A scenario.

A burnt piece of toast and a smoky, smoky house.

I say I'm getting a new toaster.

Husband says the toaster works perfectly fine if I would just stand and watch for it to be done (the automatic pop-up thing broke years ago).  He does this and rarely (if ever) burns toast. 

I say I don't have time to stand and watch the bread toast when I'm busy refilling cocoa puffs, finding drinks,  packing backpacks .... and checking facebook (just being honest).  

Husband says we don't need to go and waste $50 bucks on a toaster.

I say I don't need a $50 toaster.  A $10 toaster would suit me perfectly as long as the toast popped up automatically. 

Husband says we don't need a toaster.

I say Husband, don't tell me what I don't need.

Husband leaves for work, I put another piece of bread in the toaster.   Smoke billowing, fire alarms blaring and one charred piece of bread flaming in a toaster is flying through the air. 

I'm pretty sure I know who is getting a new toaster.

Harvest

Four huge bowls picked from my garden this morning.  In another day this will double. Time to buy more bottles, I guess. 

Sunday

A day of peace.  A day of reflection.  A day of rest.  

If you forget about the process before church, the wrestling of kids, Sunday school, teaching lessons, meetings, the never-ending day, grumpy, tired kids, Church Headaches and the pure exhaustion of the Sunday Circus Ring ....

It's the best darn day of rest I've ever had!

The Stake President asked me a while back, "don't you just love Sunday's?"  I asked him if that was a trick question.

And on the third day ....

My computer has been on this screen for three days.  I've been feeling the need to blog but writers block has seriously set in.  These last two sentences suck, yet they took me 5 minutes to write.  Hmm ....

You know when you start writing in a journal and after you've taken a break you feel like you need to catch up on everything you didn't write about?  But then you start writing, and writing, and writing and it's past your bedtime, and your hand hurts, and you're still not even current?  *sigh*  Do you even know what I'm talking about?

So, this blog here.  I need to blog.  It's been nagging at me.  I've had a million blogable thoughts rolling around this head of mine ....   but I can't focus on the current until the old is out of the way ... well, I think that's problem anyway ....

So as much as I've been trying to avoid a re-cap post, here it is.  Our summer:

Did you know that Jack has not slept through the night for the 3+ years he's been alive?  Most of you know this since I complain about it every chance I get.  We took in Jack in for a sleep study to figure out what was going on.  It was an absolute joke, nobody slept, I was ticked, but the conclusion was that Jack suffers from sleep apnea and we needed to get his tonsils and adenoids removed.

 So we had his tonsils and adenoids removed...

...which led to 14 days of Jack not taking any pain medication.  No pain medication = torture for everyone. Now, the sleeping?  Another post for another day....

Ella, Jack & Cousins

 The Kaysville 4th of July Parade.  Now THIS is a party!

We spent a week camping at the beach with some friends down in southern California.  We had such a great time!  The weather was a little crummy but overall a fun trip!

 Sea World.  3D Elmo.  Ella got scared and cried.

.

 Sprocket Rockets!  Division Champions!

Saints to Sinners -- a 500+ bike race from Salt Lake to Las Vegas. Me, along with an awesome team, spent the spring and summer training our butts off for this race.  It was amazing!  One of the hardest, hottest and funnest things I've ever done! 

Instead of running the full Bountiful triathlon this year, a few of us decided to do a relay team (except for Valerie, the girl in pink. She ran the whole thing).  We were awesome.  We were fast.  We were robbed of first place.  Next year we are coming back with a vengeance!!

 Hannah!

Gator's sister Ashlee finally had her first baby.  You can't see her, but she's darling!!

Gator had a company party at the zoo.  The kids love it!  Roar!

Me and Dwight and a huge pair of unflattering shorts.  Lake Mead.  100+ degrees.  Right after my last leg of the race .... what a relief!!

THE END 

Six

Happy Birthday, sweet girl.  Best Mother's Day gift ever!  

Love you.

Sweetness

I  snapped a picture of Ella today. This is not a work of art, I know, but I love this picture for so many reasons.  

* I love how she's sitting.  Man, I wish I could still sit like that.

* Her face is sweet.  No trace of annoyance on it at all.

* I love her big-cuffed jeans.

* See that red couch?  I love that red couch.

* Ella was so much fun today. I love when she's in a good mood.

* I finally finished her sweater and she hasn't complained once about wearing it. 

What I really got the camera out for was this:

I will LOVE when I don't have to deal with this anymore!  Right before Ella turned 2, she knocked out that front tooth.  We have been dealing with a fake one for 4 years and as thankful as I have been for an amazing dentist who hasn't charged me a penny, it has been a big pain.  Yesterday, the whole tooth snapped off the wire its connected to (again).  We were hoping to just leave the whole fake-tooth-contraption out of her mouth and wait for the new one to grow in.  Turns out it may be while before a new one will grow in.  We're having a new one fake one made (again) and in the mean time, Ella is eating as much taffy and sticky stuff as she can!

Good Friday

Did you know that part of Good Friday tradition is to make Hot Cross Buns?  I didn't.  In fact, until last Friday, I didn't know what either of them were.  This year, in honor of Good Friday (but mostly because I hadn't had a Diet DP in 4 days) I took the same concept of a hot cross bun -- give or take a few ingredients ... and a cross on the top -- and started a new tradition.  Bread + cinnamon + icing = Cinnamon Rolls.  I have to say, it was quite an enjoyable holiday! 

Grood Friday next year?  Come on over and celebrate Gatherum style.   I promise after these babies come out of the oven, it will be better than Good Friday, it will be Great Friday!

This is not my usual go-to cinnamon roll recipe.   However,  this was right up there in deliciousness.  I need to think more about which is going to take my #1 slot.  I'm not sure where I got this recipe -- I had it written down in my book with no source listed.  If it's yours, let me know.  You can have the credit.  

*If this doesn't make sense and you've never made cinnamon rolls before, come over and we'll have a cinnamon roll clinic!

**This picture is actually of my go-to cinnamon rolls ... not that you would have known that right?  Just trying to be honest.

Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls

½ cup warm water
2 Tb yeast
2 Tb sugar
3 ½ oz package instant vanilla pudding, make as directed
½ cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp salt

6-7 cups flour

In a small bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside. In large bowl, combine pudding, butter, eggs and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend. Gradually add flour; knead until smooth. Do not add too much flour. It should be very soft but not sticky. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled. Roll out on floured surface to about 34 X 21 inches in size.  I don't think I've ever measured my rectangles.  Make it however big you want.

Here's where I don't have exact directions.  A little vague, I know, but it's all according to preference.

Take softened butter and spread over surface (Don't be too skimpy on the butter).  Sprinkle cinnamon over butter (I like cinnamon so I use a lot.)  Take handfuls of brown sugar and spread over butter/cinnamon (don't be skimpy here either).  Roll it up into one big cinnamon roll log.  Cut in 1 1/2 section with a super sharp knife or use floss or thread (way easier than I knife, I think). 

Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and let rise until double.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Frost with cream cheese frosting or regular icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened 

1 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
2-3 Tb milk

Crazy?

Yup.  I'm doing it.  Saints to Sinners -- check it out.  500 miles of road biking, 300 degree temperatures, great friends and a big fat sunburn.  Can't wait!

www.mygiveawaytoday.com is giving away one free entrance fee.  I'm going to win!!!

Dear Lowes:

Next time I ask for you to mix up a batch of that pretty blue paint,  I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't send me home with pretty purple paint.  Next time I come to your store for the third time in an attempt to get a batch of that pretty blue paint, I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't give me some lame excuse about how sample size paint colors don't necessarily convert to gallon size paint colors.  Ummm, why give me a sample if I can't get it in a bigger bucket?  Just a thought. 

Oh, and next time I bring my third batch of paint home that was customly tinted to match the pretty blue paint, please don't send me home with a bucket of slightly less but still kind of purple paint.

As much as I'd love to return to your store to make another attempt at the lovely blue sample you gave me, seeing as how you've already been so much help, I am fresh out of time.  You've left me no choice but to slap on the pretty blue-but not really color and hate you for the rest of my life.

Thanks,
Me

p.s.  I get my new wood floors tomorrow that will hopefully look fabulous with my pretty blue but mostly purple paint!

Manic

Today was all over the place.  I went to bed too late last night.  Ran too hard.  Woke up too early.  Forgot to ice.  Can feel a cold coming on ...sigh.  Maybe I should change manic to maniac.  I'm pretty sure that's what I was today. 

-Let's start off with this little guy.  I love Jack.  I think he's darling.  I don't love that he pinches, pulls hair, torments and destroys and makes me want to pinch, pull hair, torment and destroy.  He drives me crazy!  Yet, he still manages to look cute while doing it.  MADDENING!!

Today I had had enough.  And then he decided to take a nap..... a two hour nap.  I was happy again and decided to keep him.

- My kitchen blinds are clean.  This makes me happy.

- A bunch of laundry got done today.  This makes me happy.  But then I just saw all the full baskets that need to be put away.  The worst part of laundry is putting away.  Uggh.  Not so happy.

-  This pile of yarn is a sweater that I'm knitting for Ella.  I was two rows away from being completely finished and then realized there was a mistake.  With very little irritation (strangely), I frogged half the sweater (not kidding when I say half) to fix my mistake.  About 10 rows back into it I realized I didn't fix the mistake, frogged it back to the fixing point and threw it across the room.  Very frustrated and on the verge of tears, Bono announced himself on the radio and I remembered that we (Bono and myself) have a date on June 3rd.  Sweater forgotten, I sang myself into happiness

- Jack woke up so I made some bread.  Bread soothes me.  Weird, I know.

-I tripped on the stairs while holding a basket of laundry. I cursed and then decided the only reason I tripped was because the stairs are dirty and nasty and not good for anything but causing problems.  Then I remembered that we are ripping out the dirty, nasty stairs and putting in more wood.  My clean wood stairs can not come soon enough.  Happy, again.

- I've had a headache for 4 days.  The only reason this makes me happy is because it gives me an excuse to drink more coke.   Coke does not = headache.  Coke = happiness.

-  This little bundle of goodness usually gets in trouble around 5:00.  This is during dinner preparation, Jack's melt-down period, and when I'm completely out of patience.  Today was no exception.  She screamed, threw some punches and spent some time in her room. Luckily, rage turned into sadness.  Check out the previous post to experience some of Ella's heartbreak.

- I am going to bed at 9:30 tonight.  This makes me happy.

Songs of Sorrow

People vent their frustrations in a lot of different ways.  When Ella gets worked up I usually want to cut my ears off, but sometimes Ella delights us with some entertainment.  I just wish I would have caught the part about how she hates chicken and that Jack is not a nice brother.

ELLA #1

ELLA#2

This Love

I've got to say it.

There are items you buy. Regularly. Items that you really like.  And then one day you open one of these items and it's not the same.  You know the expression, don't fix something that's not broken?  Well, don't already!  Who makes the decision to change something, to screw something up?  Who says, I don't think these should taste like yumminess anymore.  I think crap is the better way to go? Who's in charge here?!

Sweetheart Candies.  Have you tried them this year?  These things have been selling for millions of years and all of a sudden they change how they taste?   Oh dear.  What is happening to this world?


1.  I LOVE York Peppermint Patties.  Something that has stayed the same for millions of years.

2.  I LOVE when my kids don't fight.

3.  I LOVE when I don't have to carpool.

4.  I LOVE when Gator lets me have my way.

5.  I LOVE that my 10 year anniversary is coming up and once again, we don't have any plans.  Boooo.

6.  I LOVE a good book.

7.  I LOVE that Madonna was in my dream last night.

8.  I LOVE that I've been able to reconnect with friends through blogging.

9.  I LOVE good hair days.  Today is not one of them.

10.  I LOVE throwing things away.

11.  I LOVE sweaty people at the gym who smell like mildew.  

12.  I LOVE that we're actually getting a tax return.

13.  I LOVE that this post has taken me 45 minutes to write because my internet keeps going down. Boooo!

14.  I LOVE Allison's sugar cookies!  Holy smokes, they were amazing!  This weekend, I will be attempting to recreate the divineness .... although I'm sure they won't be nearly as delicious!

LOVE on the Rocks

Not feeling so loving today.  This will be a tough one.  Early-out school schedule = grumpy kids & grumpy mom. 

1.  I LOVE a beautiful blue sky.

2.  I LOVE that this week is almost over.

3.  I LOVE when Jack says the words spooky and squirrels. Preferably in the same sentence. 

4.  I LOVE that Ella says revy  instead of very.  Like, "she doesn't do cartwheels revy good."  I should work on this, I know.

5.  I LOVE Calamity Jane

6.  I LOVE when I think to ask for prescriptions ahead of time.

7.  I LOVE that I sold my bar stools within a half an hour of posting them.

8.  I LOVE that Gator gets up with Jack in the morning.

9.  I LOVE that I got a triathlon reminder in my email.  Makes me think of summer!

10.  I LOVE that it's almost time for Girl Scout cookies.

11.  I LOVE that I actually have a vacation planned for the summer.

12.  I LOVE that this week is almost over ... wait, did I already say that?

13.  I LOVE that I'm not putting a YouTube video on this post!

A Big Hunk of LOVE

1.  I LOVE chips and salsa.  I will never, ever, turn them down!

2.  I LOVE having flowers in my home ... I LOVE when I don't have to buy them myself.

3.    I LOVE when Jack says his prayers.

4.  I LOVE nap time.  If it were my nap time I'd LOVE it even more.

5.  I LOVE it when people come and clean my house for me.  Oh, wait.  That never happens.

6.  I LOVE when Ella lets me dance and sing and thinks I'm awesome.  Oh, wait.  That doesn't happen either.

7.  I LOVE Walmart.  Actually, I hate it.  But today, I LOVE it.

8.  I LOVE when Gator thinks I'm funny.  Believe it or not, this isn't as easy as it used to be.


9.  I LOVE when you're running, and you're exhausted, and the perfect song comes on a gives you a boost.  Axl sure saved my butt this morning.

10.  I LOVE that I remembered to wash my favorite pants yesterday so I can loaf around in them today!  I don't love that I'll have to change my loaf-around pants before YW tonight.  Boooo!

11.  I LOVE music ... especially when it applies to my blog posts (seriously, what is it with me and YouTube lately?)!

 

LOVE

There are a lot of things I don't love.  As much as I try to be a half-full kind of gal, it's not really the way I roll.  It's February, which brings to mind a few of those not-so-loved, previously mentioned, items.   But I'm changing my tune -- at least for the next 14 (umm, 13?) days.

1.  I LOVE storage.  It's amazing what a set of shelves can do for a girl!  My father-in-law is building us shelves to line the entire back section of our garage.  He started installing them today.  I am so thrilled about this!  The storage is going to be fabulous and the crap is going to be gone.  The white trash look we've had going on for a little while has not been my favorite.

2.  I LOVE when dinner is made before 2:00 pm.

3.  I LOVE a nice, cold, Diet Dr. Pepper at lunch time. 

4.  I LOVE this.  Don't roll your eyes -- just appreciate the art for what it is. (My favorite section is :52 - 1:08.  I dare you not to smile!)

5.  I LOVE that I didn't get get up and go to the gym this morning and my kids slept until 7:30.

6.  I LOVE Buddy the Elf.