Missy's chickens.

I have a really cute little family living right next door to me.  When they first moved in, almost three years ago, they had a little boy named Jake and a little baby girl named Makayla. The couple was so excited to be in a house that was big enough to raise their children in and one that had a yard big enough for the kids to run.

Of course, with a house in suburbia, they had to get a dog. And a dog needs a playmate, right?  So soon enough they got another puppy - a cute chocolate lab to play with their black lab, Jackson. Then they got a little bunny named King Louie, and before too long, they had another baby girl and named her Kallie Maybel.

Some fruit trees were planted and lots of veggies along side their house as well. (In fact, just a few days ago, I heard a soft little knock at my door.  It was Jake and Makayla with a bag of cherry tomatoes for me from their garden - there are definitely benefits of living by a little suburban farm.)

A few months back, Derek asked if I had heard about his wife's latest undertaking.  I hadn't.  Baby chicks. He said she wanted to have fresh eggs from her own chickens. (I don't think I've seen a more ambitious 26 year old little mama.)

Well, few days ago, Missy called me over to their yard for the BIG news ... one of the chickens had laid an egg, and it was really exciting.  It was just one ... but exciting none-the-less.  Hopefully it's the start of something big.  I wouldn't mind some farm fresh eggs delivered right to my door after being laid!

High School Football.

'Tis the season ... let the games begin.

My last baby is finally a senior.  (She's that cute blond smack in the middle of the pack.)

Go Alta!

Remembering 9-11.

This morning I walked outside a little after six to take my trash out to the curb. The scouts had already come by and put flags out in our park strips.  Then I remembered that it was 9-11.  And the spirit of the day was set for me.

After sitting at my desk for a little while and reading all the posts on Facebook about this day, I really wanted to go over to the Healing Field which is just a few miles down the street from my office.  (The year after those tragic events of September 11th occurred, Sandy was one of those cities across America that put up a flag for each person that lost their life on that day. Over 3,000, and it is always so moving to be in the midst of that.)

I pulled my car around the back of the City Government Building and parked right next to the Channel 4 News van .... interesting.

Turned out that our local morning talk show "Good Things Utah" was filming their show right out on the Healing Field in front of all the flags.

There was a group of kids in school uniforms being escorted out in front of the cameras. (They looked so sweet all dressed up.)  Apparently the school had held an essay contest and the winners got to share them on Good Things Utah!

I happened by at exactly the right time.  Made the day that much more special for me.

Love our troops.

Love this country.

Love you Petty Officer, IS2 Linares.
Thanks for serving.

Tie Dye.

When I first started this little blog, I had my list.  Tie dye was one of the things on my list. I like it, what can I say.  A couple of years ago, when I was wearing a tie dye shirt, my sister Spring said, "You know, Peeps - tie dye is sort of out now.  It went out a while ago."  Now, granted, Spring is usually way more up on the current trends than I am, and her kids dress really trendy and always look really cute, but I had to disagree with her.  I didn't think it was "out" ... and then one day, shortly after that, I was driving around Salt Lake and saw these t-shirts chillin' in the wind and had to snap a picture just to show Spring that tie dye was alive and well!

She still wasn't buyin' it.  She thought only the people who didn't know better would be the ones purchasing these shirts.  (I liked 'em.)  My kids all had a couple of these big, boxy t-shirts that they had made at an extended family party .... they were fun.

The tie dye shirt that I wore, wasn't homemade.  In fact, I think I got it at Nordstrom, it was fitted, and the colors were pink and blue and I thought it was dang cute.

Sidenote:  Several  years ago, I went through a difficult breakup, and I was having a really hard time shaking it.  I was watching one of those early morning TV shows and they had a guest on who was talking about three important things to do to help you get over a relationship.  One of them was to realize that you can't be friends if you still had feelings for them because that would just be WAY too hard on you, prolonging your ability to move on. Another was to join a gym - not only for the physical benefits, but for emotional benefits as well, and in addition, you might meet someone new ... and I can't remember the third one for the life of me, but this sidenote is about joining the gym and tie dye anyway!  :)

SO.  I joined a gym.  For the first time ever.  Now, you know how it is when you sit down at the desk to fill out the paper work? They talk about what your goals are and what your motivation is for being there.  Then they offer a few complimentary sessions with a personal trainer to see if that would be something you might be interested in, yada, yada, yada.  Fine.

So I had three complimentary sessions with a personal trainer. The kid was 24 years old, cute, blond, tan, buff, charismatic and asked me why I was there.  I said, "Honestly, because I have just been through the biggest heartbreak of my life, I can't shake it, and an expert suggested joining a gym."

He commiserated with me, said that he had had a girlfriend for three years who broke his heart so that he could totally relate.  (Okay.)

At the second session, we started talking and he told me he had a friend that he wanted to set me up with.  "I met him here at the gym.  We started playing basketball together and now we golf all the time together too!  He is so cool!  He is really successful in real estate, in fact he just had a really awesome house built.  He's got two kids in college, he's the greatest guy, I think you would really like him!"

Hearing all of that, in my mind, I pictured an older version of this kid.  A charismatic, handsome, totally into his body kind of "gym-ite" who more than likely was into the female version of himself ... which would be Malibu Barbie, which I am NOT.  I consider myself just an average, normal MOM.  I told him probably not. But the kid said he would have his friend call me and we could just have a conversation and see.

Victor called me, and we talked.  Then he called again and we talked, and I decided to meet him for dinner.

Third session, the kid asks me, "So what are you going to wear on your date with Victor?  He likes his women hot.  Wear something that will make you look young."  What?  (I thought this was not going to go well.  I didn't consider myself hot or young and this Victor was going to be expecting Barbie.  I felt a lot of pressure and seriously considered cancelling the date.)

Hot and young .... hmmm .... what did I have to wear that was hot and young?  Then the thought occurred to me - my jeans with the tears in them, and my TIE DYE SHIRT!  Perfect.

So the day of the date arrives.  I am totally nervous. We were going to meet at Johnny Carino's.  He told me that he would be really casual because he would be coming from a golf game - maybe he'd even be in shorts. That worked with my outfit, right?

I'm walking into the restaurant, soooooo nervous, but a little excited too just because I hadn't been out with anyone else and it was a step toward moving on .... I opened the door, and a guy stood up from a booth and said, "Polly?"

In that moment, I was tempted to just turn and walk right back out that door, but I was raised to be polite, so I stayed.

The guy was NOTHING at all what I had been expecting. I wanted to go slap that kid at the gym and say, "Really?  REALLY?!!!  This is who you thought I would be attracted to?!  This is who you thought I would like?  This is who I stressed out about looking good for?!!!!"  (I am so reliving this night right now ..... )

He looked a little like Steve Urkel, only Jewish, and I'm pretty sure I was taller than him.  He was in a crisp white dress shirt, with black high water pants and suspenders.  I'm like: Wait, What?!  He was balding and wore glasses.  (Now, I have nothing against Steve Urkel, or Jewish men, or balding men with glasses as a rule - I just wouldn't have thought that this was what "Victor" the bff of the little hottie who set us up was gonna be like!)  Ah, boy.

We started chatting and I wanted to hold the menu up over my face so I couldn't see him, just because it was SOOOO odd that this was the person who went with the voice (who sounded a bit like a player on the phone) - it just didn't match.

After we had placed our order he handed me a little bottle of hand sanitizer and said, "These menus are just so dirty."  The night didn't get much better.  We discovered that we both had the same birthday and by the end of the date he mentioned that he would love to take me away for a weekend to celebrate our birthdays ... I was thinking, "Oh sweetie.  You are never going to lay eyes on me again."

And then I sent a text message to the old boyfriend that said, "Thanks a lot for throwing me back out to the wolves."

I was NOT happy and never did see Victor again.  (Oh how I hate dating!)

So ... back to my affinity for tie dye.  I did have to laugh when another sister, Leslie and her family had a reunion and they all wore tie dyed shirts!  One of her kids posted this picture on Facebook. (And then Leslie left this comment:

"Must we always take our family picture on the last day of our 4 day camping experience?  

Geez!  I do love the GROOVY tie dye ensemble though."

Libby's other grandma just got her a new dress for her birthday last week from Nordstrom:




And I want this from the newest Sundance catalog:

So, even if tie dye did indeed "go out" for a little while, it's Ba-aaaaaaaack!!!   I'm lovin' it. 

(Very) Specific speed ...

Someone actually allowed this sign to be printed?

Makes me smile every time I drive by.

Office visits.

McCall had a hair appointment yesterday and asked if it would be okay for Libby to come visit me at the office for a bit.  "I'll bring her with lunch and her backpack filled with activities.  Hopefully she'll be good and keep herself busy so you can still get your work done."

Oh she kept herself busy alright.  But she paid little attention to her backpack or lunch.  It was all about the office ..... and using Grammie's pens, and seeing what was in Grammie's fridge ...

And pushing the button on the UPS label printer to get more and more stickers!!!

The bathroom was a lot of fun too ...

I had (what I thought was) a brilliant idea to listen to Pandora on my computer.  I created a new station called "Disney Children" and it was fabulous!!!  Libby loved guessing what Disney movie the song was from. But she also wanted to see the picture they show while the song is playing .... not really conducive to me getting any work done on the computer.  But that was okay, because I needed to count out elastic strings in bundles of 50.  I thought that would be a tedious task I could do while Libby colored - and roamed ....

Not so much.  She LOOOOVED the elastic strings and wanted to pet them, and count them, and hold them and have some of her own too.  I had a friend text me and suggest that we watch something on YouTube.  That turned out to be an even more brilliant idea. 

When McCall got back, she took one step into the office and said, "OH NO."

Good thing the boss didn't pay an unexpected visit today ... smile. I sure love that little girl. 

 

LP Sightings.

Most of you know by now how much I obsess over license plates.  I was driving back from lunch one day and pulled up behind this plate at a stop sign:  GOODTMS.  Loved it. There were a few cars ahead of that one so I was really tempted to get out of my car and ask the guy if I could get a picture of his license plate.  I wasn't fast enough.  The cars in front of him pulled out, and then he scooted out quickly behind them.  (The chase was on for me to get that picture.)

He drove past my office complex, where I would normally have turned into the parking lot, but I decided to just keep on driving behind him.  I figured I would follow him for a few more minutes and hope to get behind him at another stoplight, long enough to get a good picture.  I took this one with my phone and knew it wouldn't be that great, so I continued to hold my phone up - taking shot after shot.

Several blocks later, the corvette turned down a road by our Costco and I thought, Oh perfect!  He'll get out and I can get a good picture when he goes into the store.  But he didn't go into Costco.  He drove further down the road and turned into the parking lot of a Zion's Bank and I thought, Oh perfect!  I'll take a picture after he goes into the bank.  But he didn't get out of his car.  In fact, he pulled into a parking space, I pulled up right next to him and noticed that he was on his cell phone. He just sat there, talking.

Now, I totally would have gotten out and asked him if I could take a picture of his plate (which I have done) but I didn't want to be rude and interrupt his phone call, so I just sat in my car and waited.  Then, so as to not look too conspicuous, I grabbed my McDonald's bag (remember I was coming back from lunch) on the seat next to me, and decided to eat my lunch - all the while glancing at the guy next to me, waiting for him to get off his phone and/or walk into the bank. Neither of which he did.  Sigh.  Now what?

I had eaten my lunch and the guy was still on his phone.  Then I had the thought that as long as I was at the bank, I would go in and get some temporary checks (I was needing some temporary checks anyway).  That way the guy wouldn't think I was some crazy lunatic following him for some unbeknownst reason.

I got out, walked into the bank, and the guy drove away.

He totally DID think I was a crazy lunatic who was following him for some unbeknownst reason. (Do you think I fooled him when I got out of my car and walked into the bank though???)

Clearly, the worst case of my LP stalking yet ... dang.

Here are some more of my recent creative plate sightings:

(Maybe OCDGIRL applies to this SNZYGMA ... smile.)

Sibley.

School is already back in session for some kids around here ... this is my niece, Sibley.  I saw it on my sister Courtney's Facebook page and could hardly stand how cute it is!  Oh my - JUNIOR HIGH.  Probably the hardest transition a child will ever make in his educational career, wouldn't you agree?

It's the whole "middle-ness" of junior high school that makes it hard.  Where you just aren't quite sure what is going on ... with anything, really.  Your hair, your clothes, your friends, puberty.  Are you still considered just a kid?  A "tween"?  Are you cute enough?  Are you cool enough?  Will the kids make fun of you?  Will you find someone to sit with at lunch?  Will the homework be too much?  Etc.etc.etc.

I remember when my little Haley started junior high school ... tears flowed, sobs ensued, she clutched me mercilessly ... she didn't want me to leave her there.  (It was the first day of kindergarten all over again.  That poor little girl has such anxiety about anything that is new to her.  Hard to believe since she is my singer, dancer, cheerleader, entertainer girl.  But if it's a first time for anything - big time anxiety.)  I think it was a whole week before Haley could just go to class without first spending some time with Charlene, the attendance office lady. Charlene would let Haley assist her for a little while in the office, calm her nerves down, give her a little pep talk and then when Haley felt like her breathing was regulated, she would venture off to her classroom.  It was really that bad.)

Elliott had a hard time in middle school too. All three years of it.  Darn those bullies!  I'm just glad that kids tend to grow up a little by the time they reach high school and get in their own space of drama instead of creating so much of it for someone else.

Here is what Courtney wrote about Sibley:

She survived! Today she didn't die. Today she didn't forget her locker combination. Today she didn't get lost. Today her teachers weren't mean. Today no one said her hair was "puffy." The manic tears this morning were in vain, being a seventh grader turned out to be pretty great. (I told her...momma's always right!) 

(Looks like it might be an okay year after all. Go Sibs!)

Photo strips.

Every so often, I find these photo strips in random places - like up on the sun visors in my girls' cars,  up on their bulletin boards, being used as book marks, etc.  I found these three strips the other day in a pile of papers by my bed .... it was 1994.

Cracked.Me.Up.

Clogs, specifically Dansko.

Yes, I know I have already done a post about how much I LOVE the Sundance catalog .... I mostly just "window shop" and wish I could afford some of the outfits (they're seriously out of control expensive).  Truth be told - it isn't really all that tempting since I am SO far from the size of the catalog models. The outfits wouldn't look nearly as cute on me.

I do absolutely ADORE the cover of this last catalog I got.  The carnival setting, the cute girl - and everything she is wearing from head to toe.  Love, love, love.

As I flipped through the pages, I noticed another model's shoes (below), which are dansko clogs.  Have I mentioned that dansko clogs are pretty much my uniform shoes all winter long?  They are, truly.

I had to have them.

My sister, Spring, had a pair of clogs that she wore all the time - for years and years and years.  She used to say, "I know they look uncomfortable, but they are really SO comfortable!"  And I thought: How can walking (basically) on wood blocks in your bare feet (socks totally optional with clogs) possibly be comfortable?  She told me they cost about $120.00 but were soooooo worth the money.  Spring is a shoe girl.  She spends all kinds of money on shoes for herself, her husband and even her (little) kids.  I am so not a shoe girl.  (I gave birth to one, but I'm not one myself.)  I couldn't see spending that kind of money on a pair of clogs.

But theeeeeeen ..... a few years later, I was up in Deer Valley with a girlfriend.  We stopped into a really awesome, expensive boutique in town and they had dansko clogs on sale. Unheard of.  I tried on a pair in black and they were only $55.00.  How could I not get them?

I wore those darn clogs just about every day, all winter long for the next five years or so, before I decided it was time to get another pair in brown, which I did pay full price for because I came to agree with Spring - they are soooooo worth the money.  I have worn those brown clogs just about every other day (the other day being the black pair) during the winter months for another five years.  The brown pair still looks pretty good - the black pair, not so much.  But those puppies were so worth the money and I have certainly got my money's worth, and then some, out of them.

SO ... there they were.  Mustard yellow, floral dansko clogs. How cute are they?

$135.00 - plus tax - plus $17.95 shipping.
OUCH.

Last summer, when my sisters and I took our trip to New York to visit our parents, we were in a little shop in the village owned by a good family friend, Shirley.  Shirley has a shoe section with more dansko shoes than I have ever seen gathered in one location. Since we were offered the "friends and family" discount, my sister Leslie and I both decided to get a pair of dansko sandals.  (And then Leslie decided to buy two more - she had since been converted to the comfort and durability of the black dansko clog as well; our uniform shoe, or MOM shoe, as my girls call them - completely unattractive to the opposite sex, I'm sure, but hey, we're over 50 and it is so much more about comfort now anyway.)

I called Leslie and asked her if the store up at Sundance had clothes and shoes too.  I figured that way, if they did, I could just drive up there and save the shipping charges.  I described them to Leslie and she immediately said, "Shoot.  Maybe I have to get a pair too."

Leslie also had the idea to give our New York friend a call to see if she had them, assuming, of course, that we could get the same friends and family discount and we'd have our mom go pick them up and she could bring them out with her in the fall, thus saving us the shipping charges.  While Leslie was in the process of trying to negotiate the whole plan of attack with our mom and with one of the shop workers who didn't have a clue of who she was, I got a picture text message from my daughter, Sophie:

$80 Nordstrom Rack, they're your size, I have them in my hand!

(Better than friends and family discount.)

Such a sweet, sweet, happy little thing.

Let freedom ring!

So, yes, absolutely, my post about the 4th of July is a little late in coming .... (don't let me get started on the amount of time it takes to download pics and create collages in the "new and improved" .... just don't let me.)  We really do LOVE the 4th of July Celebration in our little local town of Sandy City, Utah.  The festivities are always so much fun and the people watching is COMPLETELY entertaining.

... truth be told, I'm completely entertained by my own little group of "people".
 

Libby, lovin' on that parade taffy ... lots and LOTS of parade taffy.

Pretty sure that some people watching was focused in our direction too... 

these two dancing queens were a hoot HIT!

And I will admit, celebrating Independence Day meant a lot more to me this year.  As I watched Libby prance around with her flags, playing with her cousin, Isabel .... their baby brothers sitting on their mommy's laps all day, I got a little teary eyed ... because their daddies, Jared and Josh, are both currently deployed for the next 12 months, serving our country, fighting for our freedom - that on most days, I think we take for granted.  But that day, I didn't.

So here is a big fat THANK YOU to the troops,

and a special thank you to these two brothers ....

We love you guys!