Sunshine

1. One Step at a Time: Each Saturday we work a bit more on the nursery. While I was at Kaitlyn's shower on Saturday, Chuck created these for the wall above the crib. The artwork was taken from a children's book that we found in the basement, and Chuck had the mattes cut and then framed it all himself. The room is tarting together... this week the goal is to get the crib skirt made...

http://www.domesticadventure.com/2010/10/how-to-make-a-crib-skirt/

Easy. That's what I need!

2. ONE WEEK! I have gone an entire week without a nosebleed. THAT- considering my record of having at least four per day for about two months - is a miracle. Oh, how grateful I am.

3. No Control: I need sweets. I love them. Control is not something I have right now. I wonder, had I HAD control and been good and eaten veggies and nuts and stuff, if I'd be on the LOWER end of "average weight gain" for pregnancy than on the HIGHER end. Meh. Remember how I'm running a half marathon next January? Yeah . . . I'll have control AND work out . . . later. (Am I going to be shooting myself over this attitude in twelve weeks?????)

POINT IS THAT I FOUND THIS:

http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2010/01/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-truffles.html

Yum.

4. Less: Less work.  Less mileage on my car. Fewer fill-ups for Sophie (and fewer dollars coming out of my checking account!) Less stress.

In my case right now, LESS IS MORE. And I love it.

5. Job: Chuck's job is great. I am grateful for it. We got a fantastic bonus this week and it feels WONDERFUL to have a little nest egg waiting for us in case we need more than what we have already saved up for baby's medical expenses. :-)

And if we don't? We will finally get furniture for our TV room. When we have people over they may actually have somewhere to sit!

6. Taxes: Next year we can claim a kid. THAT will be - really great.

7. Pedi: Had a pedi and afternoon out with Hilly a couple weeks ago. I always tell Chuck that if we ever have an obnoxious amount of money someday, the first thing I will spend it on is spa treatments two to three times per week. Pedis, massages, manis . . . And I will have a personal trainer. And a nutritionist. And a cook. And probably someone to do our laundry.

Yep.

Still Counting Down...

Somehow I missed last week's #8.

Ah well... 7 weeks till baby is due!

We need to get that nursery done...

I've spent the last few days reading this:

Thanks, Andrea, for the recommendation. More thoughts to come.

Sunshine

1. The above light has been the bane of my existence the past few months. I knew what the problem was, but didn't want to deal with the money it would cost to fix it.  I knew it wasn't ruining my car or anything, so I just drove... and drove.  Bah. I hate that light. Anyway, with some extra time on my hands this week, I was able to spend time in Ogden with my fantastic Daddy who fixed some much needed things on my Sophie. As of yesterday, no more CEL and I am extremely grateful for a dad who knows how to get in there and tear things apart and get them back together. Eh- the car was just an excuse for some good daddy/daughter time.  :-) 

2. Tis the season for THESE:

Take note that not just ANY candy heart can satisfy me - MUST BE SWEETART HEARTS. Mmmm. I love, love, love them. 

3. 

Thanks to Ethan for satisfying my ice cream needs this week...

4. Chuck was out of town all week long. I didn't sleep well, my nosebleeds were out of control, and I was lonesome. He got back yesterday. And that makes me happy. Things are much better with him around.

5. Did you know that I got a sewing machine for Christmas? I did. And I haven't touched it yet. BUT this week I got inspired by a project that looks simple enough to start with. Straight lines. Yeah. I'll figure out a boy version of this:

6. With Chuck back we'll get back to putting the nursery together. I found some good fabrics for bedding - so with the help of some family, he may just get some bedding in the near future.

7. And last, but not least - Counting down... TWO MONTHS left!

Single Digits

Down to single digits. Nine weeks to go...

What'd I do this week to prepare? Mmmmm... not a ton. :-) I rested a lot, and today, for the first time in a month, I went 24 hours without a nosebleed.

THANK. HEAVEN.

In all honestly, I have had a fairly easy pregnancy, and I am thrilled about that. But for some reason my pregnancy plague is nose bleeds. I was prone to them before, but seriously? We're talking gushing blood four to five times per day. The average one lasts about a half hour. Boooooooo.

I use a humidifier. I use Vaseline. I use nasal salines. Sigh. This week I was ready to walk into the doc and demand they cauterize it... (I've had that done before...) 

Meh.

But on a happy note: I'm close to finding fabrics for baby's bedding. It's taken awhile because we're pretty picky and don't have a "theme." Thank heaven I have family members who can sew - my skills are below minimal and it's a big project to take on when you *don't have a clue *.  Here's to learning! 

Soft

"Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. 

Do not let the pain make you hate. 

Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. 

Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, 

you still believe it to be a beautiful place."

I've pondered on this quote a lot this past weekend. I repinned it from a friend on Pinterest, and I find it right up the alley with where I am trying to go in my life. 


Very few people, if anyone, that I am well aquainted with, would describe me as a "soft" person. I am highly opinionated (and rarely choose to withhold those opinions), I am judgmental, and I am a bit hardened to feelings and emotions (beit mine own or those of others). For whatever reasons - and I will partially blame life's experiences (though I know I shouldn't...), I come off as a bit of a "tough cookie." To be perfectly honest, I've been proud of that for a long time. Part of those personality traits make me a hard worker, a go getter, and a girl who can actually stand going to a public restroom by herself. I'm quite the independent, and I do what I want when I want to do it. Don't mess with me. 


The question is, though, is that how I WANT to be seen? Is that how I WANT others to perceive me? AND, most importantly, is that who I REALLY am? I look at the women whom I admire and aspire to be like, and none of them are *those kind* of women. 


Hmmmm. 


Pondering on this subject reminded me of another quote that I'd heard and read in several different places: 


Margaret D. Nadauld, Young Women General President: “The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity” (“The Joy of Womanhood,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 15).


Tender. Kind. Refined. Faith. Goodness. Those are qualities I want; the ones I want to be seen. The strange thing is that oft times, those qualities are, by worldly standards, considered "weak" - and being perceived as WEAK absolutely mortifies me. Therein lies the dilemma. 


I must retrain my thoughts. 


Written word to further inspire me - Proverbs 31:10-31 . And a talk- Charity Never Faileth, given by President Thomas S. Monson during a time in 2010 where cynicism ran quickly through my veins. I'll admit that I haven't quite recovered from the events of that year that plagued - and continue to plague - our family members. Those events, along with other tragedies that I seem to constantly witness from the outside, have toughened me up even more. It's a work in progress, you know, trying to turn the cynicism to actions of tenderness, kindness, and refined behavior. 


I'm working on it all. 


There are those - few and far between - who do see the "soft" side of Amy - I suppose I should give myself credit... Perhaps this whole thought process is just MY form of "nesting."  This little person coming into our lives surely does not deserve to have my rough and tough, cynical nature imposed upon him. 


... I just don't think that it's a GOOD thing when the "person" in my life who sees the "tender me" most often is a furry friend named Gilbert.   ;-)

Ten Weeks

Today marks ten weeks till the fetus is scheduled to join us. That's * ALMOST * single digits. Huh. I need to start reading more about what to do with a baby...

He thoroughly enjoys resting his foot on the right side of my rib cage, and as I learned on Wednesday night, he is fascinated by the noises of cheering crowds (he went to his first pro sports event - Jazz VS Lakers - that night). He has been on post holiday detox the last few weeks, and I think I have figured out that he is a pretty calm kiddo when he's not pumped full of sugar. Making a mental note of that...

So here we are - ten weeks - and lots to do.

I think I will take a nap.

Sunday Sunshine

Yeah- when's the last time I did one of these posts? I'm not even sure.

1. Looking on the bright side here... 9 AM church: Chuck begins meetings at 6 AM. I'm up by a little after 7 (cringe), but by about 12:30 or so we get to come home, eat, and veg for the rest of the day if that's what we so choose. That part is great! And with our upcoming lifestyle change in a few weeks, I think that 9 AM won't cramp my style so much.  :-)

2. There is Nothing Like a Dame:

My mom, sister, grandma, and I saw the touring company of "South Pacific" at the Capitol Theatre on Thursday night. Ah, how I love the brilliance of a well done, Golden Age musical. 

3. Motivation: Yesterday was the Walt Disney World half marathon. I had a few friends participate in it and Amy here gets the big idea of, "Oooooooo. I can do that!" So, the goal is to run that half marathon next January in Orlando. Hopefully this baby coming smoothly and I can start training and telling myself that I love running. And after the half marathon I will eat around the world at EPCOT. And also have a PB and J shake from the 50s Prime Time Diner in the Hollywood Studios. And I will eat at Ohana. Yes.

4. Mobile: I bought this little gem on Etsy yesterday. Should look lovely with what we've got going for our little nursery...

5. Election: Call me nuts, but I enjoy election coverage. I find it horrifying and fascinating all at the same time. 

6. Snowflakes: We got a few of them this week - a very few, but I enjoyed it. It felt like Christmas should have been right around the corner rather than behind the corner. Hmmmm. At least I'm not on the regular "over winter burnout" per as usual in January. I'll be fine with snow for a few more months. Wish I could go sledding. 

Good Sabbath, everyone! 

Today

My Current Loves:


1. Blog2Print.com: I have six years (exactly 700 posts!) of blogging to get printed. The formatting is not perfect, but right now I just want to get them into book form. Perhaps when I am printing smaller bits I'll get fancier and choose a site with your own formatting options, but for now, this is perfect. I have four books to print. It'll cost over $300. But know what's cool????  THEY SELL GIFT CARDS! (http://www.sharedbookstore.com/b2p.html)  :-)  I totally dig that. Too bad Christmas just passed...


2. Naps. I love having time for naps, if I so choose to take one. 

3. Time for Projects: I'm currently working hard, with the Primary Presidency, to get everything in order for the insanity that will occur on Sunday morning at about 10:10 AM.  Our ward only held Sacrament Meeting last Sunday, so this week begins the new year. New classes and teachers and lots of new fun.  We're working on reverence in our Primary, so I've created this chart that will aid in that endeavor. As they're reverent and make it to each "landmark," they'll have an activity or handout that goes along with that picture. I found some pretty cute things online - so we'll see how it goes. 

4. E-Mealz.com: My cousin's wife had mentioned this site to me a couple years back, but Andrea reminded and referred me to it back in June. Aaaaand it took me until October to jump on the bandwagon (that whole NO TIME thing was really cramping my lifestyle apparently!) I LOVE THIS SITE. I'm totally into someone giving me a list of things to buy and telling me how to make it all into meals. Now I don't have to worry about what to make for dinner every night. We were on enchilada/spaghetti/hawaiian haystack burnout. Hooray for new, pretty tasty ideas! (AND I only paid $15 for a three month subscription. Yup. Points won!) Want me to send you a referral? I think so!!! 

5. Pinterest: Yep. Love this site too. Oh the lovely things I am finding... 

6. Crib: We bought a crib. The one I WANTED was $400 and we decided to be frugal and spend that money on some other things... BUT we found this one - it's comparable and the price was fantastic. Our baby will have somewhere to sleep. 

Gilbert has begun thinking that all of the new things that come into the house are his. Huh - Wonder where he got that idea.

I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus

Never have I cared much for David Archuleta - not that I disliked him, I was just somewhat indifferent. HOWEVER, in the last few weeks I've been thoroughly impressed by the kid. He's reminded me that some people can live in the showbiz world and "choose the right," if you will. This video is just beautiful.

2012

The months just seem to fly by more and more quickly lately- which, I suppose, is a GOOD thing considering that in just two and a half months this baby is scheduled to make his appearance. Hello, 2012. You're bound to be an adventure...

Somehow I managed to gain only three pounds over the holidays - which is practically a miracle considering the way I ate, and the fact that this baby grew enough to finally make me LOOK pregnant.  I've never been one to care what I weigh - as long as I feel good and look decent life is ok - But I tell ya, stepping on that scale once a month at the doctor KNOWING that they're scrutinizing your weight gain will make anyone feel unsettled. (Especially when you know that the candy and complete junk food that you've been gorging yourself on for months is a no-no in the world of prego books where they tell you to eat lots of spinach, nuts, and soy. YUCK.)

11 more weeks... 

I finished my job at the bridal store. I'm only working six hours a week at my other job, and I'm teaching one class at the Scera. Do you know what this means? I. HAVE. TIME. This week has been utterly blissful as I have taken down everything Christmas, cleaned out closets, formatted my six years of blogging into book format . . . I LOVE being home. (Remind me of this in a few months when the walls of this place are all I see.) This is how I feel about my life right now - and it is GLORIOUS. 

Oh. I have also spent my time finding pedicure deals on Groupon - as to save my husband from having to paint my toes too much in the next few months...  Aren't I so nice to him? 

We found a great deal on a travel system and swing for our little fetus - and what do we do with it?  

Gilbert will be thrilled once this baby comes and he gets ignored...

We went on an amazing cruise back in October. (Yeah, OCTOBER- we're WAY behind here, folks...) 

Cabo San Lucas with Hilly and Tavnir. LOVED this port - and the whole itinerary. We didn't have high expectations for Mexico, but lo and behold, we enjoyed it JUST as much as the Caribbean. And the water was WARMER - which is always a perk in my book.

Two cruises in a year.  Guess that makes up for things if we don't get on one in 2012, eh?  :-)

Yes, our travel will be limited this year, but hopefully we can get on with that whole "buying furniture" thing that I've had on the agenda for about a year now. Furniture - Vacations . . . mmmmm .  .  . Trips won out in 2011. 2012 : Maybe after three years in this house we can stop looking like such newlyweds... maybe.

Mr. Ben the Bachelor - I'm glad the show is back but you have some trashy girls this time around. Ikk. Not sure how much I'll be able to stand...

Pinterest is fun. And we got a hot chocolate maker that we thoroughly enjoy. And I also like 55 degrees in January. It's nice. 

This was a fun project :  (Top: Before, Middle: Photoshopped version, Bottom: Finished!)

Soon we will hang things on the walls and have a place for him to sleep...

Happy New Year!

In case anyone is looking for something to do tomorrow (New Year's Eve) in the early evening hours, I'm performing at the Tabernacle from about 6:30-7:30.  I'll be doing a couple songs from Broadway shows (Wicked and Thoroughly Modern Millie), and there will be lots of other lovely voices singing as well.  Short notice, I know, but I thought I'd post in case anyone doesn't have set in stone plans.  :-)  

Still Around! Merry Christmas from The Keelers!

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October Happies

It has been a full, lovely week, and I have another full, but more relaxing (heaven sent...) week staring me in the face. I am grateful.

A few little tidbits on life:

- My son does not particularly love flying.  He squirms and wonders what in the world is going on as we ascend and descend to/from the sky.

- I spent a day with my friend Belle on Friday. Apparently she has gained a little more weight than she realized because five minutes before show,  she was frantically working to stuff like a sausage into her costumes. Thanks to some fabulous costumers and a size larger top on her two pieced ballgown, Belle completed her two shows feeling humorously elephant-like. See you in several months, Belle.

- As of the last couple days, I can no longer stand up straight and "suck in" my tummy. He is obviously there...

- Names? I've been asked this a lot: Davis or Hayden. We also made up a list a few months ago that included these solid names, "Gaylord Wolfcastle,"  "Westington Armetri,"and "Renegade Rambo."

- A sign we need a REAL child in our lives? Maybe this is what we do with our baby gifts... < Cough... >

- My six day trip to Orlando was filled with wonderful friends, good food, and LOTS of time in the Walt Disney World parks. Next? I'll be on the other side of the country at Disneyland. Phew. And then I get a big boat ride. And THEN we will be on hiatus from vacays for a good chunk of time. Yippity skippity.

Letting the Cat Out

Wellllllllllll hello.  So once upon a time I was awesome and had fun stories to tell on this blog and I spent each Sunday night blogging away about the sunshine in my life.  I still want to do that. I've been a slacker... but in my defense, I have been on a month long social media/blogging fast upon request from our bishop.  He offered the challenge a few weeks back- and I am cheating a little by making this post. Oh well! :-) (This "fast", by the way, has been quite revealing and REALLY awesome... so I will tell y'all about that later...)

So on September 12, Chuck and I celebrated four years together... so here is our "Book #4".  I love how the cover turned out this year.

So because I make a book every year, and because pretty much everyone in both of our families browse through it, we used it as the vehicle for making this announcement (for most of our family members...) : 

Want to see the reactions?

Announcement x5 from Chuck Keeler on Vimeo.

So there ya go.  I know there are people out there who thought that the Keelers would never have babies and spend the rest of their lives traveling and frittering away their time (What is WRONG with them? They are getting so OLD!) - but we again, just like when we "FINALLY" got married, are proving you all wrong.  And we are STILL going on vacays.  :-)  (We may not have furniture still, but we are thoroughly enjoying our time out and about!) 

In fact... this is part of our agenda in the next two weeks! Hooray! 

And now, back to my Blogging fast for one more week... More soon.

Hap-Hap-Happies

Yeah- remember me? The girl who inspired many of your "Sunday Sunshine" posts? Uh hem- I'm back. For an evening anyway...

Let's discuss my life right now: I loved summer. I ache to have it back. We went to Bear Lake. We went to Yellowstone. We had many nights of BBQing and sparklers and fireworks in our front yard. I relished in evenings of summer rain. I worked a little bit. I read. I sang a bit. I took naps. I went to Orlando. We planned another cruise (something to look forward to this fall!). We ate Otter Pops. We had Sunday dinners with the Robinsons outside on the patio. I turned 30 and had a fantastic little party in Park City. I had about a dozen sno cones. I spent a day at Education Week with my mom and sister... The list goes on.

And now we are back into the full swing of AUTUMN. I love fall. I love the crisp air and the excuse to eat anything pumpkin related.

While I am on the pumpkin topic, MAKE THIS:

1 large can pre-spiced pumpkin

1 can evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 sticks butter

1 box yellow cake mix

Mix the above ingredients (except butter and cake mix) and pour into 9x13 inch cake pan. Sprinkle cake mix (dry) over the top. Add 1/2 cup chopped nut if desired. Pour 2 squares melted butter over the top. Do not mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Trust me on this, folks. It is divinity. And totally worth your time before a pot luck event this season.

Continuing on:

I finished the last book of "The Hunger Games" series last night. Waaaa waaa. Didn't love it. I'm like all of you- couldn't put the first book down, but the deeper I got into the series the more angry it made me. It took me over two months to get myself to finish "Mockingjay." But I did it. And yes, I will see the movies. But grrrrr... it just made me angry the whole time.

Next on my reading list? "The Help." I will get through it fast so I can go see the movie with my family members who have already read it!

I have developed an unhealthy obsession with macaroni and cheese. This health freak has gone from almonds and fruit to good ol' Kraft Mac and Cheese. Oh dear...

Last weekend I was able to spend a night singing and dancing for the Hale at a Tahitian Noni company party.

Loved it. And these people.

The return of fall also means the return of some of my favorite shows. Hooray! Modern Family, Survivor... Oh, I love having a few shows to watch each season.

What else? Oh! This one is GOOD!

FOUR YEARS

As of next Monday, Chuck and I have been together for four years. I am plugging away at our "4th Year Book" and remembering this past year in all its glory. Hard to believe that we're starting our "5th" of everything this fall. Fifth Halloween together, fifth Thanksgiving, fifth Christmas... Are we getting old yet? :-)

I'm starting to look at pictures of us "back then" and thinking, "We look so young!" Awwww.

Perfection

I spent Friday night with two of my favorite ladies, Laurel and Hilly, attending the concert of this RIDICULOUS woman at BYU.

I have no words, Lea Salonga.

OK, maybe a FEW words, but what I felt throughout that concert could never be described via keyboard. I sobbed throughout the entire hour and a half +. (For heaven's sake- she sang Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" and I blubbered like a baby... imagine my state as she perfectly belted out "I'd Give My Life For You." The emotional journey of the evening was absolutely stunning. I am still in awe, three days later.

One of my favorites of the night? "A Quiet Thing" by Kander and Ebb.

When it all comes true

Just the way you planned

It's funny but the bells don't ring

It's a quiet thing

When you hold the world

In your trembling hand

You think you'd hear a choir singing

But it's a quiet thing

There are no exploding fire works

Where's the roaring of the crowd

Maybe it's the strange new atmosphere

Way up here among the clouds

Happiness comes in on tiptoe

Well, what do you know

It's a quiet thing

A very quiet thing...

She performs at BYU again on Wednesday night. I have never attended a concert where I left feeling like, "I would have gladly paid double what I did for that." It was THAT good. GO. If you have any way of getting there- DO. IT.

You might see me there.

Boycotting

I am boycotting the end of summer today by spending my entire morning/early afternoon in bed. If I stay here I won't have to face the fact that today marks the beginning of the school year, which means my return to THREE jobs.

I will milk this as long as I can.

Well, at least until 3:00 when I have to go to work...

PS: Yes. I am alive. I haven't posted in a month- what has happened to me?

A Night Out With Friends

I have a soap box to stand on this morning. Perhaps I may be a bit hypocritical in writing this, because I surely am not without guilt in this same area of discussion... but I have a pet peeve...

Last Saturday night a group of family members went to PF Changs in Salt Lake to celebrate my mom's birthday. It was a typical Saturday night at a restaurant- date nights, friends at dinner for one reason or another- ya know- the norm. But I made an observation that continues to disturb me.

As we were being seated I looked around at the groups of people surrounding us. Some young, some old - there were LOTS of people in the restaurant that night. I instantly noticed a distinct difference in the atmosphere at the tables of specific age groups. Any member of a table, and I am not exaggerating, under the age of thirty, sat in their seats glaring at their phones. Texting, playing games, checking email... whatever they were doing, they were DEFINITELY not paying attention to each other. From those tables there were no sounds of jabber or laughter- just clickclickclickclickclickclickclick. Oh, and occasionally someone would snicker over a received text message.

On the other hand, the groups of "older" (and I do use that term lightly...) people were smiling and laughing, and lo and behold, I saw not ONE cell phone!

The whole scenario just disturbed me, and it reminded me of a time, about two years ago, when a friend of mine called me out when I was having a "younger generation" moment:

She was visiting from Boston. There were three of us sitting around a table, laughing and reminiscing and having a great time, but for a few minutes, I got distracted by some text messages. I tuned out of the conversation going on at the table (though I pretended, of course, to still be listening with some "yeahs" and nods of the head and the occasional courtesy laugh...) when all of a sudden I noticed the silence. Chelsea simply said to me, "Really? I see you like once every few years now and the text on the phone is more important to you than the people in front of your face?"

Point taken. And I was grateful for it.

So, in conclusion, the other night I wanted to be like Chelsea and yell to all those PF Changs people, "HELLO!!!!! PAY ATTENTION TO THE PEOPLE YOU ARE WITH!!!"

Why is reality never as exciting and engaging as the virtual in our world? It totally annoys me.

The end.

Summertime (And the Livin' is Easy...)

In Eden, Utah

(Where we spent my dad's birthday/Father's Day weekend)

Awwww. Remember when I used to be a really great blogger? Apparently those days are gone.

Sigh.

And then on days like today I get inspired to write again. I just read a friend's blog and she reminded me how much I love blogging and sharing my life (or even just for personal documentation purposes) with whoever is out there reading it.

Lets talk about my life right now...

It is simple. And I LOVE- nay, I ADORE it.

I have a project in mind that is kind of huge and I am still toying with the idea of diving in or not. It has great potential, but it sure would take a lot of work. I am trying to decide if it is something I could totally commit to, or if it's something that I would lose interest in after about, ya know, five days.

I am basically just working one job right now- and it is glorious. (Remember how I am a crazy person and have THREE jobs?? Yeah- thanks to summer that has turned into ONE- and I am a happy girl.) I am remembering what is it like to that time to, oh, BREATHE, and I, for the first time in a year, have time to ponder, reflect, read, nap, sit in front of the TV if I so choose, clean, etc. etc. etc.

I spent the first two weeks of June in Florida. It was the best trip I'd had back there in a long time. I had plenty of work, stayed with this great lady, and had the best time ever with this girl. Why in the world we only took one picture (and with me, in this getup- may I add,) I will never know. We must have been too distracted navigating our way through Gainesville, stuffing our faces, house hunting, or having late nights at the La Quinta Inn laughing and reflecting on life. It was wonderful. And I have a strong testimony of girlfriend trips.

Side note: When this trip to Gainesville was planned the goal was to find Andrea and Devin a house. That was her purpose in being there. Our husbands weren't too sure that the goal would be accomplished what with the way we ladies get distracted and enjoy one another's company...

Chuck put it best: "The sum of the parts doesn't equal a whole."

Well we showed them. Andrea found a house the first day there. HA!

Moving on...

Did you know that I am a water park junkie? I'll admit that I had forgotten this myself, but a few weeks ago when Biff approached me with a day at this place:

I quite hesitantly went along and ended up LOVING it. Sure, it isn't a thrilling death defying water slide park or anything, but gosh it was fun.

Downside? I put on 70 SPF sunblock three times and still got burnt. Oh, the curse of fair, freckly skin!

So there's life. I love summer. My favorite holiday is tomorrow. Life is simple. We are happy. It is fun.

My Roaring Twenties

... are coming to and end.

One month and counting...

I am getting sentimental.