I am a "LIFE RUINER"!

Thanks to commercials & the Internet, parents have it tough! I remember the days of 'Shrinky Dink' & 'Easy Bake Oven' commercials, begging my mom for both. Pleading with her, knowing my life would end if I could not bake little cakes by the heat of a light bulb. How could I go on without being able to shrink my drawing of 'Strawberry Shortcake' to the size of a button?

Today, thanks to the Disney Channel, the Wizards of Waverly Place and their shopping page online, my children have found new ways to obsess over fancy new toys! For days, Dylann has been looking at a Magical Wand online. She found a wonderful website: http://alivans.com/.

It is fancy, bedazzled and purple! Everything I know I would look for in a wand! As I listen to her plead with me, let her drag me to the computer, listen to all of the wonderful things she will be able to do with the wand, I have to hide my 'No-Face'! She promises her life will end if she cannot get this very wand. Her magic will be neglected if she cannot practice her spells with a "Real-life Magical Wand"! As I gave my last, "NO, I will not spend $50.00 on a stick!" speech, Dylann runs off, yelling that I am "A LIFE RUINER"! She is never going to speak to me again!

Then came the note:

Sadly, the note did not sway my decision. Instead, after an hour of her hiding from me & a little crying, Dylann and I came to an agreement.

We will head up to the "hills" on Saturday on the 4-wheelers to look for the perfect stick. We will pull out our pocket knives and widdle our own wand. We will paint hers PURPLE, and mine YELLOW. We will raid my junk room for jewels to bedazzle the wand. We will have Grandpa help us make a wonderful wooden box to keep our wands safe while we are not practicing our spells.

This plan was agreed upon. It will save me $50.00. And Dylann will be able to do magic! And what day is not made better by being able to use a pocket knife?

Would I ever go back to High School?

The answer is a very loud 'HECK NO!' Not that I did not enjoy my time. Jordan High School - yes, the Beet Diggers - was a wonderful place to go. I attended the 'Old' Jordan. The Jordan High that was said to be haunted by students from the past. The Jordan High that had two ceilings, the old one and the one hung so no one notices the original was falling down. The Jordan High were I had a "High School Boyfriend". Where I was shy, really, I promise I was.

High School was an amazing adventure. I made many friends. Fought with those I had known since Kindergarten. Went to the school dances. Played some soccer. Cut my hair off. Sluffed a lot! Forged many notes from my mom. Forged many notes from other moms. Goofed off, not just a little - but so much that my memories are mostly of those times rather than of what classes I took!

My bestest friends and I had so many adventures, we are lucky we survived! From the time Nancy Denton & I went riding down Seminary Road on the top of Emily Palmer's maroon station wagon, holding on to the luggage rack for dear life. Slamming Steve Mecham's hand in the van door. Taking scared little Sophomore boys in Kris Ogden's big white tunaboat out for bridge jumping. Sneaking out of the house with Tami Carlson, loosing her teeth.

There were slumber parties. Off-roading in Nancy's giant van. Writing notes in class. Helping friends break up with boys. Playing matchmaker. Making stupid decisions without thinking about the future, or of anyone but myself. Choosing a boy over a friend. Not listening to my mother! Not being friends with someone based on how they looked. Worrying about what someone else thought.

The Jordan High School Class of 1992 was a lifetime ago. A life I remember fondly, with no true regret. If I had not had the experiences I had, made the mistakes I made, made the friends I did, I would not be who I am today! I am not who I was back then. I am a little wiser. I am a lot chubbier. I am a better person for my high school days. I will be a great mother to my 4 daughters - I know the secrets girls!

Now, as I get older, and I hear of the passing of another classmate, I do want to go back one last time and tell them and all the other friends from high school I have lost contact with, "Thank you. Your friendship meant a lot to me. You taught me so much in High School. You don't realize what saying "Hi!" to me in the hall really meant to me. I appreciate all you did to make me smile."

4th of July

Last weekend, my friend Emily, her hubby Todd, & kids came up to celebrate the 4th of July with us. We had so much fun! Did a little BBQ-ing, rode the 4-wheelers, shot all of Todd's weapons & fished in the Randolph Reservoir.

For firework fun - we went in to Evanston, WY. If you have never experienced a 4th of July in Evanston, you are missing out! It is mass chaos.

We went to the ball fields, along with a ton of other pyromaniacs. The air is thick with smoke. Missiles are shooting in all directions. The entire sky is alive! You pretty much take your life into your own hands as you sit out in your camp chair in the parking lot. Since anything goes in Wyoming, you can blow up, shoot off, ignite - ANYTHING!!! All the city asks is that you clean up after yourself.

The "Rich People" let off their own fireworks shows from their mansions on high. The City of Evanston does a wonderful show -with music. They broadcast the music on the radio, 'cause that is the only way you would be able to hear it over the ear piercing screams of the missiles shooting in all directions!
Next year - we will return to Evanston, with a truck load of 'Utah - illegal' fireworks, sit in the parking lot and duck & cover! If you want to join us, give me a call. Everyone is welcome to perticipate in the pyromania!

ATV Accident

Last Saturday night Topher & I went out for a date night! Every 4 or 5 weeks we get a little time without kids.....

Kendall was allowed to ride on the back of her friend's little 4-wheeler while we were gone. We gave her instructions that she was ONLY ALLOWED TO GO TO her friend's house, then to Aunt Laura's when she was done playing!

In the movie, my phone kept vibrating. I finally gave in and went out into the lobby to see what was going on. I called Kendall back. She answered the phone and started crying!

"Mommy, I wrecked and I am hurt bad!"

I start freaking out! I told her to let me talk to Laura. Laura tells me Kendall has been at her house for 20 minutes and has not cried once or even said anything to her about being hurt! I called my good friend Kim, who is also an EMT, and have her go check out my poor child!

All was well. She said she rolled on the 4-wheeler, her head hit the ground and her helmet popped off. Then her head hit the ground again. She scratched her shoulder, her face and hurt her wrist. No broken bones, no internal bleeding! Just a very, very scared 7 year old!

We then found out that the reason she did not say anything to Aunt Laura was because Rylie told her not to tell. Rylie told Kendall she would get into trouble!

On the way home, I received a phone call from some strange number. It was a very nice man who found a busted up cell phone on the road. It was only able to power on enough for him to find a number for "mom". It was Kendall's phone. She had lost it in the accident. It was smashed!

The evening ended with everyone being grounded from the 4-wheelers! I am so thankful that Kendall was OK, especially after the past few weeks of news stories filled with accidents of kids on their ATV's that did not have happy endings!

JYC 2009

Rylie and I went to Junior youth Conference again this year. It is a 4-H program for 5th & 6th graders. It is held in Ephraim at Snow College. 3 days of workshops, games, walking & more WALKING!

We took 15 kids from our County. I drove a car full & participated as a leader. It is a great program. People think that 4-H is all about livestock & horses. A lot of the kids at the conference live in the city and don't do anything with animals.

HIGHLIGHTS!

Day 1 -
*Left Randolph @ 7:15 am
*Got lost and ended up in PRICE! We missed our turn trying to find a gas station to take care of a bloody nose!
*Took a scenic route past Scoffield Res. & watched a giant forest Fire.
*Arrived at JYC 2 hours late :)
*Workshops
*Dinner
* Skits
*Crying 11 & 12 year old who missed their moms
*Talked girls" down from the ledge" so we could sleep!
Day 2 -
*Breakfast @ 8:00 am
* Workshops
* Lunch
* Water games
* Water Fight!
* Workshops
* Dinner
* Dance
* Movie
*More crying 11 & 12 year old who missed their moms!
* Once again talked girls" down from the ledge" so we could sleep! This night we were up until 1:30 am!



Day 3 -
*Tried hard to wake up on time!
* Science experiments!
* Lunch
* HOME!!!!!!!