It's getting late and I am getting nothing done...

Well, I told Ryan I was going to stay up and fold a batch of laundry but here I am plunked down at the computer. So, I might as well post something... What is going through my mind at the moment is how my whole life I have hated journals and now I am most addicted to doing the very thing I have fought against my whole life. Growing up is an odd thing-one day you hate tomatoes, the next you can't get enough of them. One day you hate napping and all that it implies, the next you are counting down the days until your Sunday nap. One day you are thin, the next you are overweight and can't get it off. One day the thought of ever writing in a journal makes you want to pull your hair out, then next you are wondering what you can "blog" about. A big thank-you hug to Natasha for being brave enough to teach an old dog new tricks. T&YW-Mandi

Random thoughts on a Sunday afternoon

Isn't it amazing how much better a nap is when taken on a Sunday afternoon, than any other day of the week. Maybe it is because your spiritual cup is full (as well as your belly from Sunday dinner) and you are just extra content with life. Curling up on a soft bedspread with a cozy blanket and taking a power-nap... there is nothing quite like it to even compare to!

We went to dinner this weekend with some friends, and since we didn't get dessert at dinner, we decided to stop at ColdStone Creamery in Spanish Fork. As we walked in, Natasha said the funniest thing, "Doesn't it smell like the Celestial Kingdom in here?" When I paused for a moment to ponder the thought, I must admit, if I had to assign the Celestial Kingdom a "smell" ColdStone Creamery would probably fit the bill. So, during my drive to my drive to Salina and back today...I had time to think about what other senses I would assign to the Celestial Kingdom. The only definite sense I have at the moment, is the sound in my Celestial Kingdom. It would be a calm summer night.....there is an alfalfa field with several grazing horses. The only sound other than the crickets and the soft chik-chik of a sprinkler slowly watering the field, is the content horses grazing and occasionally sighing. I have told Ryan many times throughout our career as a married couple how much I truly love this sound.

Now, if my Celestial Kingdom sounds could be rotated like those new, fancy air fresheners that change the scents every half-an-hour, I would also like to add to my selection, the sound of my children laughing with the kind of abandon that only a child is capable of. A full-on, straight from the heart and belly laugh-not a care in the world, just savoring the moment.

Yep, Sunday afternoons beat most anything.....

mother of the year....not me

So, I totally forgot to pick up Drew for school today.....what makes it even worse is that I had to pay for the time she was at daycare while I was being braindead! Drew didn't mind so much though, seems she conveniently forgot to ask the ladies to call and remind me I had forgotten to pick her up for school. When I did finally make it to retrieve her and Nolan, she asked if I could please forget her tomorrow too. You never know, it just might happen.......
We are supposed to be going on this big horse-ride over in Wellington this weekend. I was totally thinking I was going to boycott the ride for personal distaste of cold-temperature and wind related reasons, but whatdoyaknow? The weatherman was correct for once and I think it really is going to warm up and be nice weather for the ride. Sunburn and sore-butt.....here I come!!!

who knew?

I have to admit something..... I always thought I was an o.k. singer until last weekend. As Ryan and I sang along at our home during conference, we both realized (at the same time) just how bad we sounded. We stopped singing and laughed about it, then tried again with the same results - we are horrible singers!!!! We finally just had to quit singing because we were laughing so hard at ourselves we could not finish the song. How did we not know how bad we were before now? Why hasn't anyone told us? Good grief, I am still cringing as I remember the awful sound we were trying to pass off as "singing".... uck. Speaking of conference, a line from one of the talks keeps echoing in my mind... "the time your children spend with you constitutes only 1/4th of your life. Use your time with them wisely." Wow! That really puts things into perspective. How precious time is - use it wisely. Here are some pictures of Drew and Nolan with their new bikes. A little past the fact, but I have been behind... better late than never. Also, Drew had "Wacky Wednesday" today. There is also a pic of her wacky-outfit in all its glory. Oh yeah, one last thing... did you know that there is a special walk that makes others think you are "popular"? Yep, Drew filled me in on that one today. I got the low-down on how it works and a nice demonstration of how to do it. Ask her next time you see her..... that is, if you want to be popular ;)