We're moving!!!

So Greg was just offered an awesome position on the big island of Hawaii, we're set to move before the snow falls. No more shoveling or coats for us. Dream on Sunni, don't I WISH that were true! I'd settle for a Hawaiian vacation. Seriously though, we are "moving". You know the toilet that needs a new strip of caulk, or the dings in the wall that need to be touched up. What about that closet, or drawer that need to be de junked and reorganized. Amy gave me some great advice as she was taking care of all those things before she moved to Az. She said that she would never again fix up her house to sell it. She plans to go through her house every 6 months to take care of all those little projects that add up around the house. What a great plan Amy! As you can see by the picture of my office, its at the "looks worse before it gets better stage." The good news is that my filing cabinet and all the drawers are de junked and organized! Progress. Although I'd rather just go to Hawaii.

Happy Birthday Trace!!

So I am officially an old lady now. My baby is 5 years old! I keep telling Trace that I am going to squish him back into a little baby ball, but he is not having that. I have even tried to guilt him into staying home from kindergarten next year so I won't be alone, but he says I have Jilly Boo (great I'm old, and a crazy cat lady). I guess at least he still talks with his little lisp. "Mom, I'm wiwee big now." I just love that . And I still slather him with pink baby lotion. I have him convinced that he has an allergy to the "big people lotion". I know, he's going to be totally warped, but I don't care I'll take what I can get. Today at Challenger they highlighted him and sang Happy Birthday. Then he got to show pics of himself, the day he came home from the hospital (he told them it was taken when he was 2 yrs old) and pics of him playing baseball (he told them he hits home runs). Then the teacher asked his favorite color (blue, of course) and about his favorite animal (dogs -at which point he shot me a dirty look because we only have a cat and stuffed animal dogs at our house). Then the teacher asked about his favorite food, I was expecting dinosaur nuggets, or candy but he said "mesican food". Who knew?!

Trace helped me pick out his bday presents this year. So he has been carrying them around the house in their boxes for two weeks telling me that he isn't looking at them and that he is trying to forget about them like he promised at the store. The problem with transformers is that even though I purchased the ones that said 5+ I didn't read the fine print that it is not humanly possible to transform them back into anything recognizable after your 5+ child has played with it. Its like the Rubiks cube all over again. Anyway Tracey, we love you and are so glad that you are part of our family. There will never be a dull moment with Trace in the house, and I'm looking forward to the many many sporting events I will sit through (even the ones in the dead of winter) as your #1 fan. Happy 5th big boy birthday, I love you butter!

Chicago

So I just got back from Chicago, the "windy city". Do you know why its called the windy city? Nope, nothing to do with the wind, it actually has to do with politics and all the "hot air" from the politicians. I can't talk much on the subject of politics though because I only know enough to know that I'm voting for some obscure independent party. What with all the commercials and such I'll be glad to see Nov. 4th come and go. (Mostly cause my bday is the 16th, so who cares about the 4th.) Back to Chicago, Greg had a business trip so I tagged along on. I was the true blue tourist, I sported the Seinfeld look with my white tennis shoes and jeans (I'm hot) and my camera, and the dazed look of trying to figure out my north, east, south and west directions. I saw many interesting things on my trip, and most of them weren't in the 3 museums I visited. And if I were a better photographer, who actually used my camera instead of just letting it hang around my neck I would've had some great pics to add to this blog. I missed pics of the contourtionist man in the skin tight leopard print full body leotard stuck in 2 tennis raquets, and the man frozen on a box, everything painted copper from head to toe, and the sea of women in our hotel lobby meeting for their red hat society convention (purple and red truly are the new black). I did however get a pic through the bus window of an elderly couple with great style. The man had on bright blue shoes I mean bright blue and blue socks, with grey slacks and a pale yellow cowboy shirt complete with bolo tye, and his wife had a black and white outfit on accented with the biggest red flower I have ever witnessed on a lapel. I hesitate to put their pic on my blog because 1. I took it through the window of a city bus, so the quality is lacking, and 2. it might be your grandparents and I don't want to have to pay them royalties for using their photo. It was a great trip, Chicago is a beautiful city. If you haven't had the chance to go, you should.



Make sure to stop at Gino's for some deep dish pizza with cornmeal crust. (Thanks Mich for that reccommendation), just make sure to get in line at 4 o'clock so you can eat by 7. And you will be pleasantly surprized at how NICE Chicagoans are. I was really impressed and have made a promise to myself to be more friendly to everyone I run into. I feel like we are a little snotty around these parts-probably not on purpose (and of course I don't mean you), but I think we all get a little busy and forget to smile and we could maybe exchange a few more pleasantries, or let someone merge in front of us on I15. (Yes everything in my closet is either green or white, and yes Greg and I planned to look like Christmas -who doesn't like the holidays?)

Based on a True Story

So I've just started this book called "The Marvelous Journey Home" by John M. Simmons (thanks for sharing mom). Its about adoptions from Russian orphanages. I'm only a couple of chapters into it, but so far I haven't read many pages without eyes full of tears. I just can't imagine what kind of life those children live. I'm sure the providers do the best they can with what they have, but it breaks my heart to think of any child not being loved and cared for by his or her own family. I feel so blessed to live in the U.S., I'm thankful for our oppertunties, and hopefully I don't take all the abundance that I enjoy for granted. I will have to let you know what I think of the end of this book, but until then make sure you hug your kids and tuck them in tight tonight.

Move over Cinderella...

I've got my own Fairy Godmother! So I'm digging through the bottom of my disaster closet (hence the pic on the stairs, instead of in the closet) looking for my brown shoes, and happen into what seems to be an adorable new pair of shoes. At first I pay no mind knowing that I didn't pay for the "magic closet feature" when we built the house. As I reached out to touch them sure that my hand would pass right through the mirage, I was delighted to find that they were real! Of course I tried them on right away, walking back and forth in front of my closet mirror. I may have even clicked my heels a time or two. But alas, I had only Trace and Jilly Boo (the cat) to share my new treasures with, and neither showed the sheer delight that would have only been appropriate for such a find! So, I promptly changed my outfit to match my new shoes and headed off to the temple (I told you I was going FOR SURE this week) where I may have seen and envious orthopedic shoe or two! ;) Thank you Fairy Godmother...

"It's not my season."

This weekend we had Stake Conference. We have a really great stake, and I feel that I can "brag" about that because if anything, I am one of the stake charity cases, not necessarily one of the reasons for its greatness. Saturday night was the adult meeting, which my neighbor Michelle and I attended together sans husbands. So there we sit in the overflow of a very packed Stake Center listening to a member of the stake presidency, the temple president and his wife, and finally Elder Pingree after a beautiful all male quartet. The night was mostly focused on temple attendence and the blessings and service therein. The talks were very inspiring and quite enjoyable until Elder Pingree stood. He started his remarks by saying that he was very impressed by the turnout at a Saturday night meeting, remarking that he hadn't seen a Saturday night meeting that full before. Then he talked about our stake having the highest number of temple workers (all of this information seemed very impressive to me) he seemed to want to prove his point to us by using a visual so he asked all the temple workers in the audience to stand, half of the audience stood (it was impressive). Then he asked all those who had attended the temple in the last week to stand, 2/3 of the audience was now standing (at this point I start to panic realizing it has been almost 6 months since I attended a session), then he asked all those who had attended in the last month to stand, and pretty much everyone in the entire chapel, overflow and gym all the way back to the stage stood. And there I was amongst the few of us trying to remember for sure when the last time we attended was. I leaned over to Michelle, who I will not incriminate by saying that she too was still sitting and whispered "Its not our season", mostly trying to make myself feel better. Soon the audience was seated and we blended back into the crowd, unlabeled, but not uneffected by the scenario that just took place. As Elder Pingree went on to give a most wonderful talk I reflected on my comment to Michelle about it not being my season. I think it is my season. I seem to have time to go to dinner and a movie, or to go on a bike ride after I drop preschool carpool off. I can find a babysitter for a doctors appointment, or to make a lunch date with a friend. But for some reason I have been able to justify to myself that because I don't have blue hair and orthopedic shoes I don't have time, and its not my season. Well, tomorrow starts my season. I may not be a temple worker anytime soon, or even make it more than once a month. But once every four weeks for two hours is not a lot to ask of any us. Besides, that actually only adds up to four times each season, and the the word on the street, or at least at our stake conference is that the temple is always in season. Hope to see you there...

It's Time to Tri!

Gage did his 3rd triathlon this morning. The weather held out just until Gage crossed the finish line, then the flood came. Rain, wind, hail, everyone scattering and huddling under the pavilion trying to escape the weather. This was his 2nd time competeing in the Murray Tri, and he did awesome! He took 6th in his age group. Congrats Gage!