.

When I got home at 9 pm all the laundry had been brought down, sorted, and started.

They love me. They really, really love me.

Thank you family. You made my day.

Sometimes I Really do Love Them

OK, I say that totally toungue-in-cheek, I love my children all of the time. However, I think on occassion the teen-agers in this house do question whether I love them or not. Especially when their feeling loved is predicated on my fulfillment of absurd requests such as this:

Text from Katelyn at 8:34 p.m. while she is working at McDonalds

Katelyn: Hey can you do me a favor?

Me: Depends. I'm in my jammies

Katelyn: (at 8:38 p.m.) Can you bake some cookies? I told Mitchell I would bring him some.

Me: OK

Katelyn: Thanks.

And there you have it. My way of demonstrating my love for Katelyn is to bake cookiesfor her to take to a friend even though it was "late" (in my world anything past 8:30 is late)and I really just wanted to not do anything but lay in front of the fireplace and watch The Diary of Anne Frank.

Feb 6th--A Couple of Celebrations

I interrupt the "love" posts to share a couple of celebrations.

First, happy birthday to my little sister. She lives across the state and we don't get to see each other often enough.  I took us awhile to figure out the special bond that sisters can share, but now all is good. I know that we both have each others' backs and would be there in a flash if  the one absolutely needed  the other. Hope you enjoyed your banana pistachio cake, Rae.

Second, Carson is finally out of the immobilizer sling! It's been a long six weeks and he still has a lot of physical therapy ahead of him, but at least he now has two working hands. He wants to go to Panda Express tonight to celebrate. He's a funny kid.

More love coming your way tomorrow.

I "Love" Days Like This

Today was a great day. It started with a beautiful sunny morning. I enjoyed taking a walk with a good friend before church. We haven't been able to spend much time together since she is battleing plantar fasciitis and can't run. I was so glad to  walk and talk with her.

Then it was church and being with my family. I honestly don't think there is anything better than sitting in the pew next to my husband and holding his hand.

Finally it was off to home to enjoy more of my favorite things...

Junk food, soda, and football!

It was a good day.

Are you feelin' the love yet?

What are you lovin' this month?

Two of My Favorite Things

A foam roller and a tennis ball

Dear Readers:

I hope you aren't too disappointed with my first "love" post. Perhaps, you were looking for something a little more "lovey". However, I would literally be in a world of hurt with out my tennis ball and foam roller. There is nothing that feels better after a long run then rolling a tennis ball under my feet & the foam roller along my calves & IT band. (Maybe next year I can add my yoga mat to the mix. Right now there is still a lot of discomfort and dislike that I feel towards yoga. But it is getting better.)

And there you have it. The first love post for February and it highlights a couple of my favorite things. That allow me to stay on track with my running--something I love.

Nurse Graham

It Was Supposed to be 29 Days of Love

Last February I posted almost every day about something that I loved. I was going to repeat that this year for February. I even had my list ready to go.

But on February 1st, I was crabby and had a huge rant post typed up. Once I typed it all out I wasn't as crabby so I didn't post it.

On February 2nd, I wasn't feeling well so I went to bed (well actually I fell asleep on the family room floor) at 7:30 p.m. so I didn't get anything posted.

Today is February 3rd and...

I will start tomorrow with the love posts.

Some of the posts will be about people I love.

And some of the posts will be about things that I am deeply grateful for or am greatly fond of.

See you tomorrow.