falling off the face of the earth - or maybe just my blog

i'm not dead - thanks for checking on me though. here are ten reasons why i haven't blogged in forever.

10. it's december people! i'm pretty ready but still finding myself running around trying to do those last minute little projects and things. exhilarating AND exhausting all at once. - that could be the title of my autobiography.

9. winter sometimes equals depression. i'm fine. but sometimes things fall off the list of priorities when you're trying to just stay afloat.

8. i feel like i already blogged everything christmas tradition related two years ago. i sort of feel like i'm being repetative. i ran into the same issue last year.

7. i'm working on a new photography website. it's going to be months of work and won't be unveiled for a while, infact, i'm only as far as working on my portfolio, because these things take a ton of time.

6. i just finished my seventh custom-designed christmas card in about three weeks. i love doing this for people, it just makes me happy!  need a card? email me, i'll hook you up!

5. sewing! i've been sewing. a lot. i finished making christmas pajamas for every person in my family, started a new quilt and cranked out a dozen or so of my favorite burp cloths with the ribbon sewn on. nothing super fancy, but time consuming instead. i also sewed several long tubes that i filled with beans to act as door draft blockers. my own invention.

4. we're having heat issues again. sometimes it's too cold to type. for reals.

3. rich is in the middle of a toy story 3 death march and is working haneous hours. poor guy. but it means i'm holding down the fort by myself a lot, and at night, i just want to veg and surf other people's blogs.

2. laundry - ok lame excuse, but i just can't seem to get on top of it lately. i guess the kids are dressing in twice the layers - ok maybe three times the layers lately because it's been so dang COLD, inside and out.

1. the BIGGEST reason. my camera is dead. and i can't afford a new one. in fact, almost all of the photos i've posted for several months now have been taken by other people and emailed to me. bless their hearts. i have a crappy point and shoot, but i just have no desire to pick it up and shoot with it when i know how lame the photo will turn out when it's done. and, i think i'm going to switch sides this time. meaning, i have my eye on a canon - gasp!  i've been a nikon girl for a while now, but i thought i would just like to TRY the canon and see the difference. but. i have a couple of cute little videos to post, but i can't figure out how to post them with the new blogger?

however. there are lots of fun things coming up really soon that are all blog worthy. so i will be posting soon. even if it is with a crappy camera.

more than you really want to know

i'm long over due for an addition to my 100 things about me list. so here we go.

1. i've always longed to visit the redwood forest, i think i need to see it in person because the photos are so stunning i don't really believe what i'm seeing.

2. i love to collect plates, especially salad size. i finally bought plate hangers and hung my collection on my kitchen wall. they make me so happy!

3. i feel baddly that i am NO help to my kids with their math homework. poor rich. he's their hands-on tutor and only hope of any help.

4. tiny sample bottles of perfume are one of my favorite things.

5. i have the world's best girlfriends. seriously.

6. i think i'm a pretty good cook, but i am a TERRIBLE cookie maker. it's just not my thing.

7. i try not to make my bed before i've said my prayers in the morning. then when i see my unmade bed, i remember to pray.

8. i found out tonight that i'm going to be camp director again next year. i wonder what the record is for consecutive years is? my biggest fear is that the girls will be disappointed when they hear it's me again.

9. at camp this year, i won the "dancing queen" award because of my late night partying in the cabins. it was the most fun i've had in a long time.

10. i found out this summer, that i love twitter. i don't really follow anyone on it, i just like being able to give short little blurbs about my life without the pressure of followers or comments. and i am obsessed with making each entry exactly 150 characters.

11. loving bananagrams lately.

12. i'm finding that driving lessons with taylor are not so bad. i'm more patient than i thought i would be, maybe because i remember how nervous i was at that age. of course, we haven't left the parking lot yet...

13. i recently got my nails done, a birthday gift from rich. they are too fancy for my plain jane self, but i love how feminine they make me feel.

14. i love cherry dipped cones from dairy queen, but only when they hand them to you fresh out of the dipper and the shell is still soft. once it gets hard, it's just not worth the calories.

15. i am needing a creative photography project right now. any ideas?

16. feeling TICKED that all the tickets for the midnight showing of new moon are already sold out. all the screaming fans made the mediocre twilight movie so entertaining. it just won't be the same without them.

17. i stopped drinking diet coke. i'm kind of scared to put that one in writing.

that's enough for now.

keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times

today was a big day, i can't really believe it's already here -

the first day of school!

(and these might be my worst first day of school photos ever - bleh!)

at the beginning of the summer, i knew it was going to fly by, because it ALWAYS does. and i end up feeling a little robbed on the first day of school. robbed of the carefree TIME i love to spend with my kids that only comes during the summer. this year is no different, worse even, because it rained all of june and i feel like summer didn't really start until july when the sun came out and it was hot enough to play at the pool.

but i guess it doesn't matter how i feel about it, school is officially back in session. this is a big and exciting year for my kids - taylor is starting high school, allie is no longer a newbie to jr. high, spencer is a newbie to jr. high, and ethan is getting ready for pre-school in a few weeks. the kids' excitement to start a new school year, see their friends and have some fun adventures makes it hard for me to be too sad about them leaving again, i am excited for all the fun that school can be for them.

but oh man, the roller coaster ride that is homework, busy schedules, volunteering, carpooling, and trying to stay on top of their crazy lives in between all that needs to be done around here....i'm bracing myself, because here we go.

one word

i love going back and reading these little "peeks" into my day. such a fun and simple way to journal. found this fun one on gail's blog. have fun.

1. where is your mobile phone? hidden (from ethan)
2. relationship? content
3. your hair? dirty
4. work? slow
5. your sister(s)? in-laws!
6. your favorite thing? home
7. your dream last night? bread
8. your favorite drink? dark
9. your dream car? clean
10. the room you’re in? messy
11. your shoes? barefoot
12. your fears? overwhelming
13. what do you want to be in 10 years? sane
14. who did you hang out with this weekend? friends
15. what are you not good at? sewing
16. muffin? lemon
17. wish list item? wand
18. where you grew up? virginia
19. the last thing you did? goodnights
20. what are you wearing? pjs
21. what are you not wearing? bra (sorry boys)
22. your pet? goldie (for this week)
23. your computer? sticky
24. your life? content
25. your mood? relaxed
26. missing? sleep
27. what are you thinking about? camp
28. your car? toyota
29. your kitchen? unfinished
30. your summer? zooming
31. your favorite color? yellow
32. last time you laughed? today
33. last time you cried? tuesday
34. school? wish
35. love? tons

a peak inside

TODAY
June 29th, 2009
Outside my window... this sun hasn't yet set and it's 8:42pm - long days are one of my favorite things about summer.
I am thinking... i have been a pathetic blogger. mostly because it's been a pathetic summer so far and there's not been anything really worth blogging about. lame.
I am thankful for... the gloriously HOT temperature today that made our long day at the pool so great.
From the kitchen... i made the kids' favorite tonight - chicken and rice. it's the easiest, poor man's supper, but whenever i make it, the kids act like it's christmas or something. i also tried making a pie my mom used to make when we were kids. it tasted familiar but was super sour.
I am wearing... my paint clothes, because two hours ago when i got home from the pool i changed into them with really good intentions to get out to the garage and work on cabinets. i guess since the sun hasn't set, it still could happen.
I am creating... a top secret project. believe it or not i'm "practicing" what i'm going to be making for christmas gifts this year.
I am going... to bed early tonight, WITH a sleeping pill.
I am reading... "and the ladies of the club", which is the thickest book i've ever tackled at 1,764 pages. so far it's good, but it better be for the time i'm going to put into reading it. i just finished, "the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society", and now i would like to travel to europe.
I am hoping... i can get some decent sleep tonight, accomplish at least half of my to-do list tomorrow and find some time to file my toe nails. why is it so hard to fit the small stuff like this in during the day?
I am hearing... rich humming along to cheryl crow while he types away at his computer. having "his and hers" computers in the same office means that sometimes we actually hang out together. :)
One of my favorite things... reserved movie theater seating. the teenagers and i bought tickets to the midnight showing of harry potter six and don't have to show up four hours early to stand in line for a good seat. hallelujah.
Around the house... teenagers are facebooking, the dishwasher is humming, a batch of chlorine-smelling towels are waiting to be washed, and our family is winding down for the night.
A few plans for the rest of the week... girls camp meeting - i'm happy to finally get this ball rolling, work on the cupboard doors, rich skipping work on friday, and our city's fourth of july fun. should be a great week.

100 list revisited

i promised myself i would try to add a few things to this list every so often, so here goes. if you would like to see the first two installments, click here.

* i love gumballs - purple is my favorite but pink is a close second.
* taking up the tile made more dust than i will ever be able to physically remove in my life time.
* i wonder why creamies come in other flavors besides chocolate. what's the point?
* i function surprisingly well with no kitchen or living room furniture.
* it is better for my mental state to have things on my schedule to keep me going.
* i think may is busier than december and is more difficult to get through because there's no "christmas magic" to act as an anesthesia to get me through it.
* i really love veggies and fruits, but i also love butter and cheese.
* mother's day seems to really magnify the guilt i have over all of my short comings.
* i really love cherry wood. even though it shows more dust.
* sometimes i wonder if it's sick a wrong that a woman my age thinks zac ephron is so hot. i could almost be his mother!
* i'm lucky to be married to a man who sees the good in me.
* i love having "good mail" in my email inbox.
* i have survived this year because of theraputic thursday and good girlfriends.
* i wish i knew how to purge my life of guilt.
* i regret cutting my long hair.
* i always have a sick nervous stomach before a photo shoot.
* i keep thinking i'm going to burn my painting clothes after the painting project is over, but then another project begins before i have the chance.
* i wish we could have general conference every weekend.
* i have three ward callings right now.
* i mostly prefer silence rather than music while driving in the car.

ok, that's enough for now.

do you have guilt?

how do you feel about mother's day?

do you want to burn your paint clothes?

100 list revisited

i have been thinking all year that i need to do another 100 things list. it was so much fun the first time trying to think of 100 things, that since then, things that i could add to the list keep popping into my brain. the list ended up being sort of introspective and revealing and a great way to journal i think. i love to read other's 100 list, i always learn lots of new stuff about them and enjoy seeing how much we have in common. i decided that i would try to add to my 100 list slow throughout the year so i don't forget anything that pops into my brain. so here goes.

101. i don't really like ketch up.
102. i won't do a "structured" diet because i'm afraid of yo-yo dieting forever.
103. i once "drank" a pan of macaroni and cheese - true story.
104. i am crazy about felt food, i know i don't have a ton of use for it, but it makes me giddy.
105. i very much dislike the two deep lines that have formed in between my eyebrows.
106. i am not an eyebrow plucker and i'm ok with this. i just never learned how and now that i'm older, i just think it's cruel and unusual punishment.
107. when my kids were little, i used to stir a can of tuna and a can of peas into their mac & cheese. they didn't know for a long time that it wasn't called "mac & cheese & tuna & peas".
108. mounds candy bars might be my favorite treat, at least as far as candy goes. i love dark chocolate and i love coconut so they are a perfect treat.
109. i don't think i could wear a bathing suit if lands end didn't make them.
110. i like the managability of length of my hair now, but miss how feminine my long long hair made me feel.
111. my organization projects always seem to make things worse before they make them better.
112. i think i may have permenant brain and inner nostral damage from all of my spray painting projects. i really need to buy a mask!
113. having babies has killed my bladder.
114. i am becoming accutely aware of how much time taylor has left before he graduates high school.
115. i signed up for a national geographic subscription today! i loved reading NG when i was younger and hope my kids will love it too.

2008 round up

loved having participated in this little questionaire last year as a sort of yearly re-cap and was reminded of it when reading lelly's blog. some of the questions are a little superficial but entertaining, and most of them could be answered with some sort of relation to my weight but i resisted the urge to talk too much about my bottom. so here i go....again.

1. what did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before? i was girl's camp director! i have helped with girls camp before, but i've never been in charge. i did it! and it was great!

2. did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? i never make new year's resolutions but i do set goals all year long. i did finish some of the house projects that i wanted to get done, but i didn't get any skinnier.

3. did anyone close to you give birth? yup. cutie little coley boy was born!

4. did anyone close to you die? steve brown, a close friend of the moores and the man who married rich and i, died unexpectedly of a heart-attack on the first day of school. and dan pickett, our neighbor from the old cul-de-sac died in november of cancer. both men were way too young and left behind young families. i am still having a hard time making sense of any of it.

5. what countries did you visit? does la-la land count?

6. what would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? serious yoga skills

7. what dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory? november 4th, election day. which ever way you voted, our first black president is big deal for our country. and, september 12th, my best birthday ever!

8. what was your biggest achievement of the year? i've learned to say NO more often.

9. what was your biggest failure? i really wanted to get the kitchen cabinets painted but it never happened. soon...

10. did you suffer illness or injury? no, thank goodness, but i feel like maybe i just jixed myself just by typing that.

11. what was the best thing you bought this year? the fiestaware dishes that i have been coveting for years but could never justify financially.eighty percent off was just too good to say no! and...i finally bought a vera bradley bag!

12. whose behavior merited celebration? each of my kids this year have given me reason to celebrate - i'm so proud of them all for different accompliments.

13. whose behavior appalled you? i don't know about "appalled", but i don't understand people who choose not to vote.

14. where did most of your money go? our house, always the house.

15. what did you get really, really, really excited about? it was fun knowing ethan was going to meet buzz and woody and how cool that would be for him - and it was!

16. what song will always remind you of 2008? anything from david cook and david archuletta

17. compared to this time last year, are you a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer? a) i'm struggling a little more this year with depression so i guess sadder but in general i'm a happier more focused person, b) saddly, a little fatter, and c) probably a little poorer. hmmm, this question is kind of depressing!

18. what do you wish you'd done more of? laying on the beach

19. what do you wish you'd done less of? laundry

20. did you fall in love in 2008? sure, lots of times for reasons both sentimental... ...and superficial.

21. what was your favorite tv program? chuck, myth busters and american idol. these are also the only three shows we ever watch.

22. do you hate anyone now that you didn't last year? yikes, hate is such a strong word, i can't really think of anyone that i hate. i hope i never do.

23. what was the best book you read? pillars of the earth. but. it's shamefully inappropriate, so if you choose to read it, your recommendation did NOT come from me!

24. what was your greatest musical discovery? really, i was blown away by david cook this year on AI, he was just so original, i found myself looking forward to seeing what he was going to do each week. although i really thought there was a lot of great talent this year, i'm really glad DC won, i thought he really deserved it.

25. what did you want and get? a year of health and employment and progress.

26. what did you want and not get? hard wood floors - hopefully this year.

27. what was your favorite film of this year? mama mia - especially because of the memories associated with it. plus, it's just so fun to sing along with, except pierce brosnan - what the heck is that about?

28. what did you do on your birthday and how old are you? my 34th birthday this year was probably the funnest of my whole life so far. my closest girlfriends spoiled me rotten with take out lunch, my favorite dessert - sour cream lemon pie from marie callendars - tons of new fiestaware to add to my new collection, vera bradley goodness and even table decorations and daisy wrapping paper! i felt like a million dollars and the luckiest girl in the world! later than night, rich surprised me by coming home from work (which he never did during the fall because of horrible game deadlines) and took me out to dinner - it was the best day!

29. what one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? i want to say maybe daily massages but the real answer is spending more time on my knees.

30. how would describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? basically, if it fits and doesn't look like a moo-moo, i'm wearing it. and on this subject, i have a few questions for the fashion designers of the world. one - why if i'm fat does this also mean i must be very tall? can i get some fat short people clothes. and two - can i get some cute fat clothes? i mean, just because i'm fat doesn't mean i want to dress like a freak! sorry, i'm off my soap box now.

31. what kept you sane? friends, theraputic thursdays, play group time to gab with my cute sister in laws, supportive family and creativity.

Happy 2009!