Monday, August 31, 2009

And Then There Were Two.....












Well, we're back to two at home - our numbers have once again dwindled. It was a wonderful summer having everybody here for a short period of time and then having "S" stay the entire summer. Mark took him back to school last week and they turned the trip into a Father/Son fishing trip. They had an amazing time and ended up catching over 60 fish. Mark is really the ultimate fisherman.

The girls and I had a completely different kind of week. It was the total opposite of a camping/fisherman trip. We had "girls week" and we did everything girlie - think "What Not To Wear" meets "Gilmore Girls". It was FUN. On Friday, we ended up in Fallbrook going to the Hot Summer Nights on Mainstreet and their Chili Cook-off. Now, the irony that they're having a Chili Cook-off on the hottest night of the year was not lost on us, but it was a fun night anyway.
Saturday was "fantasy day" and involved each girl choosing something around town that was her "fantasy". They had to be simple, not based on money and we had to be able to fit them into an afternoon. I was impressed with how creative these girls were when it came to choosing something that they thought was "fun". This was probably my favorite time of the whole week.
If you look at the pictures at the top, you'll probably get a pretty good idea about one of the fantasies! It might have come to be a reality if I hadn't almost choked when I saw the price tag. :)

















Thursday, August 13, 2009

My Favorite Things....







Lately, I've found a few new favorite things. I love finding new favorites, so I thought I'd post a few to share with my friends:




  • My first favorite is the pictures that Stefanie Zeltner took of "P". Stefanie is a extraordinary photographer who has amazing talent and a great eye. Want to see for yourself? Check out her website at: http://www.joiedevivrephotography.com/.
  • My love of cooking always sends me searching for new recipes. I found a terrific website that has a lot of great ''family'' recipes as well as low-calorie and gluten-free. If you find yourself in a cooking rut, check out http://www.simplyrecipes.com/ (thanks Meaghan for putting the link on your blog). I think I may even add a new feature to my blog: favorite new recipes. Stay tuned to see what my family has enjoyed!
  • I love http://www.ldsvoices.com/ There are the most amazing talks that you can download very easily to put on your IPOD. You can turn your workout into a great morning devotional and feel inspired the rest of the day.
  • Have you tried the new Mary Kay tinted lip balm with sunscreen? It give you great sheer color and moisturizes your lips at the same time. I'm not a huge fan of lip gloss, but this gives just enough shine. I'm a fan of the Apricot shade, but the Natural looks great over lipstick. Thanks, Pam - I never would have tried it if it wasn't for you!
  • A few years ago, I read Gary Chapman's book "The Five Languages of Love". I became a big fan of his as I gained some valuable insight into some of the most important relationships in my life. I just started "The Five Love Languages of Teenagers" and I'm having another great experience as I find new ways I can be a better and more loving mom to my teenagers.
  • If you want to feel like you're at a spa, try Bath and Body Works "Foam Bursts". It comes in yummy scents and you only need a teeny bit and you'll have foam everywhere. It's so much fun and a great change from shower gel...and it lasts a long time too!
  • When we were growing up and reading The Book of Mormon as a family, the book of Alma was always my least favorite part - only because it was so long and we read so slowly (unbelievably slowly). Now I love it and I find wisdom and guidance in every chapter. Today I've been thinking about Alma 44:10; the last sentence is so profound. I think that if we lived by this statement alone we could all be a lot happier..."Behold, we will end the conflict." It's up to us whether we move on and resolve conflict or if we learn the hard way- like Zerahemnah!

I think that's it for now...but I may add a few more later. I'm enjoying the last few days of summer with "P" and "B" before they head back to school. One last thing: kudos to the RMS administration for taking what is usually the horrific, time-consuming experience of back-to-school registration and making it a breeze - job well done!