Memorial Day was Memorable

Memorial Day. (Yes Allison it does qualify as camping even if it is in your back yard because we set up a tent and we sleep outside.) Elle and I had a wonderful time sleeping outside after we were able to throw a tarp over our broken tent door so the rain wasn’t pelting us as the wind drove it inside our tent. We got to listen to the rain fall on the tent all night long and it was very soothing. Also it was just the right temperature because the rain cooled down our 95 degree weather to be just right. We had great conversation and snuggled all night long. I definitely plan to do that again this summer.

Today was a great golf day with Scott. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

I am grateful for memories made with Elle and Scott!

I was trying to crawl into the tent without pulling the tarp off and my body barely fit through!

Cute Elle waiting for her mom to tie on the tarp.  She thought it was very funny that I was getting soaking wet while she was nice and dry inside the tent.

Good times with Elle.

Elle and I LOVE TO SNUGGLE!

Pine Island Golf Course was very pretty.

Scott is pondering whether his shot was any good...it wasn't.

Don't you love my score! I always score a smilely face.

This is what it looks like when Scott loses his balls (golf balls that is) lots of looking in weeds before we give up on it but sometimes we are lucky and find the ball.

Camping we will go!

Sunday.   Memorial day tomorrow and so Elle and I decided we wanted to go camping.  Great idea~ right?  YES!!  Right after we got it all set up it started to down pour!  But we are toughing it out after all we are girls!  While Emma and Scott sleep in the nice dry house Elle and I will be having loads of fun out in nature (the rain). 

I am grateful for a very adventurous daughter Elle!  (now I must go because my camping partner is out in the rain and I must join her!!)

Saturday is a Special Day, its the day we get things done day!

5 days and counting!

I love Saturdays when I actually accomplish things!  I got up early to attend to some Relief Society  assignments and when I got home at 10:30 Scott had gone golfing and the girls were still in bed.  They got a very nice wakeup call from their mom.  I left to go do some grocery shopping (what a mad house Wal-Mart was) I also got some things that Emma needs for her travels to Europe (that just seems weird that we are about 3 weeks away from her departure).  I also bought an American Flag to fly on special occassions like Memorial Day Weekend and Flag Day and 9/11 and Vetrans Day I am very excited to display my flag.  I also cleaned the kitchen, vacuumed and dusted the living rooms, dusted and vacuumed my bedroom (even behind my bed and dresser, (I told Scott I only do that once every three years so not to bug me about it now for a while) I cleaned my bathroom, swept the front porch, mopped the entry way, helped Scott move some beds and mattresses from the downstairs to the garage and made dinner for the missionaries!!!!  Whew I am just tired writing about it!!!  But I love to get things done!!!

I am grateful for this beautiful day!  It is perfect.

Count down has begun!

6 days and counting!  That is how long until Tanner comes home for 6 weeks this summer!!  I am getting really excited to see that smile and have my official co-parent back in the house with me.

I am grateful for Friday night Chocolate Frostys from Wendy's. 

200 blogs!

Since I started my blog I have blogged 200 times most of those blogs come from 2010! I think I have missed two days this year, once when Emma needed to finish an assignment and I didn’t think I should kick her off the computer and the other time I was in Chicago (and of course the day I had a guest blogger, so that makes 3 times). As we come to the end of May and begin the second half of this year with June I just want to re-examine where I am with my goals that I set at the beginning of January.


1. Blogging everyday ~ pretty good. Not 100% but pretty darn close. I am sure some of my followers (Scott, Katie, Allison and Tanner) get very bored with my writings as Tanner commented when I had my guest blogger “that it was the best blog of the year”. But my purpose in blogging is to have a journal like feel when my kids and hopefully their kids want to look back at the life of ME when I was 40 and see what it was like to be a mother and wife back in the day! I will be sure to share this blog with Elle’s kids when they are wondering what kind of teenager their mom was!

2. Scripture study everyday~ pretty good. I believe I have 100%!! I am so proud of myself. I love reading the scriptures and I didn’t always feel this way. I have found more peace and comfort in reading the scriptures daily than any other activity. My testimony has been strengthened and I have started to keep a journal in a notebook about my feelings and promptings I receive while reading the scriptures this has helped me be more in tune to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

3. Praying everyday ~ improving. I didn’t do well with this goal to begin with. But one day in Feb. I believe I thought to myself that each day is a new day and I can start new with my effort to pray daily. I have since improved greatly. I think what I struggle with the most is when I do begin to pray I often find my mind wondering and not focusing on what I am praying about. I don’t like to say the same things over and over again but often when I am on my knees I get drowsy or just plain lose my train of thought and so I feel my prayers are not very meaningful sometimes. I need to find a way to stay awake, and focus when I pray, so I can feel I am getting something meaningful from them, and that Heavenly Father is getting something meaningful from them too! I will need to work on this in the next few months.

4. Service everyday ~ pretty good. Some days I try to think outside my own little world and serve others that I wouldn’t necessarily serve. But I think every single day I give service in my home. I say a kind word or do an extra kind deed for my husband or children. Most days I serve in some kind of capacity in my ward because of the nature of my calling at this time. I find joy in serving and so this is not a hard goal for me to meet. I think I can probably do a better job at doing random acts of service for people I do not know. This is where I will put more effort in June.

This year I have worked hard on reaching my goals. I still have another seven full months to go before this year’s end. I will continue to strive each day to work on becoming a better person by praying, reading my scriptures, and serving others…oh and let’s not forget BLOGGING!

I am grateful for Elle who helped me with my grammar today!

American Idol

And the winner is....it was a great American Idol season, wasn't it?  Lots of fun and hanging out with friends this year as most weeks my girls and I went to Ann's to watch the drama unfold.  Some weeks there were 6-8 people there and some weeks only 2 but every week it was a great time with Ann.  Now this has all come to an end.  Ann we need to find a new show to replace our weekly night so we can still hang out and and have a good time.

I am grateful for friends.

today is a good day

Lets see what to write about today?  My kids are being really good today so I can't write about how hard it is to be a mom.  Scott is still the best husband in the world so I can't whine about my life as a wife.  I am happy and content and life is wonderful today is a good day.

I am grateful for EVERYTHING!

It is my fault...again

Once again it is all my fault. I never give 2nd chances. And I actually enjoy being mean.....

Who do you think made those comments to me today?  Is it :
1. Oreo
2. Superman or
3. Elle

This weekend I asked Elle to clean her room and actually gave her many 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances to do it but she told me she would do it when she would do it.  So today when I get a text about Elle bringing a friend home from school of course I did what any mom in her right mind would do...I told her no that she didn't get her room cleaned this weekend and when she got her room cleaned we would talk about friends coming over.

When will Elle understand that it actually is all in her control.  I really am a nice mom, just ask um, I am not sure what Tanner and Emma would say?  Tanner do you think it is all my fault?  Emma do you think I am mean?...I don't think so either.

I am grateful for motherhood and all the poeople skills I learn while being mean!

GUEST BLOGGER TODAY!!!

Sorry, it's not Oprah, Glenn Beck, or Rachel Ray subbing for Krystine today. It just happens to be the guy who did not sneak out to the Girl's Camp leaders overnighter. Why do I have this distinguished privilege? I am still wondering. However, I should use this opportunity to rectify some past omissions. I will not though.


This blog has been both a closely, guarded "secret keeper" and a testing ground for Paris Hilton-esque adjectives. Who am I kidding? There are no secrets. Any down deep ones have been exposed here. And adjectives? It's the same eight words over and over. Not that I am complaining. I am just saying.

What I will do is write a little about today's activity for Emma's People to People program. Today was the big BBQ for all students and their families held at Dartts Park in Owatonna. Humidity and standing over a charcoal grill did not damper the event at all. In fact, I am very much impressed by the project boards the students completed discussing where they are to travel next month. Very well done. Makes me want to go to the UK, France, Monaco, and Italy. 3 weeks abroad, sounds fun. I am just saying.

I learned one new thing about my wife this weekend. She is a Yankees fan. I had no idea. They are my least favorite team. I am just saying.

Ps - the guy without a shirt at the park doing flips off the top of the jungle gyms was very impressive if not egotistical. He liked the attention from all 3 of the girls in my house.

Camping is one of my favorite activities

My campout was very enjoyable.  I learned many things...like how to orienteer and how to build a lean-to shelter and how to build fires (there are 3 different kinds in case you didn't know) and how to make campfire pizza! The only bad part was sleeping in the car because it was very uncomfortable.  I don't want to do that again any time soon. 

As we end another week I wanted to share some pictures.

The meadow right next to our campsite full of purple flowers

Sweeping the floor

Elle's pupils were dialated at her eye apt.  They look beautiful.

My cute Elle is looking cute!

I am grateful for the beauty of the earth.