The Ants Go Marching Out

Can you feel it it too? Something has changed. There's less ants around these days. For the past several long months, I've had a plague of Ants infest my home. Hard as I try to keep the kitchen crumb free, they invite themselves anyway. Any dishes left out in or near the sink will undoubtedly be practically carried away with Ants the next morning. They made a permanent invisible line going along my stove and down to some underground tunnel. They've bitten my feet more times than I can count while making dinner. My dishwasher was a favorite dining spot for them. But many died a hot and steamy drowning. Not even my purse was safe in it's storage cupboard next to the dishwasher.
The kitchen isn't the only hangout for these little pests. It's been great fun to be watching a movie all comfy on the couch only to feel a little sting somewhere on your body. They don't discriminate. Everyone in the family gets it. They're in the carpet, bathroom, dirty clothes baskets, wood floors.
Which leaves me to ask myself: Am I just a horrible filthy housekeeper? Why are they here and what do they want? I've been tolerable to them to a point. Sure, I've killed some of them. But only hoping it would send a message to all of them. And maybe it finally has, because I believe they're retreating. It's a good thing too, because my bags were packed.

This makes me tap my toes.

Isabelle

Freshman in College. Senior in High School. Sophomore in High School:

They don't want their picture taken on the first day of school anymore.

Thank Heavens for this little third grade girl! She LOVES everything about school and lets me help her pick out her outfit every morning and tells me all about her day when she gets home. She's a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

How many more days?

Ok, I'm ready to drive Seminary kids. Ready to make school lunches. Ready to quiz spelling words. Ready to get out to the bus on time. Ready to pick up from rehearsals and practices. Ready to wake up early. Ready to meet the teacher. I'm ready for School to start!!

Good Times

We have lived in this house five years next month. These last five years have been the good times. I didn't always know it at the time though. Back when the kids still liked to swim together. When they would let Amanda dress them up and take pictures. When they put on Christmas Eve programs. When they would play games with their Dad. When they just liked being together and hanging out and acting silly. I miss those times. But time can't stand still and life goes on. I know there are good times ahead, and then those will be the good times.

Lists

Isabelle was naming off all the things she wants for her Birthday.
I told her to make a list for her Birthday and for Christmas.
Then I explained to her how she probably won't get as many things for her Birthday as she will for Christmas so she needs to put on her Birthday list what she really wants first.
Then I told her she might not get everything on her Christmas list.
She said: "I'm going to get everything on my list for Christmas because Santa Claus loves me."

I stand corrected.

Teenage Girls These Days

What's up with teenage girls these days?? As a mother of a teenage son and two teenage daughters, I'm learning alot about teengagers. I didn't analyze teenagers while I was a teenager because the world was all about me and my pain or my happiness. I would look at teenagers in McDonald's or various other places in public while taking my little ones out, and swear MY kids would never be like that!! By the way, you should NEVER say NEVER. It has a funny way of coming back to bite you.
So, in case you didn't know, Logan is quite the ladies man. That may be an understatement. While talking with him yesterday about it he said "Why kiss only one girl, when you can kiss them all?" He's had a steady parade of girls come through our house for the last few weeks. Most of them more that willing to come and pick him up in their cars and take him wherever he wants to go. Some are from work, some are from other wards, some are from who knows where. It was all fine and good until he figured out that if he invited them over to swim, he could kiss them in the pool!
After sending Isabelle out a couple of times for various reasons, I decided I'd better take a look. This girl he had over, who was at girls camp, who's in another ward in our building, was on him like white on rice. In MY Pool!! At MY House!! I've only seen this girl twice. She's not his girlfriend. She's just one of many. So I had to go out and inform them how innappropiate they were being and how many other great things they could be doing. She was embarrassed and wouldn't even look at me, she kept her back to me. A little smacking was in order!! But, sadly for her, she's under the influence of Logan. Like a horse to water. And he's only sixteen. Heaven help me.

round the clock non stop cooking fun!

Lifting, washing, chopping, laughing, cooking, stirring, frying, mixing, laughing, wiping, serving, filling, slicing, no sleeping, laughing, laughing, laughing.....such is the life of a girls camp cook.

Black Hole

Okay, I admit it. I'm in a blogging black hole. I don't know what the problem is. Maybe it's because I live with three teenagers and finding the computer free during the summer is like finding uplifting and wholesome literature on The Strip. Maybe because I just haven't had time what with baking something like fifteen dozen cookies and browning forty pounds of hamburger for girls camp. Maybe because I've just been so busy cleaning and grocery shopping. Maybe because I've been so focused on my sharing time for Primary this Sunday. Maybe because I've been reading the best book on marriage so I can meet all of my eternal companion's needs. Or maybe, it's because I just have nothing whatsoever to say. Yes, that's it. Nothin' in the noggin.

20 YEARS RENEWED!!

June 16, 1989


June 16, 2009

Still in love and having fun!

We're all pretty tired over here

So Friday night Logan worked until 12:30. I picked him up at the Theater and brought him home where Phillip and Emily were waiting for him so they could all leave to go on their fishing trip. They had a four hour drive ahead of them and a two hour hike to get to the "secret spot". As soon as I got home with Logan, Amanda notified me that she was back from her Senior trip to California and needed to be picked up. Back in the car I go and we arrived back home around 1:30 am.

Since Isabelle is too little to go on the big fishing trip, her and I had some fun of our own the next day (Saturday). The Bounce House, ice cream sundays from Sonic and afternoon swimming. (which I am sporting a fantastic sunburn )

Then later in the day Amanda brought her posse over to tye dye t-shirts. They were as happy as can be to tye dye. I even had them make one for Isabelle and I. We'll see the finished product tomorrow. The suspense is killing us!!

Then the great fishermen and fishergirl returned just around dinner time, tired and hungry. It was a full day for all. It's 9pm and my house is very quiet except for the hum of the dryer. Sleep has claimed them all.

Strange Night

So I had a strange night the other night. As we were getting ready for bed we heard a car or truck outside our bedroom on the other side of the wall. We have heard this vehicle before late at night, so I went out by the pool to investigate. I saw that it was a Van and it would back up and then drive away and a little later come back and park along the street with it's engine running and then do the same thing all over again. Up to no good I tell ya.
So the husband said I should call the Police and see if they have a car in the neighborhood to come check it out. I did exactly that. But knowing I wouldn't be able to go to sleep wondering if there was a drug bust or something going on just outside my window, I decided to keep watch out the front window for that trusty squad car. It never came. I wanted to get a closer look, so I put on my robe and tip toed outside. By this time the Van had left again and now there was a small car with some loud occupants, one of which was a caucasion male leaning against the car focusing deeply on his cell phone. One or more females were inside the small car. I stood on my side of the wall for a long time, waiting for something to happen.
While I was waiting I saw the biggest, coolest looking falling star I've ever seen in my entire life. I just knew it was going to hit my neighbor's house, but it didn't. Then, while I was still waiting, a confused bird started singing the prettiest song I've ever heard a bird sing in my entire life. What kind of bird sings loudly at 11:30 pm? It was kind of cool. After more waiting and yawning, I asked myself what I was waiting for and what in the world I was doing outside in my robe listening over the wall? I couldn't come up with a good answer so I gave up and went to bed. Who knew so many strange things happen at night? The husband missed out. And I think I've become Mrs. Kravitz.

Graduation Days

Yesterday Amanda graduated from High School. I remember her preschool graduation and thinking how far off 2009 seemed. I was wrong. I blinked twice and it's here. As soon as the Graduation March started to play and the Graduates began walking in I began the water works. It just hit me like a wave that my first child is grown up. It's a mixed feeling because I'm sad and happy at the same time. She's going to do great things with her life and I'm so proud of her. Top ten percent of her class, that's nothing to sneeze at. She's worked hard and has earned it. Congratulations Amanda, I love you!!

Sunday afternoon fun, Monday morning reality

Sundays are always fun with Isabelle






Don't you just wish Monday mornings would go away?

And in a few days this is what my house will look like all the time until school starts back up again. Sigh.

Robin's Egg Blue

I have decided I love this color! Turquoise, robin's egg blue, whatever it's called, I'm attracted to it. The house we moved into when I was five was soaked in this color everywhere, maybe Mrs. Weech was ahead of her time. I like it as a teenager but called it "Aqua". I have visions of my bedroom with this color here and there. It would be a fun color to wake up to, don't you think? The possibilities are endless. Does anyone else love this color??

The Ten Virgins

Tonight in our Ward was the presentation of the Ten Virgins. Amanda and Emily were two of the ten. It was wonderful. The hours spent practicing and setting up were countless. All I had to do was costume my girls which was a little more challenging than I thought. Emily's first dress I made looked like a hospital gown. They each had a speaking part and a song. My dumb blurry camera distorted the magnificance of the stage setting. I saw a little bit of something going on during the performance between Emily and Amanda and the Director but didn't know what it was. I learned after it was over that Emily realized mid performance that she forgot her song. She was panicked and terrified. Who can blame her, there were about a hundred people there. She got Amanda's attention who got the directors attention who got others attention who passed a copy of her song down to her before it was her turn. Flawlessly professional. The entire cast did a great job but when my girls sang together I shed a few tears. They sounded like angels. And I just kept thinking how glad I am to have them. Even though they portrayed the parts of foolish virgins. We have some very talented people in our ward. They gave us an evening we won't soon forget. Way to go Copperwood Ward!