The Friday Five

1. Visiting my grandparents in Heber the other day. Love them!
2. Chocolate cake donuts with chocolate frosting.
3. The people that buy me favorite #2.
4. Happy weddings. I went to a beautiful one yesterday!
5. Being forgiven. Best feeling in the world!

The Bomb.com

Playlist.com is the bomb. I love it! Lately, I'm making an extra effort to be positive, so I made a playlist of happy songs. Lucky you - I'm going to share!

But there is a price.

You must comment below with your favorite happy songs.

Deal?

Deal.

Now here's the list:

Don't Stop Me Now by Queen
Everyday People by Sly & the Family Stone
Dancing in the Street by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
Forever Young (Extended Remix) by Alphaville
Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder
Everyday People by Sly & the Family Stone
We are the Champions by Queen
It's a Beautiful Morning by Rascals
I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
It's Raining Me by Weather Girls
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cindy Lauper
Believe it or Not by Joey Scarbury
Beautiful Day by U2
Survivor by Destiny's Child
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyonce
Dream Big by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband
Good Life by One Republic
Blessed by Brett Dennen
The Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog
Today My Life Begins by Bruno Mars
Be OK by Ingrid Michaelson
You and I by Ingrid Michaelson
Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me by Keith Urban
Come on get Happy by the Partridge Family
Right Now by Van Halen

Today's Five:
1. Treats at work, especially my co-worker's delicious Chocolate Cake with Coconut Milk
2. My sisters. I'm happy when they're happy, and sad when they're sad.
3. My brothers. Maybe I should just put:
4. FAMILY.
5. It's Friday!

Remember - you must leave your favorite happy song to I can add to my playlist.

Dinglehoppers and Other Necessities

The other day I was digging in my purse for something super important (I forget what it was), and found 4 forks. Yes - FOUR FORKS, in my purse. One was dirty (sealed in a ziploc bag), 2 were clean, and one was a broken plastic one. I joked that if anyone ever needed a fork, let me know. What I didn't say was that I also had some stashed away in my desk drawer at work. And so do my co-workers.

So today at lunch, I pulled out my delicious taco salad for lunch, and realized - truly - I did not bring a fork. And I had cleaned out my purse. And the back-ups in my desk have mysteriously disappeared. And my co-workers were gone on their lunch break.

Sigh.

Today's Five:

1. The Union Building is within walking distance, so I went and picked up a handful.

2. Lunch breaks. I was going to be all awesome today and work through my lunch. I'm being replaced with 2 people, which tells you how much work I have. But here I am, lunching away. I love breaks.

3. My husband and kiddos. They took me out for a celebration dinner last night at Jason's Deli.

4. My delicious taco salad. And the ability to eat it with a fork, instead of slurping it up (that was my other alternative).

5. Nice neighbors. I'm lucky to have all kinds of nice neighbors. Yesterday, one saw my kids scared because of the beehive in our basket ball hoop. He came out, sprayed the hive, and knocked it down. Basketball playing is now safe again at our house.

Witches and Tapeworms and Mice - Oh My!

So I am "reading" the book Wicked, which is the story of the wicked witch of the west in the Wizard of Oz story. I say "reading" because it's a book on tape, and it makes my commute to work much more bearable.

Which partly explains my title.

Also, a couple of nights ago my kitty barfed up a tapeworm. Thankfully, it was in the middle of the night, and Darin heard it (the cat barfing), found it (the barfy tapeworm), and cleaned it up before anybody (me) saw it. That day, he took the cat to the vet for worm shots and disinfected the entire house. Love that man.

This also partly explains my title.

Finally, my daughter (of all people - seriously) put a fake mouse under my bathroom sink. So the other day, after reading about the wicked witch of the west the night before, who lived in squalor and filth, then waking up in the morning to hear about tapeworm vomit, then opening my bathroom cupboard to retrieve my makeup box and finding a mouse, I about called it quits.

Life can be so rough, no?

Here's today's five:

1. Drum roll please........I got a promotion! I went back to school to get my master's in the hopes of becoming an associate director of the admissions office. The person currently in that position was slated to retire in five years. As luck (or higher power) would have it, she took another position in the same office, and I got her job. Beginning August 1.

2. No live mice in sight.

3. I didn't actually have to see a tapeworm. Although I spent my entire lunch break that day googling cats and tapeworms, and it was pretty disgusting. Why do I torture myself like that? I didn't really like the cats in the first place, and this didn't help.

4. Not sure if I like the book Wicked, but I love books on tape.

5. Darin. He's a stay at home dad to three - ahem - energetic kids, runs his own (successful) real estate investment business, and saves me from tapeworms and dirty houses. That's what I call a knight in shining armor!

True Love

For those of you that like romance novels, but only the G or PG kind, I found a great website! It's called the Romance Reader, and it rates romance novels by how good they are AND by how good they are (get it?).

My Five:
1. The crazy janitor (not the smelly one) didn't chase me down when I walked away from him while he was talking to me. The whole janitor issue may need to be its own blog someday.

2. Day camp for the girls, too. When I was little, only the boys got to go to day camp for scouts. Today, my daughter went. I hope she has fun!

3. Possibilities.

4. Crying. Sometimes, all your worries come out with the tears, and when the tears are gone, so are the worries.

5. Graham crackers and peanut butter. You know I had to include a food...

17 Years!

Today's Five:
1. Darin and I celebrated our 17 year anniversary together at the beautiful Hines Mansion in Provo. So fun!

2. Got a soda from the cranky pop machine at work today. (a) the soda came out. (b) it was the right soda. Miracles!

3. The boys have new glasses, which they needed. Thanks Darin for taking care of that!

4. Prayer. Sometimes that's all I can do on a Monday morning. So far it's helped me make it to Monday afternoon.

5. French fried onions on my salad. Good stuff.

What are you all grateful for today?

Guess What? I'm 14 Again!

I know that because I woke up this morning with a huge zit on my nose.

I didn't even like being 14 the first time around...

Oh well, on to today's 5:

1. I know how to cover said zit with makeup now.
2. Just learned I'm not supposed to be watching videos on work computers. Looks like I'll get to read those books I've been wanting to read.
3. Just joined a book club.
4. Wednesday-sisters-lunch-day.
5. Pistachios (it seems I usually include a food in my thankful-fors. Hmmmm).

The Feline with the Foot Fetish

I don't like animals. Sure, I used to volunteer at the veterinary clinic with my best friend in junior high, but that was more her passion - I just wanted to play with someone. And yes, I begged my mom and dad for our first cat (Cally), but after she met her death (courtesy of the dog across the street), I lost my desire for pets.

So let me introduce you to my pet cat, Jayke (p.s. - I had to ask my husband how to even spell his name).

He's been a part of our family, along with his sister Laya, for about 3 years now. He's big (but not overweight, according to the vet), and hairy, sheds, is a nervous eater, and gets jealous of his sister-cat's friends, but mostly he likes feet. Bare, human feet.

I know, gross.

Whenever you let him in the back door, he licks your toes. If you are brushing your teeth in the bathroom, he'll lay down on your foot. He'll lick your feet even with socks on. He. Loves. Feet.

And we love him. (Okay, some of us just put up with him.)

Anyway, I am SO not like the lady in this video.


Today's Five:
1. The aforementioned video

2. Dinner with these guys tonight. I just love my cohort!

3. Reading books to my boys before bed

4. Hand santizer

5. My daughter and her duck tape hobby.

The Big Bang

Setting: Lythgoe back porch...
Time: 1:28 a.m.

{{bang}} {{bang}} {{bang}}
{{Bang}} {{Bang}} {{Bang}}
{{Bang!}} {{Bang!}} {{Bang!}}
(pretend this step happened for roughly 4 minutes)
{{BANG!}} {{BANG!}} {{BANG!}}

Now tell me, what parent would let their children sleep outside and then lock the back door, so when the thunder, lightening, and rain begins in the middle of the night, they can't get in?

Bad mom.

I swear I prayed for their safety before I went to bed, told them I loved them. Reminded them that it might rain - all the "good mom" stuff.

I let them in after 5 whole minutes of banging. Bad mom.

Then I made them bring all their wet stuff in by themselves. In the rain. And the "freaky" lightening.

Bad mom.

{{I did remind them that it might rain though, doesn't that count for something?}}

Today's Five:
1. Safe kids.
2. Thrifted clothes. Today's outfit is brought to me by garage sales and DI. I love it! Also, I love this TED talk.
3. Ted.com
4. My mom's homemade whole wheat bread. With peanut butter.
5. Nice weather!

Five a Day is Back!

If you know anything about me, it's that I love to have painted nails and have a need to write. For the last 2 years, school MORE than satisfied the need to write, but now that I'm DONE FOREVER, I can do the blog thing.

Problem is, I can't think of anything to write about. For the past two years, I've covered everything from my great-great-great grandfather to transgendered student support, and I'm out of ideas. So, I'll list my 5 thankful-fors, and you can leave ideas!

Today I am thankful for:

1. No cavities! I learned this morning that the only thing worse than going to work on Monday mornings is going to the dentist.

2. A job. I what's even worse than going to work or the dentist on Monday mornings is not having a job to go to. I'm glad I have a job I like.

3. No school! It really sucked up all my time. And Darin's time, too.

4. Bountiful baskets. It's like Christmas, only on budget and healthy! And more often.

5. This letter I got from my son the other day:

Dear Mom,

I am sorry for begging but can I please please please have a facebook account?

K- your turn! What should I blog about?

Fall 2010 in Review

• Project lead in an upgrade at work
• My mom in hospital 3 weeks (ICU 2 weeks)
• One 30 page paper on the transgender population
• Husband grew a beautiful garden
• Myriad of other assignments
• New cute nephew
• Anemia
• Elder's Quorum secretary
• Lots of reading As a Man Thinketh
• Funeral for an excellent grandmother
• Fall and Christmas parties for hundreds of people
• Hundreds of pages of textbooks read
• Husband worked on basement bedroom
• Not enough games of solitaire
• Son B class president
• Internship
• Week in Arizona
• Fire drills for Son A
• Best spaghetti sauce ever
• Son B wrote a 30 page book
• Daughter and Son A made waffles from scratch
• Excellent report cards Son B
• Funeral for a wonderful grandfather
• Shorts everyday for Son A
• Homemade car, bank teller station, and Mighty Mug Hot Chocolate Shop from daughter
• Son B finished all the Percy Jackson series
• Surprise lunch dates at Crown Burger
• Son A finished Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
• Lots of wacky bus drivers
• An 3.9 GPA
• A husband who kept us all on track
• 2 beta fish
• 2 beta fish burials
• Working TV
• Despicable Me
• Cafe Rio with sisters
• Lots of stomach aches from daughter
• Very little sleep
• Lots of caffeine
• Lots and lots of blessings

Pac-Man and Other Gospel Truths

I just love Family Home Evening. Especially because no matter how awesome you planned the lesson, you never know how it will turn out.

Take last night, for instance. Darin had a great lesson: evidences of God. We started by listing (or drawing) ways we know that God exists. We all went around the table and explained. Darin was last, and explained, among other things, the water cycle. The water cycle (rain, lakes, evaporation, etc) is so perfect, it would be hard to believe that it happened without a God. He went on to explain other cycles that are perfect in nature.

My last-born son, demonstrating that he understood this concept of perfect cycles and the existence of God, mentioned how it's like Pac-man (the bad one, not the good one). Pac-man eats things. If we let him eat too many things, he'll eat the Holy Ghost.

Um, yeah. So we ended and called it a night.

Over It

So last night, one hour into my almost 6 hours of classes, with watery, blood shot eyes, I wondered:

WHY DID I QUIT CAFFEINE AGAIN?

And I couldn't come up with an answer.

So I had a Diet Coke.

The End.

(I made it 5 days.)

See no Sugar, Eat no Sugar

So I'm trying the no-sugar-no-caffeine diet again.

image from myyearwithoutblogspot.com/2008_04_01

Wish me luck.

My Life

full time job

part time internship

part time graduate school

four church callings

three kids

two cats

one husband

sometimes life's greatest challenges are also the greatest blessings

Life...

It's so hard sometimes, no?

Yesterday these kiddos went back to school. Why was that so sad? Why do they have to grow up anyway?
Life is also good, though. Yesterday for FHE we talked about this picture:

Somehow, our discussion went from the blessings of the sacrament, to "would we act differently if the Savior was with us?" to "the Savior is always with us - through prayer" to "You can pray anytime, anywhere, for any reason."

And isn't that great?

Manic Monday

A few things happened today:

1. The train engine died on my way to work. Boo.

2. Two mice in the last week were caught in the office right next to mine. Double Boo.

3. The vending machine candy went from 90 cents to 1 dollar. Boo Hoo. I refuse to spend a dollar on a peanut butter Twix.

Here's my Five:
1. I still wasn't late to work. Yay!
2. There are no mouse "tracks" (aka poo) in my office. I checked all my drawers. Double yay!
3. I could use some cutting back in the vending machine department. Yay?
4. FHE tonight: going to the unveiling of the Utah Jazz jerseys. Go Jazz!
5. My internship people gave me LOTS of work today! I can't wait to get started (and finished!). Sigh of relief...

cRaZy bUs

I have a new favorite bus driver. I think he's crazy, but that's what makes it fun.
It's not the fizzy long hair that's sort of in a pony tail that I like.
It's not the way he turns corners at lightening speed, either.
It's not even the way he's lead-footed on the brakes at red lights.

No, it's his love affair with the speaker that makes me laugh.

He has a quiet, mumbling, barely audible, rambling voice, but he uses it whenever he can.

He wishes every passenger getting off a nice summer ("Have-a-nice-summer-Have-a-nice-summer-Have-a-nice-summer-Have-a-nice-summer-Have-a-nice-summer").

He plays tour guide to downtown Salt Lake City ("Coming-up-on-your-left-is-Wells-Fargo-across-the-street-is-the-copy-shop-then-there-is-that-hotel").

He even forecasts what's going to happen next ("As-soon-as-the-light-turns-green-we-will-go-straight-at-about-40-miles-per-hour-I-suspect").

Other passengers roll their eyes and start furiously texting. Or they turn up the volume on their IPOD and fake sleep. Or they watch Star Trek on their laptop.

But me, I smile.

Have a nice summer.

Easy as Pie Monday Five

1. I made the BEST looking turkey pot pie for dinner last night. The crust didn't taste great, but my boys raved and raved anyway. It made my day. (Yes - I'm choosing to ignore what my daughter said about it.)

2. Truly - it had a little turkey pie crust cookie on top. And little heart pie crust cookies around the turkey.

3. And the pie crust was from scratch even.

4. I love cooking.

5. And the Lagoon trail. We went twice over the weekend.

Count Your Many Blessings

Hi,

Yesterday my car wouldn't move after work. It started up just fine, but wouldn't shift out of park. I called my Knight in Shining Armor and he said he'd be right over to pick me up.

In the meantime, I went back into my office and did what any person would do under the circumstances: asked my facebook friends for advice. The response: "um, walk."

So I did the next best thing: I listened to BYU radio (yes - I was listening to BYU radio while at the UofU. My son thought I was a traitor).

I searched for a talk on happiness (because I absolutely wasn't happy at that time), and came up with a talk by Jeffry Larson, and the basic gist of it was to lower your expectations, quit being a perfectionist, and count your blessings. Whatever.

Once I got home, life resumed as normal: fighting kids, my daughter's phone broke, lost some homework assignment, basically a rotten night. After reading scriptures as a family, we decided to count our blessings. It was actually quite fun. After listing a few, my son kept mentioning his name as a blessing (because he is a blessing, you know). He kept saying it over and over. Then the rest of the kids did the same.

And you know what? They are right.

My Five:
1. Fresh cucumbers from the garden. My lunch today consists of a cucumber and salt. Mmmm.
2. My Knight in Shining Armor.
3. The three kiddos. My boys waited up until I was done getting ready for bed last night because they forgot to give me a hug goodnight, and they know I LOVE them to give me a hug goodnight.
4. My boys for giving flowers to their sister to help her feel better.
5. An alternative form of transportation to get to work: the train.