i'm off

to women's conference.  20,000 women on the campus of byu.  all women who just want to be better...as wives, mothers, daughters and friends.  it is an event that fills my depleted reservoir.  it makes me want to be good and do good.  it makes me want to try harder.  it confirms to me that there is still goodness in the world.  it gives me an opportunity to serve others.  and it reminds me of all that i have to be grateful for. 

and i get to go with these fabulous women (and shannon too but i couldn't find a new picture of all of us.)

even if they are skinnier and younger.

i still love them.

that's another thing that women's conference teaches me.

i am me.  and they are they.

and that's ok.

my loves

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transition

                    the pool table has found a new home with dave and jen.
dave and jen...enjoy your new toy.

i hope to soon be enjoying my new dining room.

we went from this

to this

now here is where i would like to go.

from ballard designs.

a white dream.   a lovely white dream.

even the most neutral colors pop off the white.

and as the caption says, repetition is powerful.

now if i only had the 6,000 or so dollars it would cost to get this look.

craigslist here i come.    

hall of fame

kenny was inducted into his high school hall of fame on thursday night.  it was fun hearing all the accolades that were expressed.

 

kenny with chuco miranda and delano price. teammates on his state championship team.

no, babe, you still cannot get a badger tattoed on your chest.

our family.  (sans the grandkids...)

they love their dad.

so do i.

congratulations kenny.  you've always been a hall of famer to me.

i've got sunshine on a cloudy day with my girls...

i had dinner on tuesday night with these girls.

what a lovely dinner it was.  it got me to thinking.

time spent with these women is a vital commodity in my life.  i find precious and much needed  moments of reprieve with these girls.  when we are together we can let our hair down.  be ourselves.  relax.  our time together gives us an opportunity to take a break from being moms and wives.  it's our time to be women.  we talk and talk and express things and feelings to each other that are hard to share with others.  when we are together we crack jokes.  sometimes irreverant jokes.  and our peals of laughter are loud and contagious and sometimes cause others to turn and look at us.  we listen to each other's stories.  we celebrate each other's successes.  we cry with each other's heartbreaks. 

so to my girls...

thank you.  thank you for calling me just to check in.  thank you for calling me when you find a good sale.  thank you for running that errand for me just because you were headed that way anyway.  thank you for lending me your lovely goods when i am stressing over making a good impression.  thank you for lifting me when i am down.  thank you for the laughter and love you bring to my life.
thank you for caring about my heart.
and sharing yours.

i love you.

truth

As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life

and create something of beauty and helpfulness,

you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you"

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

liar liar pants on fire and related stories

 everyone (except maren) said i wouldn't be hungry.  they practically guaranteed it.  i had my doubts.  500 calories a day.  how could you not be hungry.  well, here's the truth.  i'm hungry.  very hungry. 

my stomach is rolling.  i have a headache.  i want to tear something up.

but i'm sticking with it because i am determined to lose weight before this:

because i am attending with these three hot women.

i'm already the oldest...i don't intend to be the fattest too.

and then this skinny thing called me and said she was on hcg.  seriously carrie.

and then she said she was getting it for free.  what?  how?

and then she chuckled.

translation:  grandbaby # 10 is on the way!

woot!  woot!

but i'm still hungry.  very, very hungry.

much ado about nothing

since i've been blogging i have been surprised about many things.  but the hoopla about chandeliers over the bathtub has me smiling.  really.  it's a big topic.  why it just might be the next big economic indicator.

i happen to have a chandelier over the bathtub.  okay.  some might call it a candelabra.  whatever.  but even if i didn't like my chandelier/candelabra over my bathtub, these girls think it is marvelous.

so it's staying.  end of story.