Pay It Forward

Here it is, folks! It's taken me forever to take my turn (sorry, Joanna!) but I'm excited to get this moving again. So, leave me a comment by Sunday, October 19th and I will put your name in the drawing and send a treat, or prize, or something to the winner. Don't comment if you're not willing to play the game since that is the whole point of this.

Remember, deadline is Sunday, October 19th!

* The game is that if you're the winner, you do the same for someone else. Got it?

Five for Friday

* Saturday, 12:30 - Gator just told me that I can always take a week off if I don't have anything to say. Hmm. I guess that means my Five for Friday this time is pretty lame? I admit, it was a big stretch this week ... I'll try harder next Friday!

Can I just say how thankful I am it's Friday? My days don't vary much - most of the time I don't know if it's Monday or Thursday, but there's something about Friday that makes me feel a whole lot better! Also, could the weather be any more fabulous?

1. This week I went to dinner with a friend I haven't seen or spoken to for something like 18 years! We were born a couple weeks apart and were best friends until I moved at the end of 4th grade. It was fun to catch-up and remember old times!

2. Have you guys seen this? It's an exhibit that's going on in Salt Lake and it completely freaks me out! I'm sure it's interesting but who in their right might wants to see a human body playing soccer with their skin peeled off? Give me the creepy crawlys!

3. Please make THIS! Smother your burritos, dip your chips, pour over your cereal .... just make it! Absolutely addicting!

4. For one week I would like to be a Barnes & Noble hobo. I would like to curl myself up in one of their comfy chairs, sniff coffee and read millions of books .... for 7 days. Once a year is all I ask.

5. I love this sweater. Once again I was only able to gaze at it through the Anthropologie window but I know eventually they will get sick of my face mark on the door and let me pick out what I want. I think I might go back tomorrow and speed up the process.

*PAY IT FORWARD -- Sometime this week! Stay tuned!

Five for Friday

*If you are sick of hearing about my garden, skip #1!

1. Welcome to the Jungle -- Holy smokes, I have tomatoes coming out of my ears! I went to pick some tomatoes last Sunday and this is what I came up with. Since then, I have doubled the amount and there are more that haven't been picked. So what do I do with all these? I have already canned 3 batches of salsa and frozen 4 batches of spaghetti sauce. I'll be canning 2 more batches of salsa tonight -- what's left? Suggestions anyone? Sh na na na na na na na, please, please?

While I'm taking suggestions, anyone have a good green pepper recipe? Here's one of my pepper plants. There are 22 peppers on this one plant. I have 4 other plants. Yikes! That's a heck of a lot of peppers!

We've planted pumpkins for a couple of years and usually get a decent turnout. However, this year takes the cake. I planted 1 plant this year in what was supposed to be my flower garden and only because Ella saw the pumpkin picture at Home Depot. Turns out my flower garden has perfect growing conditions for watermelons and pumpkins. These are the pumpkins we picked yesterday ... there are 19 more on the vine. Looks like there's going to be a sale at the Gatherum Family Pumpkin Patch!

2. PETA. These people are crazy! There was a small incident here in Kaysville a couple of weeks ago .... and by small I mean something like 4 gazillion mink running loose over freeways and backyards (including mine!), scurrying through blazing buildings and gnawing toes off of small children (I heard they are carnivores. Is this true?). I'm all for treating animals nicely, feeding them yummy animal food and giving them lots of exercise (I once had an overweight dog. Sad situation.). People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals? Yes, let's burn down helpless animals' homes, turn them loose and let them get run over, starve to death or cornered by large, furry beasts (Thanks Wally! You're the best!). PETA! Seriously?

3. This week has been too blasted hot! For Pete's sake, it's October already! I am sweating and I am hot .... 85 doesn't work for me! Mr. Eubank promised cooler temps tomorrow. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

4. I've had a relapse. I'm weak ... and selfish ... and desperate! I'm absolutely not ready to give up my Crack.

5. Running. I've always loved running. There was a point not too long ago where I craved it. Since having Jack I've struggled. At first, I thought I just needed loose the baby weight and get back into the swing of things. Looks like that's not the case. I force myself out of bed and run ... and hate every minute of it! Wait, wait. That's a little strong. I don't hate it, I am just not enjoying it like I used to. I'm not sure what the problem is. Good news - cold weather is coming and when it's too cold, I don't run. Bad news - although I don't like it right now, running is my only source of exercise. So unless it's an extremely warm winter, I'm tweaked. I've got to come up with some cash so I can join the neighbors at the gym. How much can I charge for a pumpkin?

6. Bonus! Conference is this weekend! If I could have church at home every week, I'd be there more often!

Red Riding Hood Jacket GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Red Riding Hood Jacket GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!
So cute!

Five for Friday

*If you are reading this on Google Reader, not sure why, but it is screwed up!
1. Tuesday night I went to the So You Think You Can Dance tour show! Amazing! We had great seats and could see sweat, teeth and bum cheeks! They better make it to Salt Lake every year!

2. A couple of years ago I learned to knit. I stopped because I wasn't any good at it. Recently, I picked my needles back up and started another scarf. I still am not any good at it. My biggest problem with knitting is that I don't know how to fix mistakes. I rented a video and checked out a book and still, I can't figure it out. See these three loops on the needle? They aren't supposed to be there. I'm not sure how they got there and I'm not sure how to get them off. People actually say knitting is relaxing!

3. Since the day he was born, I have struggled with Jack. He's the cutest darn kid and is actually very funny, but his funny and happy moments are pretty rare. He wants to be held or be outside. Otherwise, he whines ... a constant, non-stop whine. I haven't been handling his grumpiness very well. I'm not really sure how to deal with it. I'm actually thinking about getting some earplugs...This is what follows me around ALL DAY.

I know I shouldn't complain, I know other's have harder kids but really, Jack's noise sends me over the edge!


4. Jack in one of his rare cute moments. We went on Ella's field trip to the park and the kids got to feed the ducks. Jack loved it!
5. Please, PLEASE, tell me these aren't coming back in style!!!

6. People have said I'm domestic. Hmm. I'm not sure if that's good or bad thing. I've been thinking a lot about this and have a few thoughts. Maybe for another time. ...

7. COMING SOON! A few weeks ago I was the lucky recipient of a PAY IT FORWARD. As soon as I find something fun and cute, I'm giving it away!

Five for Friday

1. Speaking of 5 ... For the last week, this is the time Jack thinks he needs to get up in the morning (well, 5:30, anyway). His usually wake-up time is 6:30 which is too early for anyone. 5:30? Absolutely killing me! Why, why, WHY can't I have kids that sleep???

2. Cruisin'- Approximately two years ago we had this fun Barbie Jeep dropped off in our driveway. I'm actually not a big fan of these things but it was free, in good condition and I knew Ella would love it. We wiped it down, charged up the battery and buckled Ella in. Too bad the battery didn't work. Instead, we parked it in the garage for Ella to sit in and pretend that she is cruisin' down the sidewalk. Last week, Gator finally bit the bullet and dropped $60 bucks on a new battery. Ella has had fun driving this pink machine (that honestly goes no faster than 1 mile an hour) up and down the street. Jack could sit in it all day. I'm wonding if I can hire some 6 year old to drive Jack around for a couple of hours every day.

3. Melons - Watermelons, that is. This monster is one of many growing in my backyard. I really didn't think they would grow but it turns our that neglecting certain plants makes them flourish. Who knew?! The best part - they actually taste good!

4. Have you seen me? Meet Shirelka, a.k.a. Puppy. Puppy went missing earlier this week and the Gatherum household almost completely shut down. I usually make Ella learn the hard lesson when she doesn't take care of her toys, but this situation was a little different.

Ella honestly thinks this dog is real. She has a special leash for Puppy. Puppy follows her wherever she goes. She has trained Puppy not to poop or pee. She talks to Puppy. Puppy understands her. Puppy talks to her. She understands Puppy. They have a relationship like nothing I've ever seen. When Puppy disappeared, Ella was devastated. She screamed, threw fits and then sobbed. "Puppy is going to be scared !" boo, hoo, hoo, "She doesn't know how to be by herself." boo, hoo, hoo, "She's going to be cold!" boo, hoo, hoo. We took apart the house, searched outside, and drove around the neighborhood. I called the moms on our street and asked them to search their basements, bedrooms and backyards. Gator tried three different stores to try and find a look-alike that would magically appear on our doorstep. Sadly, no luck.

Yesterday Ella was watching TV when she whips Puppy out from under a couch cushion (which I know I searched at least 16 times!). We had quite a celebration! I'm a little embarassed to say I got a little teary. I think Gator even got a little weepy! We are excited that Puppy made her way home! I don't think we will be getting a real dog any time soon. Thanks to everyone who had to rip apart their toybox!

5. It's been a long, rough week. We've had sickness, teething, early mornings and a lost dog. I think I'm ready for a new week! I'm off to peel tomatoes and peppers -- another big canning day today!

p.s. This is a lot harder than I thought! I'm thinking of switching to Three for Thursday!

Happy Friday!

Five for Friday

I've been fiddling around with a few ideas on how to make me a better blogger. Obviously, consistency isn't one of my strong areas. A friend of mine does a Ten for Tuesday post regularly (well, mostly) and I love the anticipation. I've decided to head in the same direction ...only I'm not saying mine will be anything worth anticipating. That would be a little big-headed of me. Oh, and Ten for Tuesday is way too much pressure. I'm settling on Five for Friday. I'm pretty sure I can think of five things to say (ha! ha! ho! ho! I can picture those who know me clutching their middles, heaving with laughter at the absurdity of that statement!). I haven't written anything substantial or inspirational so far and I probably won't start now. Humorous? Depends on my mood ...

1. I'm a pepper, you're a pepper .... What do I do with all these peppers? I've stuffed some in my freezer, given some away, had a pepper themed meal for two weeks. Still, there are more peppers in the garden. My garden is overflowing and I'm loving it!

2. Speaking of peppers, I haven't had one these bad boys in 4 days ... except for that teensy slip yesterday, but baby steps, baby steps ... Even crack addicts can't stop cold turkey, can they? My shakes are setting in, I have had a constant headache and I honestly don't know why I'm doing this to myself. Really, Diet Dr. Pepper? I like it, I look forward to it, it's not hurting me, it makes me feel better .... Oh geez, hand me the crack!

3. I just finished The Book Thief and absolutely loved it! I also just finished The Last Lecture and didn't love it. Liked, but didn't love (I think that might be blasphemous to say!).

4. I'm an opinionated person. Gasp! I usually don't have a problem letting people know where I stand on things. However, when it comes to politics, I usually keep my mouth shut. The argument usually isn't worth the effort. But, I'm going to leak something -- Palin. I like her. WHAT?! Booo! Hisss! I can hear feel all your nerve endings starting to sizzle! So, before you get your unders all wadded up, relax. I didn't say I would vote for her party ... didn't say I wouldn't ... but I like her. And I like her shoes. While I'm on the subject (probably the last time I'll ever be on this subject), a few fellas that I'm not so sure about ...

Him. Really, I don't care what side you lean toward, I'm pretty sure this guy's a Weenie.

And Him. Another topic for another day.

I'm tired of Obama crap. I'm tired of McCain crap. I'm tired of fanatics. I'm tired of biased arguments. I know people just love this stuff ... not me. Word to the wise -- don't talk to me about politics! I know my beliefs, I know my opinions, I know the issues that are important to me. Save your arguments for someone else! I believe in free speech (even when it's annoying), I am thankful for my right to vote, and yes, I understand the importance of this election. I will do my research. I will ask for clarification. I'm an intelligent person -- trust me to make a good judgement call. Whew! Didn't plan on that one! Are you ever going to read Five for Friday again? p.s. 2012 - Vote For Lacey! Baked goods and Twirly Skirts for all!


5. On a lighter note, Fall is in the air. I can smell it, I can feel it. My absolute favorite time of year! My kids are darling in their jeans and sweatshirts!

Happy Friday, everybody!

26.2 miles of blogging

This really would be easier if I could keep my blog updated instead of playing catch-up every month! What have we been up to? Let's see ...

1. Sleep Training. For the last month and a half I have been trying to get Jack on some sort of napping schedule. To say the least, it has been absolute hell! Poor Jack can hardly keep himself awake!

2. Camp Out! A friend of mine had a crazy idea to hold a camp out in her backyard with neighborhood moms and kids. Ella had a great time (despite all her breakdowns!) and loved sleeping ... I mean giggling ... in a tent with her friends.

3. Parenting 101 - Always buckle your kids in the stroller. Even when they are only going to sit in it for 3 seconds. This is what happens when you don't.


4. The Fair. I love going to the fair! Ella was a little put-off by the smell of the animals but we still managed to have a fun time.



5. Gardening. I am not the only one in our family who likes to relax in the garden. I keep finding Jack rummaging through the plants looking for something to snack on. Vegetable of choice - green tomatoes.

6. Dancing Queen. Ella's dance class started up for the year and she is thrilled! I honestly don't think I'm being biased when I say she is pretty darn good!


7. First day of school! Is it lame to "raise the roof" or something like that? Oh, I love school! We both need this so bad! This is Ella's second year of preschool and she was so excited to start. Ella would go every day if she could .... I would send her every day if I could ...


8. Soccer. Ella had her first soccer game on Saturday and she was pretty awesome! She even scored a goal .... in the other team's net, but that doesn't really count, right?


9. We've been able to spend some time up at The Property with friends and family this summer. We love it up there and are so thankful that we have such a fun place to go and hang out!
10. I am making a new goal to blog on a regular basis. I am not exactly sure what that means or how I'm going to accomplish this, but I'll figure something out.

High School

I'm currently trying to work on an "actual" post ... it's been a while ... but in the meantime, here you go. Thanks Brooke!

1. Did you date someone from your high school? Yes, for a really long time.

2. What kind of car did you drive? I had couple of different sets of wheels. My favorite was the Spectrum. Looked something like this only Silver.

3. Were you a party animal? It all depends on what "partying" means for a mormon.

4. Were you considered a flirt? Ask the fellas.

5. Were you in band, orchestra or choir? Choir. Fa la la la la! Band people were lame!

6. Were you a nerd? No way, Jose!

7. Were you on any varsity team? Yes ... Oh, did you want to know which one?

8. Did you get suspended/expelled? Nope.

9. Can you sing the fight song? Oh, bountiful we're proud of you and of your red and gray ...

10. Who were your favorite teachers? Mr. Pluim ... he passed me in Honors Chemistry when I shouldn't have passed. Ms. Smith ... she gave me the hall pass to go to Zuka.

11. Where did you sit during lunch? I have never stepped foot in my school cafeteria during a lunch period. So, I guess my butt graced the seats of multiple eating establishments scattered throughout Bountiful.

12. What was your school's full name? Bountiful High School

13. School mascot? Braves

14. If you could go back and do it again, would you? If I had to do it I would do it differently. Would I want to do it? Never!

15. What do you remember most about graduation? That I wasn't sure if there was going to be a diploma waiting for me when I turned in my cap and gown. A stressful day, I tell ya!

16. Where did you go on senior skip day? Senior skip day? I thought that was every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Ahh, maybe that explains that whole diploma incident.

17. Were you in any club? No. See #15 and #16.

18. Have you gained some weight since then? Ummm ... no?

19. Who was your prom date? My forever boyfriend, Chris.

20. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Been there, done that. We'll see how persuasive people are for the next one!

Canna?

Canna take this quiz again? I'm sure there's something better!

"You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that."

I am a Canna What Flower Are You?

I Heart ...

Running shoes. These are my new pair. They cost a lot of money so I'm pretty sure they'll make me faster.

Me Likey!

I actually put this on here for the song ... me likey the song! However, after watching this, me REALLY likey her moves! Check 'em out!


Ooohh, here's more! I might borrow some of these!


Seriously, a weird duck but some of HER music is good.

Shoot!

I've screwed up my blog! If anyone knows a thing or two about HTML/Javascript, let me know!

Misty Watered Colored Meeeemories ....

Thanks to all who responded to my last post. It was so fun to read and every one of them made me laugh! If you've got more, I'd love to hear them! So, for those who I haven't responded to yet, here we go ....

Emily - I had forgotten so much of this! Chiefing? I haven't said that in at least 15 years! I am still in love with Bono. Yes, he's old but he still gets me going. Feeling Groovy? Humiliating! And for you -

1. Pretty in Pink and Dirty Dancing
2. Your gold VW and how you would turn off the ignition before you were completley stopped.
3. JT, CCR and Indigo Girls
4. Your perfectly purple bedroom .... running down the hall, leaping onto your bed and breaking the frame.
5. Troy Jewkes .... "uh, my mom makes good briskit" and "Yes, you, Emily Whitney."
6. Big button telelphones ... oooh, I was so jealous!
7. Hires and Nielson's
8. Throwing up before a pep rally. I wouldn't hold back anyone else's hair but yours.
9. Gilad
10. Endless hours at North Canyon Swim and Tennis Club.


Kristy -I remember you sitting in my front room doing your VT and you were talking about another lady you visit. You were saying how when you go to her house you are in and out in 15 minutes and that you were irritated by it. You felt that if you had to get ready and drag your kids somewhere you should be able to sit and visit for a while. I remember thinking, "Oh great. This lady's got the wrong house if she thinks she can sit and chit chat forever." I'm glad I told you to hit the road! :)


Joanna - Dave Matthews (and yes, Rombo and the rest of Group #4!). Also, do you still freak out if someone touches your neck?


Valerie - My first book club - We were sitting around Jessica's kitchen table and we were talking about babysitters. You made a comment to me about who you liked to use and I remember looking at you and thinking, "Who the heck ARE you?" We had both lived here for about three years and I didn't have a clue as to who you were! Funny that we quickly became friends.

Oh, and I do remember that wicked gleam in your eye seconds before my "accidental" mishap on the busiest street in town ...


Sarah - Plantar Fascitis. Need I say more? I'm so glad to have someone to share in my misery!


Jen - Fear Factor closet - what would I have done without you? Too bad I couldn't talk you into cleaning out the Fear Factor bedroom ... home to the million mice that skittered through my house! I honestly don't think I've eaten powdered donuts and grape juice since then. I think I donut gemed myself out. Honestly, we should have gone public with Les Mis (er ... more public than the few friends that got a preview). We really were amazing!

1. Hoofing up to the cabin in 15 feet of snow with your car stuck at the bottom.
2. Dave Beckwhatever witnessing our En Vogue performance
3. Nuzzle hugs
4. Wookin Pa Nub
5. The touch , the feel, of cotton
6. Lipstick remnants in my chapstick
7. Pass the dutchie


B - Crying after getting splashed by Shamu. Weren't you 12, or something?


Eric - Dancing at the Speredome to Play That Funky Music White Boy .... you were quite the funky white boy! Oh, and remember the time you gave me an uppercut at the bus stop?


Heather - You are such a good aunt and my kids love you (yes, even Jack is warming up!) Please come to my house everyday and play with my kids!!! I'm pretty sure I remember NOT kicking your butt at guitar hero. I was warned about your competitive streak ....

1. Add a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! Does this sound completely self-centered? Oh well, who cares!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't have a blog, I'll leave one in my comments box. I can't wait to see what people remember.