“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”  -Unknown
 
 I spent the day at Women's Conference yesterday and it was the best day I have had in a long time.  It was sunny, I was with my sister and one of my friends, I was getting lots of exercise.  Then I ran into one of my dearest friends from Chicago. She grabbed me and when my eyes focused and I registered who she was I screeched with delight and immediately started to cry as we embraced in the tightest hug ever.

It was a remarkable experience to see this woman who was my inspiration as to who I wanted to be like when I "grew up". We served in a Stake Primary Presidency together, and Relief Society. Our children were best friends and she is the type of woman I hope to become-- Kind, thoughtful, spiritual, genuine, real. She is a virtuous woman of God and she made a difference in my life.

I suspect that this reunion I experienced at Women's Conference with my dear friend is what Heaven will be like as we are reunited with those with whom we have interacted with during our life.

I also ran into one of my friends from college-- I haven't seen her in over twelve years. I have thought about this woman often and I have even tried Googling her so that we could reconnect. We also were good friends, and she was a pivotal friend... I love how the Lord blesses me with very specific tender mercies just when I need them most.

*****
My friends are my Tender Mercies from The Lord.

I appreciate every single one of them.

I found my thoughts centered around all the friends that I have had over my life as I drove home from BYU last night.

I am so grateful for every single one of them-- Old and New.

Women need Women.

Once you have experienced what it is like to have a real girl friend, you are never willing to go without it again. Ever. That is how I feel about all of my friends, who are scattered over the globe. What a blessing they have been in my life, and the majority have been sent into my life right at the exact moment I have needed them.

A Tender Mercy, indeed.

*****
I love Women's Conference.

It is the best time of the year for me, and I look forward to it all year long. I know that I will finally get my bucket filled when I go and it doesn't matter what class I take. I come away motivated to try harder to be a better mother and wife. To be more present in the little moments of life.

My friend, Carol,  really wanted to go this class for the last hour on Pioneer Stories. I was rather uninterested, but I wanted to hang with her, so I went. Can I just say again how things are never as they seem?!

This class was not about Pioneers, but about Faith. It was exactly what I needed to hear and I was so glad that I went to it.

That is always what happens to me at Women's Conference-- the class that I least want to attend ends up being not only the class that is the most spiritual for me, but the one that answers the secret prayers of my heart.
*****
One of the classes today said that when you experience those Tender Mercies in your life it's the Lords way of letting you know that he is pleased with your life.

I really like that.

Everyone needs to know they are on the right track, and when you receive that Tender Mercy, you know The Lord approves.
*****
When you always hear the same word or message in every talk you hear, then you know that is the Lords way of trying to teach you and help you change.

Every year it's a different word or phrase that I hear.

This year, I have heard repeatedly the word Distracted.

I know that The Lord is trying to teach me about being distracted and how to avoid that trap. I am starting to realize what it is that I need to be studying so that I can become a little better.

Satan distracts us from our lives and relationships-- and sometimes we're even distracted with good things. He's tricky like that. Stupid Satan.

Stop the distractions to be more engaged... Present More.
*****
I'll be writing up my favorite quotes or nuggets of information over the next couple of days, so watch out for those!

1. Too Much (Live) - Dave Matthews Band
2. Freedom 90 - George Michael
3. Like We Never Loved At All - Faith Hill
4. Wide Open Spaces - Dixie Chicks
5. The Remedy (I Won't Worry) - Jason Mraz
6. Better Man - Pearl Jam
7. Across The Universe - Rufus Wainwright
8. Silence Is Easy - Starsailor
9. Out Of Hand (Extended Version) - The Mighty Lemon Drops
10. Breakout - Swing Out Sister

Bonus: She Will Be Loved (Acoustic) - Maroon 5  *This is the best version of this song. Period. I mean bongo drums? Yes please!

I’ve watched the movie, The Blind Side, about a dozen times and I never get tired of it. It’s probably one of my favorite movies, and it’s one of the few that I don’t mind seeing over and over again.

However, this weekend as I found myself glued to it again, I was watching it with a new set of eyes. I found myself watching the deliberate actions of the main character, Leigh Anne Tuohy., and asking myself what would I do?

She was not this boys real Mother and had nothing invested in him other than she saw him as God see’s him.

You don’t have to be the physical Mother of someone to be able to see them as God sees them—you just have be willing to look with a different set of eyes—to see past your blind side.

Leigh Anne Tuohy does that.

We all are born into this world with exactly the same five things: Innocence, Beauty, Love, Potential and the Ability to harness the Power of God.  Then life happens and we become scarred and to some of us it happens more strongly, and harshly than others.

When she looked at this giant of a boy, she didn’t stop at the label that society had placed on him, but rather saw those five things that we all are born with. Ms. Tuohy simply saw past her blind side and Acted. I suspect that she lives her life the way I  hope to live mine—Deliberately and with purpose. She consciously sees in people the five things we all brought with us when we were born: Innocence, Beauty, Love, Potential and the Power of God. 

Years ago in some sort of employment training I was receiving, the president of the company asked each of us how we wanted to be remembered, and what we wanted said about us in our obituary. Everyone was giving half hearted answers expected from inexperienced  twenty-something’s. When he asked me I responded very honestly “That she made a difference.” He then asked me how I planned on doing that, and I had no idea, plan or response for him.

He then proceeded to morph my honest feelings into a long, loud diatribe on how being the best employee and offering the best customer service anyone had ever seen would make a difference—in the lives of every single person we came in contact with.

I guess that’s true, on some level.

Yet, as I watched this movie again this weekend, I found myself thinking about that employer of mine from decades past and my honest response to his half-interested question: “How do you want to be remembered and what do you want said about you in your obituary?”

I think my answer is still the same… but different, too.

I do want people to say that I made a difference in their lives and that I helped them to feel better about themselves when they were in my presence. I want them to say that she lived deliberately and with purpose and saw everyone the way God see’s them—as a worthwhile individual.

I’m not there yet. But, Leigh Anne Tuohy is. She felt something that day when she saw Michael Ore walking down the cold streets of Memphis. She didn’t just think about him, and hope he would be OK… She Acted Deliberately.

She made a difference in the life of one person.

I’m not saying I want to go out and find a homeless child to save—but if I did, would that be wrong? (I don’t by the way, Jefe, so no worries.) What I am saying is that I want to make a difference. I want to live deliberately and I want to be better at Acting on the feelings I get.

I want to see past MY blind side to who the person really is and what we all originally brought with us: Innocence, Beauty, Love, Potential and the Power of God.

I want to be like Leigh Anne Tuohy.

 “How do you want to be remembered and what do you want said about you in your obituary?”

This was by far the best book that I read in 2010. I CAN. NOT. WAIT. for this movie!

I have a pet peeve.

Actually, it's one of many, but this one is pretty huge.

I am a pet owner. I only let my dog run around in MY backyard. Unless Moxie lets her out the front door, and then it turns into a comedy routine as we try and persuade her to come home.

She does her business in the backyard and I fully expect to scoop poop from MY dog in MY backyard. That's something that you sign up for when you get a pet.

However, I do not ever expect to find dog poop in my front yard. Mostly because Hello. My dog poops in MY backyard.

So, call me crazy if I freak out a little when I walk across my front yard and step in dog poop.

Don't mind me if I go a little postal when I see a dog squatting in my front yard.

I'm a good neighbor when it comes to my pet. I don't let her roam the neighborhood. If she starts barking, I holler at her to shut up or I actually bring her inside. I keep her on a leash when I walk her. She is generally seen and not heard.

I NEVER let my dog go poop on someone elses lawn. LIKE EVER. That's just rude. So, pardon me if I freak out a little when I find someone elses dog poop on my lawn.

How totally rude is that? Keep your dogs home to poop in your yards people. It's nasty to walk to the mailbox on the first warm day of the year-- BAREFOOT-- and step in dog poop.

It makes a person little cranky.

Happy Easter!

I may have a slight crush on John C. Reilly. Just sayin'.

Imagine what it would be like if TV actually were good. It would be the end of everything we know." - Marvin Minsky

Thing 1 was finally able to get her teacher to accept her homework. However, as he took it from her, he said "This is a piece of crap." Nice. I am baffled at the way the High School teachers treat the students. I totally understand that the majority of the kids are probably butt-heads. But, in an A.P Class, you typically have the cream of the crop... the kids who WANT to learn. Why make their lives more difficult by treating them like scum? It boggles the mind.

She is just trying to make it through the AP Test which is coming up in two weeks and then we can visit what it is that we need to do. If anything at all.

I wonder if it wouldn't be easier to just let this year end and then praise Allah that she will never have to take another one of his classes ever again.

*****
I'm pretty excited because I was given some digital scrapbook software to try and I have to be honest and say that it totally ROCKS.

I am NOT a photoshop lover. It's hard to use, it confuses the snot out of me and I want to gouge my eyes out with forks.

However, this software has the exact opposite effect.

It is SO easy to use in fact, that after I installed it, I made a 33 page album for Moxie in less than 15 minutes.

Seriously Awesome!

It has this awesome Auto Fill capability where you choose the template you want to use, click FILL and then let the computer do the work. I had to go in and center the pictures a few times and then type in my journal entries on the page and then it was done. It just keeps repeating all the pages until all the photos from the album you chose have been used. You can also drag and drop the order of the album once the pages are made, too.

It was amaze-balls quick and I freaking LOVE IT!

I think I will finally be able to get caught up on the thousands of photos that I have. I LOVE scrapbooking, but I am so behind now that I just don't even know where to begin. I love that I can pick an already made album and then load the pictures in, add some journaling and be done.

Once I am done, I can get all jiggy with it and create my own templates and get all frou-frouy but until then I am going with clean, and simple so that the memories are recorded before my Alzheimer's takes over.

I have a 50% off coupon for the software, if you want it-- SAVEMOM50. Just enter it at checkout.

*****
 Moxie found a black sharpie and proceeded to color her entire arm black.

All of it. Black. Every last inch of her hand and arm is black.

Do you know how hard it is to get Black Sharpie off a little persons arm?

Pretty dang hard.

My new mantra with her is "You're killing me, Smalls. You're killing me."

*****
Thing 3 has been playing soccer for the past couple of years and I think she's finally starting to figure out how to do it. She actually pulled some moves on Saturday that made all the parents on the sidelines stand up and take notice.

She did the best fake that I have ever seen from an eight year old kid. It brought a little tear to my eye! This kid is GOOD and I see potential in her like crazy. She's willing to listen to me when we talk soccer.

Finally I feel like I have something to bond with my child over and it's actually really fun for me to stand behind her when she plays goalie and coach her. This has been a very good thing for our relationship!

*****
Guess what I am doing on July 14th? I'm watching Harry Potter #7 BEFORE it's released to the general public!

Jealous?

You should be.

*****
Have an awesome weekend, peeps.

I'm looking for some good books to read... any suggestions?


1. Star Witness - Neko Case
2. Way Out - Farewell Milwaukee
3. California Song - Brooke White
4. Sempre Avanti - The Quarter After
5. Cold in California - Ingram Hill
6. Union Suit - Patrick Bloom
7. When You Love Someone - Kidd Rock
8. Billy Holiday - Alex Woodard
9. Straight to You - John Milstead
10. Submarines - David Lowry

Bonus: Go Walking Down There - Chris Isaak

This conversation happened between Moxie and my sister.

Sister: Hey Moxie. Whatcha doin'?

Moxie: Looking out da window.

Sis: Oh. What do you see?

Moxie: Popcorn.

Sis: {laughing} Really? What's it doing?

Moxie: Popping.

Sis: {more laughing} Where's it popping?

Moxie:  On da tree.

"No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous."- Henry Adams

I feel contemplative today, which is reflected in the music I was listening to as I wrote this. I have always been of the opinion that teachers are right and students are well... Students. I am having a hard time reconciling the idea in my head that teachers treat my child one way when I am not present and do a 180 when I show up.

I send my kids off to be educated for 6.5 hours a day. I trust the educators that they are treating my child the way they would want their child treated... Educated. It troubles me to actually see with my own eyes the hypocrisy.

My child had been telling me that her teachers said/did things and I chose not to believe them because no adult in an educators position would tell my child they were the dumbest kid they have ever taught and that they were going to fail their class. Over and Over and over again. No Educator, I thought, would purposefully not accept homework, until I stood (hidden) and watched the exchange myself.

No child should have to deal with that kind of harassment from an adult that is supposed to be educating them.

We teach our children to respect adults and speak to them a certain way (at least I do) and when the child is disrespected and treated unfairly, it's unrealistic for me to tell her "You go tell him to accept this work and to quit talking to you like that."

She can't do that. It's counter-intuitive.

I'm conflicted because if I take these discrepancies to the administration the likely hood that these teachers will verbally assault and embarrass my child in front of her peers is very high. They will take their aggression and anger out on my child-- the kids tell me about the teachers humiliating students just to be mean ALL THE TIME. 

I just don't know what to do.

I don't want to be the helicopter parent because that enables my children and they need to learn how to solve problems themselves. However, they also need to know that I will be their advocate and help them. And, I don't want to be the bitchy Mom either, but I will if that is what it takes to stop the madness.


Seriously? WHAT DO I DO??

*****
Someone accused me the other day of doing nothing but surfing the internet and ignoring my family and house.

I find that accusation offensive.

I would just like to point out that my laundry is all folded and put away.

My house is clean (the kids rooms look like a bomb went off it them, but I don't clean my kids rooms).

My dinner is made first thing in the morning. 

My dishes are done and the floors are swept and mopped.

I have dusted-- including the baseboards.

My bathrooms are  clean-- so clean in fact that if you wanted you could eat off the floors.

The only thing I need to do is wash my windows -- in and out.

I clean my house every day and THEN I get on the computer.

And then I clean it again, or rather do the 15 minutes pick up right before Jefe comes home from work. 

And further, I don't spend the entire day on the computer either. I give myself a set time frame and I get done as much as I can in that time frame and I schedule out things to post as much as possible.

Also? I rarely watch TV. You would be AMAZED at how much free time you can find when you're not glued to the TV mentally masturbating your mind.

I could be catty, but I will refrain.

Just this once.

*****
Mother Nature is killing me softly with her Bi-Polar behavior.

Yesterday it was Sunny. Rainy. SNOWY. Then sunny again.

Seriously. Make up your mind already.

I don't think I can take much more of this.

*****
I feel pretty blessed to have the friends that I do. They keep me grounded and when I start freaking out, they bring me back to reality.

They know who they are, and I appreciate them more than they know.

*****
Here's hoping the weather girl wasn't wrong and we're actually going to see the sun AND 60 degree weather.

I sort of need ol' Mr Sun to start shinning around here. My mood needs improving. Heck, even the DOG needs the sun. I think she has S.A.D. too.  Which would explain her lazy demeanor all winter and her puppy like behavior when the sun is shinning.

I need the sun like I need air.



1. Deep Red Bells - Neko Case
2. Hold On - Cassandra & The Gravel Road Band
3. Great Big Sky - Doug Cowen & The Basics
4. Train - David Ford
5. You're My Witness - Clay Walker
6. Everything I'm Not - Jackopierce
7. Old Ways - The Watson Twins
8. Stacked Brown Boxes - The Dimes
9. I've Been Let Down - Mazzy Star
10. James - Camera Obscura

Bonus: Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez

“ I like long walks. Especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.” – Fred Allen

(all photo’s shown in this post taken and edited with my iPhone)

Let me tell you what! We had quite the hoops that we had to jump through to finally get Thing3 baptized. Not because any one of us wasn’t worthy. No. Just because certain people who will remain nameless (crazy family) were completely uncooperative.

Not wanting to share baptismal water? (check)

Not allowing anyone not in their family there to witness? (check)

Crazy.

But all that aside, the child was dunked on a fine, warm April Fools Day and it was a lovely affair. Aside from the crazies, that is.

Her older siblings—Thing 1 & Thing 2—gave both of the talks and they knocked it out of the park. They were personable and talked to her, teaching her from the scriptures. I was impressed because they each prepared their own talks.

We re-scheduled the silly bounce house for the weekend and the kids had a blast bouncing themselves into oblivion all weekend long.

*****

Jefe and I took off right after the baptism for Sun Valley. We had this little vacation planned for over a month—including already paying for it—and it just wasn’t feasible to cancel. The kids, or more specifically Thing 3, didn’t seem to mind that we ditched them with all of their cousins and Grandparents for the weekend.

It took us a good 3 hours to unwind enough to start joking around again like we weren’t stressed with life.

I think the speeding ticket may have been the icebreaker for us. I have a tendency to drive like a bat out of haites when I go places and this past weekend was no exception. I was crusing along at about 97mph when I spotted the copper. I immediately slowed down, BEFORE he scanned me I might add (because my fuzz buster never went off), but he saw me cruising along and turned on his lights before he came out of his hiding place. I immediately pulled over and Jefe reminded me to not admit to anything.

The officer approached the car and asked if I knew why I was being pulled over.

Speeding, sir.

I clocked you at 86, how fast where you going when you saw me.

Uhhhh… 86. (probably slower, but I froze people)

Well, I’m giving you a ticket for 86. You’re going to fast. And you should slow down because we’re doing a blitz in Idaho today. You’ll get another ticket if you don’t.

Jefe looked at me, and burst out laughing. 

Yes. I totally admitted to speeding.

I am a self narker. Hear me roar.

Jefe bought a Bingo Ticket while we were in Idaho and won $60 bucks. Which is good, because then I only had to come up with $25 bucks to cover the speeding ticket.

Buzz. Kill.

*****

This was the first time I have ever been to Sun Valley and it was heavenly. We vegged like lazy fools and ate ourselves into oblivion. This time of year is the best time of year to fish the Salmon River—because the Steele Head are spawning. Jefe spent his time fishing, and I spent mine reading in the car on the banks of the river.

To most that would sound utterly boring, but for me it was divine. Jefe was happily fishing, and I actually enjoy watching him fish and I was reading without interruptions.

We had excellent food and slept in without guilt.

It was a much needed, relaxing weekend.  Even if it DID snow. But, the last day we were there was super sunny, quite cold but delightful.

I think one of the best parts of the entire weekend was the commercial-free radio station that we found that played strictly 80’s tunes of every kind! We were singing at the top of our lungs like a bunch of crazy fools and it was a total blast!

 

*****

It has rained almost every single day this week, with last night bringing over an inch of snow.

It’s spring break people.

Which means that my kids have been forced to stay inside all week.

Why yes. I do need to be committed to the mental house, thanks for asking.

*****

The murder room is finally NOT a murder room.

I got my new carpet in there yesterday and I can not believe how amazing it makes my house feel!! Out of this world awesome!

I cannot wait until I can get the hardwood floors installed and the carpet up the main entry staircase. It’s going to completely change the entire house and maybe help me not hate it so much.

When I was cleaning up the gross stuff, after ripping up the carpet, I noticed something quite disturbing.

Blood Stains on the concrete.

For real.

Blood Stains on the concrete UNDER the Murder Carpet.

Holy Crap!

Does that mean that I’m a psychic and it really WAS a murder room?  That could explain a ton of things—Like all the slamming doors.

Or it’s just teenagers.

But either way, the blood stains were disturbing to find.

But my carpet? Yeah. I love it and I’m going to marry it.

Thanks Universe.

(And Jefe & all your hard work!)

*****

I’m pretty excited for the next little while because I have been working on some pretty funny posts and I think you’re going to like them. They may included hairbrained ideas, horses and the great outdoors. Oh, and there is one about the Witness Protection Program and a Gold Coin Chocolate that wasn’t chocolate.

Seriously. I had myself in stiches as I wrote them, remembering the ridiculousness that is my life. It could be a Sit Com.

*****

Have a great weekend. I’m hunkering down and finishing up the new series that I started last weekend—The Mortal Instruments. (I hear there is going to be a movie! Sweet!)

Right now there are four books and I’m truckin’ through them quicker than a baby eats candy.

I’m really enjoying them! They are a good read that requires very little thinking! Just the kind of book I like!

 

Catch ya on the flip side!

1. I Gave You All   - Mumford & Sons
2. Dueling Guitars – Heitor Pereira & Doug Smith
3. The Scientist (live) – Coldplay
4. The Limerick Rake – The Pogues
5. World At Large – Modest Mouse
6. Fire & Rain – Mat Kearney
7. Magpie To The Morning – Neko Case
8. Rendezvous – Bruce Springsteen
9. Black or White – Michael Jackson
10. Miss Halfway – Anya Marina

Bonus: Some Say – Rascal Flatts

I wanted to buy a candle holder, but the store didn't have one. So I got a cake. – Mitch Hedberg

It’s sort of a big bummer that Mitch Hedberg died. I mean he’s like a brilliant, stoned hippy looking comedian that states the obvious. I used to watch his shows and laugh so hard I would snort. 

That’s sayin’ something.

*****

I’m hoping that by the time you are reading this we are dunkin’ Thing 3. It’s been quite the ridiculous ride to get this child baptized. I mean, HOLY COW can you say HOOPS?

We had to cancel because the entire family had the barfing plague and we didn’t want to run the risk of her barfing in the font. Or doing something worse, if you know what I mean.

I jumped through hoop after hoop to try and arrange the baptism—including getting permission to get her baptized in my parents stake.

The short of the long, which I do promise to write—after I’m not so mad about it—involves another family, a flat out refusal to share baptismal water with us, or anyone for that matter, no one being allowed to be in the building at the same time as the first family, a weird power struggle where we were the pawns and a thousand phone calls.

I just want my kid baptized. Here’s hoping she’s happily sliding on her ginormous inflatable while Jefe and I are cruising off for Sun Valley.

Yeah. We totally got our kid baptized and then went on vacation. What are you supposed to do when you’ve already paid for the vacation and you’re the pawn?

You just go with the flow. And bribe your kid. With giant inflatables.

But, I’m in Sun Valley. Having a rip roaring relaxing time. And I don’t feel one bit guilty. At all. Only slightly.

*****

I slept with the windows open last night and it was simply divine. I even put my iPhone in the iHome and played a thunderstorm all night long.

I slept like a baby and it was mighty fine.

*****

My laptop’s wireless card died.

I am major bummed because now that means I have to use the money I was saving to buy my iPad to buy a new laptop. I mean I can’t be expected to exist with a non-functioning laptop now can I?

It totally blows. My laptop is about 2 years old, so I guess it’s time for a new one, but still. It sure didn’t last very long.

I’m now $400 further away from my iPad. Won’t someone buy one for me, please? Either gadget would be a most welcome gift.

#justsayin’.

*****

My new carpet will be installed by this time next week. I’ll be writing my random 10 while I rub my toes in my brand spankin’ new carpet.

It’s one thing on my list that I made at the beginning of the year that I want to accomplish. Only four more things that I need to cross off: Disney World, iPad, Clients for Jefe and my designated amount of earnings a month. Hot Dang, I am well on my way.

*****

Have a groovy weekend. I’m sitting in the cabin in Sun Valley, reading a novel and feeling every ounce of stress leave my bones. It is a welcome respite from the crazy month I have had.

Life is good.

Catch ya on the flip side!

1. Times Like These – Kid Rock
2. I Wish I Was the Moon – Neko Case
3. Anything Is Possible – Darius Rucker
4. The Milkshake Song – Angry Salad
5. Move Along – Chris Isaak
6. What I Wouldn’t Do – A Fine Frenzy
7. Harpeth River – The Watson Twins
8. Stay With Me – Amos Lee
9. Colide (Live) – Howie Day
10. California Gurls – Katy Perry
Bonus: Sign No More – Mumford & Sons