Ohhhohhh....I've got a good feeling!!

Gotta love the Youth Talent Shows!!  

This year Nathan was very secretive on what his Priests quorum was going to do.  I would catch him working on some music stuff and found out he was going trying to teach them a dance.  I was having so much fun watching the boys and thinking how cute they all were and then...Three quarters through the performance, the lights went out and a "surprise" happened.  After I giggled and said, "OH...MY...GOSH!!", well...I started screaming like a boy-band groupie!!  It was so dang clever.  Nathan is just too creative!!  Love this kid!!  

warning..the surprise doesn't show up too well in the video...bad quality and dumbed down for the internet....it was WAY more bright in person and we could see the complete outline of every person.

Spoiler:  They took glow sticks and taped it onto their backs in the shape of a stick figure.  So, as they moved, the glowing stick figure moved.  It was awesome!!  =D

BOB THE BUILDER!!

One week ago, Bob and I were traveling back from a week in sunny California.  We were celebrating our 20th anniversary.  AHHHHH!!!!  =D (Which I didn't blog about....oops!)  The day before we left, I was doing our laundry...isn't that what you do...wait until the last possible minute and wash your clothes so you can pack them???  Anyway, 2 loads into it, my dryer broke.  After screaming, "What the HECK!!!!" at the dryer, hitting it a few times, slamming the door, and jiggling it...still no working sounds.  What to do??We don't have very good laundromats around us.  In fact, I don't even know where one is!!  So, I ran around in search of a new dryer.  I found one, bought it and loaded it in the van.  As Bob was installing it, we discovered that it was TOO BIG for the space in our laundry room!!  Even with the molding taken off!!  We jimmied it in enough to just barely plug in. And started to dry our clothes

This was 9:00 pm....LONG night of laundry ahead ;(

Just to add to my drama...

As I was eating dinner, I broke off 1/2 of my back molar!!  I was supposed to be at the airport the next day at 11:00 to leave for a WEEK!!  At this point, I was so stressed, I started laughing like a hyena.  A broken tooth and a too big dryer...and wet clothes!!  What in the world?!?!  I left a message on my dentist's voice mail begging and begging to squeeze me in right when they opened.

Finished the laundry and packed by 2:30am.....phone rings at 6:45am....if I can get there by 7:00am....they can take care of me!!!  I was out the door like the house was on fire.  I managed to get everything done and we made it to the airport without any problems.  It took me a good 2 days to unwind from it all though!!  On the 3rd day, I was enjoying my new open mind and the idea came to completely re-do the laundry room.  I'd wanted cabinets for a long time...why not now??  So....this is what happened.

(Written/Narrator by BOB THE BUILDER...He sent an email off to his family so I just copied and pasted...it's fun!!)  I love you Bob!!  Thank you soooooo much!

 Here’s what our laundry room used to look like. We had the washer and dryer next to a stand alone floor cabinet and a hanging wire rack with baskets for all of our stuff. Well, the day before we left on our California Adventure, the dryer broke. So, we had to get a new one ASAP to finish washing and drying our clothes for the trip. Julie got the matching dryer for our washer - but it was 3 inches bigger than the old one. Which, means the cabinet no longer fit. We had to turn it sideways so, it was no longer useable as we didn’t have access to the drawer or the doors. Therefore, we went to Lowes to get some new wall hanging cabinets.

 We went with Hickory. Here we’ve laid out the cabinets to make sure we hang them right.

 Next was to empty the laundry room and lay out the studs and laser marker to make sure we were level. Since there is not one straight line in this whole house - it made it challenging. We put up some ledger boards to hold the cabinets while we leveled, plumbed and screwed them in. Here’s the corner one. We were told to start here.

 You can see the clamps on the tops and side as we are screwing the cabinets in and together.

Here’s the finished product. Quite a bit different than the before picture. I can’t believe we did it and in one day. It was a lot of work (especially because Nathan was on his band trip, Amanda was on a date and then babysat Adam and Lindsey’s kids. And Derrick was gone to his great Aunt’s place. So, Julie and I tackled the project together. We started around 1pm (after we finished the laundry for the week - as we didn’t know if we’d get it put back together in one day). We finished around 9pm. The bought part was getting the cabinets level and plumbed with the walls not level or plumbed. I went through 3 boxes of shims. Oh well - it was worth it now.

It's a date!! First Prom for the Bugman!

Whoa...time got a away from me!!  Nathan had so much fun with his date for the Priest/Laurel Prom.  Some of the highlights and learning for me were:

1.  Watching him try to figure out how to work with the rules of phone time of other parents.  The girl he asked have awesome parents!!  They have some pretty good and hard rules as far as when their kids can talk on the phone, how long they can talk and they don't allow their daughters to call boys.  Nathan and his date are both VERY busy and they go to different high schools.  So, Nathan would leave messages, but his date never called him back because she couldn't call boys!  Ha!!  It was funny hearing him mumble to himself and complain about how there should be an exception because he needed to plan this date.  He learned to respect the parents and figured out how to make it work.  And, I always love to hear the RARE words of "I'm glad you're not like that"  Usually, I'm the horrid rule crazy one. LOVE it!!

2.  My son a fashionista??  In most things, I have to poke and prod him to do.  But, when it comes to making sure he matched his date, I didn't do one bit with.  He kept hounding her about her dress.  What color was it??  He needed to match his tie!!  As time ticked away, he would pace and exclaim to me that he still needed to get a tie that matched her dress!!  Finally, when she got it, he had her send a picture to him so he could see the exact color!

3.  Can boys really be that stressed about a corsage?  I hopped in the car with Nathan and showed him how to go about ordering a corsage.  I've decided that there are just too many choices for the boys.  What flower, what style, what colors, what ribbon...ugh!!  After an agonizing 15 minutes, the lady finally said, "How about if I just surprise you.  You'll like it, I promise."  Uhh...no, that wouldn't work for Nate.  So, we went through the options again.  Finally, he decided on a wrist corsage with pink roses and a teal ribbon.  The lady rang it up and said, "Okay, that would be $25.00."  There was a pause.  Nathan then turned to me and said, "Can you pay for it"  Classic!!!  I just love this kid.

4. How kind and easy going my son is.  Being on the boy side of things for the first time...I found that I kept complaining to whoever was unfortunate enough to be within listening distance....girls can be real pains!!  Apparently there are some girls (fortunately NOT Nathan's date) who won't go in a certain group because they don't like someone who is in that group.  Groups were formed and re-formed according to who the girls wanted to be with.  What is up with that??  And then when they finally worked through the groups, the girls even had a say in what they were going to do on the date.  The boys would plan it, but then a girl would say they didn't like that.  WHAT!?!?  As I wanted to thump some heads, my son was understanding and just adjusted without complaint.  I love his style!! 

5.  My son is DANG handsome!!  Tall, dark and handsome!!!...just saying!

The famous corsage and tie.  

The "final" group...hooray!!  It was the BEST!

One of the "1..2..3...POSE" shots. 

Nathan asked the cutest girl!!  She is so sweet and talented!! 

Awwww....

Hold on girls!!  Oh my goodness, this is where prayer is the only thing for moms.  Just breathe Julie, just breathe!!  Phew..okay...it's good to see them put on their seat belts!!

Backing out of the driveway.  Thank goodness his friend in the back seat is watching the road for him!!!  Ha!

She said "YES"!!!

The Priest and Laurel Prom is this month.  I love how our Church does this event for the kids.  It is sooooo much better than the school dances!  It is interesting being on the side of the boy this time around.  Talk about NERVOUS!!!  Goodness!!  It takes a lot of guts to put yourself out there with the possibility of denial.  It's also super hard coming up with a clever idea on how to ask.  So, after weeks of throwing out ideas, the night finally came...do or die.

First....

The Invite....

Nathan went to the dollar store and bought plastic Easter eggs and glow sticks.  He put the glow sticks inside the eggs and wrote the letters P. R. O. M and then one egg had a "Yes" and the other "No".  Inside the "Yes" egg, he had a slip of paper with his name on it.  The "No" egg contained a slip of paper that said, "No one, pretend this never happened." Baaahaaaa.

 He then put on his stealth clothes and went to her house to hide the eggs in the yard.  Bob was the get-away car driver.  He placed a little poem at her door with bunny prints leading to the yard....rang the doorbell....then RAN!!!

 They couldn't resist not knowing if she got them so they drove around the block and past their house again.  She was out picking up the eggs - smile!  But then....the dad looks up and spots them...Oh NO!!  Look ahead, look ahead!!  The girls dad waved but Bob and Nate just looked ahead...then gave in and quickly waved back.  Luckily the girl never looked up...and they were able to get away.

Second...

The Response.....

This is the worst part of all.  I could tell Nathan was really worried because he kept bringing it up with me in different ways, "When do you think she'll respond", "Last time I did this...", "How do you think she'll respond"....on and on and on.  Oh my goodness...he was stressing ME out too!!  I can't believe how hard it is being the mom of the BOY!!  Hats off to you men!!

Well, tonight our door bell rang and when we opened it, we saw our sidewalk lined with glowing eggs.  They made a path to a sign on the garage door.

It was like Christmas time for Nate when I yelled, "Nathan...I think there's something out here for you!!"  His bedroom door quickly opened and a shy little smile was on his face as he leaned over and asked if it was from the girl.  He ran down the stairs and then had the biggest grin....but...was it a Yes??

 He followed the trail around the corner and then his head popped back around.  He had a HUGE smile on his face and he happily said, "She said, YES!!"  My heart was so relieved...I almost got teary-eyed!!  Thank you sweet girl!!  But, honestly....how can anyone say no to this handsome young man...really!!

WE HAVE A WINNER!!

Over the years, I've watched Bob come home from work with various expressions on his face.  I've learned to read them so I can know If I can bombard him with my day's events...or...give him some space...or...feed him FAST!!  

Yesterday, Bob was trying really hard NOT to smile.  He had an excited sparkle in his eye as he gave me a kiss...so...I asked, "What's up?"  He said, "Well, you know...with our anniversary coming up....and you've said that you need a new laptop because yours is super slow....(uh-huh??)....I have a present for you!"

I followed him into the front room where he pulled out a box and said, "I thought you might want a laptop."  This was odd...NO WAY would Bob just go out and buy me a laptop...especially after our "budget" meeting we recently had after our countertops.  So, I responded, "What?  No, really....did you win it or something?"  He couldn't hold it in anymore and exploded with a "YES!!!"  Then we both erupted in laughing and screaming!!  He got serious and said, "Julie, this is a sweet computer...really...it's that latest ultra book."  I had no perspective or clue....but....I followed his cue and screamed, "NO WAY!!"  He could tell I was faking it a bit so he clarified,  "It's just like your Macbook Air that you want."  What...nothing's like that!!"  Yep, it is!!!  So, again we started with the dancing, screaming and skipping.  After a FEW moments (because us old people have our limits) I asked how he won...here's his story...

There was a lunch that his group was having to build teamwork and motivation.  An email was sent out letting the employees know that if they came, they would have a chance at winning a new laptop.  Bob ALMOST didn't go.  But, things worked out and he went with the rest of his team...upon entering...each person was given a ticket.

When the time came to win the laptop, they read some numbers...but...Bob didn't win...they looked around and kept looking for the person that won...but no one emerged.  So, they said, "Well, we'll try another ticket"  Bob looked at his numbers again....6...0...Oh my goodness!!!  His entire finance team came in together so all their tickets began with the 6-0...his table all looked at each other...the numbers slowly continued to be read.  With each number, Bob's heart rate got faster and faster...finally, after the last number was read, Bob threw his hand in the air with ticket in hand and yelled "YES!!! That's ME!!" 

Quickly he gained control as he realized that he needed to act "cool"......so he calmed himself down and casually sauntered to the front to claim him prize.  He told me he wanted to run up and skip around the room....wouldn't look very professional though.  And besides, to most of the people in the room, they already owned about 10 of these things....just pocket change.  So, he waited until he got home and then we did our share of skipping!!!!  And laughing.  Isn't it funny how we laugh at something like this....it's just the funniest thing in the world to win something.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to win!!  It is one of my favorite feelings.  I love to take my arm and pump it down...even throw in a knee kick and say....YES!" 

I took some pictures of Bob opening his prize....I'm pretty sure you can see some excitement...even through the camera lens.... =D

Oh, the simple things in life....I LOVE this man...he constantly brings a smile to my face!!!  Congratulations Bob!!!

A NEED or A WANT?!?!

THIS was the year...this was it...I was soooo sick of the tile countertops in my kitchen!!!  The color was pukey to me, I was sick of having holes in my shirts where my stomach hit the rough grout and edges...sick of a spot that Bob accidentally broke off that kept leaping out to scratch me, sick of the cracks along the grout lines and sick of the gunky seal around the sink!!  And so, after another run in with the blasted leaping broken piece, I firmly said, "That's it...I'M PUTTING IN NEW COUNTERTOPS THIS YEAR!!"  I had no guilt of being frivolous and I was ready for war if needed.  Bob just smiled and said, "Okay."  

***Silence***

What?!?!  My mind was smoking as I was processing the "Okay"....did I hear that right...that doesn't fit...uhhhh....all I could do was blink...then quietly say, "What?"  I was a little kitten...awww...you said Okay...Meeow..  And then I started screaming and jumping...then dancing...then singing!!  I paused for a while to ask if he was sure and to see if I felt any bad feelings...waahoooee!!

For years, I've felt guilt because I coveted others countertops over and over and I sneered at mine like they were evil almost every day.  I'd work out my financial presentation for Bob each year...but as I calculated the amount of money it would take to put in new countertops over completely good and functional countertops, I found that I had a daughter heading to college, a new/used car purchase for teenage drivers, teenager's accident in new car for teenage drivers, insurance increase for teenage drivers, kids wanting to go to EFY, vacations, family reunions...the list went on and on and on.  There would NEVER be money for something so ridiculously frivolous....right?  

And to top it off...Every 6 months I sit in front of my TV listening to powerful counsel from living prophets from the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints....waiting for the moment of correction to hit me...and it always does.  Here's a good example..and one I always like to go back to often...

I believe and feel strongly that every word of the counsel is truly from God himself!!  So, was I going against counsel?  Did I react to a "moment" of weakness....so far I didn't feel that way...hmmm...weird...okay, I'll start going around and finding some bids from various places.  We wanted to get demolition and tiled wall in there as well (why not??)....It was amazing to see the ranges in prices...from $3,500 - $10,000.  My favorite moment was when the people with the $10,000 bid proudly asked, "So, what do you think of that, isn't it good?"  Uhhh...what to say, what to say??....I just stammered out something like, "it wasn't the BEST quote, actually..it was significantly higher... but we'd look more into the details and get back with them."  Yeah, I was lame...but...Hello?!?!...Yeah..right!?!  We laughed the ENTIRE way home.
After 2 months of research (and visiting EVERY granite place around), we found a bid that fit into our budget and that we felt was an AMAZING miracle!!  It's definitely not worthy of any "Street of Dreams"  But, we love it!!  Through it all, we felt guided in finding great deals and had a sense of what to invest more money into and what not to. I think this decision will help add value to our home and also bring a homey feeling....no more sneering at inanimate objects!!!  And maybe I'll want to cook more -hmmm...let's not go too far - ha!

Here's the "Before"

Here are the men demolishing the tile.  I was soooo excited, I had to take a picture.  I was definitely an annoying customer!!!  I wanted to watch every move like it was a suspense movie!!  BEST day EVER!!!

And then they started to bring in the new countertops....Ohhhhhhh......excitement, excitement!!!  I had to be careful at this point because I could tell the men were getting annoyed with me hanging around and taking pictures....so I snuck in when they went out for the other counter piece....LOVE!!

And then they put up some travertine tile for backsplash.  I kept it simple because it was WAY cheaper...still in LOVE with it.  Best part of all for Bob was that he didn't have to do it!!  He was soooo happy!!

And then the finished product!!!  I am now going to work on curtains and get rid of my junk on top of the cupboards!  We'll see how long THAT takes me- teehee

The MOOD!!  We invested in some under and above cupboard lighting and are sooo glad we did!

Surprise!!...Originally the bathroom sink didn't make it into our budget...but...with a "remnant" left from the granite slab we bought, we discovered that there was enough for our bathroom as well.  Why not!?!   Here's our ugly downstairs bathroom sink.

And here it is after....WOW!!!  It's weird though because we feel like we're in a hotel or restaurant bathroom....freaky...but love it!!

What are tables for?...

I've got this large table that is in my front room...you see it right when you walk in the front door.  It has a farmhouse look to it.  Because it's in the front room, it's a decorating nightmare!  First off...it's HUGE!!  It is larger than my couch that's in the same room.    Second...I have super tall ceilings in that room so there's A LOT of space above (but very little around).  Sooo....I'm always on the lookout for some decorating/place setting ideas that go beyond just a normal table.  Pinterest has become one of my all time FAVORITE things in the world.  I put pictures on there of ideas...yet...hmmm....I seem to NEVER accomplish many of them.  

Example:

Isn't this Pottery Barn table beautiful?  Very warm and inviting!  I pinned it because I thought the burlap runners were clever and cute.  Even without the place settings, this would look nice and very decorative.....aaahhhh.....Great Idea!!! 

Yet, in reality....my decorations fall a "BIT" short. 

Example:

On most days of the week, this is what you would find when you walk in my front door......

Yep...a closer shot reveals.....an un organized pile of lesson material....strewn ALL OVER the table!!!

In June, I was released from teaching seminary.  Even though it was one of the most exhausting callings I'd ever had, I cried and cried and cried.  I couldn't walk or drive by the seminary building without busting into tears...embarrassing!!  In August, I got a call from Br. Morrison asking if I'd like to WORK for S&I as a paid substitute teacher.....uhhh....YES!!!  So, instead of having my decorated table...it is still messy and is used for all my lesson planning. (LOVE the space!!)

The question is...really...is this uninviting?  As I look at the two pictures...yep...Pottery Barn gets the decorative award but I think mine gets the warm and inviting award!! 

 In the 2010 General Conference, Elder L. Tom Perry gave a talk titled, "Mothers Teaching Children in the Home".  At the time of the talk, I was into my 3rd year of teaching seminary and the kids had watched the transformation of our front table turn from a decorative piece to a lesson prep table.  At one point during the talk all heads whipped over and looked at me.  Along came some laughter and a "That is soooo YOU!!"  Here is what Elder Perry said,

"Mother was a great teacher who was diligent and thorough in her preparation. I have distinct memories of the days preceding her lessons. The dining room table would be covered with reference materials and the notes she was preparing for her lesson. There was so much material prepared that I’m sure only a small portion of it was ever used during the class, but I’m just as sure that none of her preparation was ever wasted. How can I be sure about this? As I flipped through the pages of her notebooks, it was as if I were hearing my mother teach me one more time. Again, there was too much in her notebooks on any single topic to ever share in a single class session, but what she didn’t use in her class she used to teach her children."

I can think of no better compliment on the decorations of my house!  =D