Gather Round Sista's...

and Show Me Where Your Waist Is.

I made these aprons for the girls for Mother's Day. A simple request sparked quite a conversation. "Now all you guys put your aprons on and let me take a picture."

Apparently the current generation feels like their waist is actually closer to their hips.

Me: They need to be tied at your waist.

Girls: This is our waist.

Me: No, it isn't.

Girls: Yes, it is.

Me: No, it isn't.

Girls: Where do you think our waist is?
Me: Find your belly button and go 2 inches above that.

Girls: Ewwwe. No. That's way too high.

Me: Well that's where your waist is.

Girls: Waists have moved.

If I'm lying I'm dying. That was the actual conversation. (Minus Kara who supplied her picture to me from San Diego and missed out on the actual conversation but confirmed the other sista's opinions by her own apron placement.)

Silly girls, the waist hasn't moved, you've just been hanging your pants too low. See model below for correct vintage apron placement:

Notice how the waistband is closer to the bend of the elbows?

Another waistline-measuring-how-to I read this morning suggest leaning to the right, to the left, and front and where your body bends is your waistline.

Despite their waist adversions, I am so incredibly proud of all four of these girls. Watching all of them balance the demands of home, school, work, church, and family responsibilities is inspiring. I am honored to be their mother.

Hi There, How are 'Ya

It's official. I just downloaded an album from iTunes that was sorely needed in my library. I don't know why it took me so long. I can't tell you how many times at a stoplight I've spun that little wheel looking for one of these songs, only to say to myself, "Geez, you need to get that album on here."

I have now owned this Album in:

• Album
• 8-track
• Cassette tape
• CD
• iTunes/iPod

It joins itself right next to Boston and Breakfast in America as albums I have owned in all formats. These albums are the best. All the songs on them are great. You can listen over and over and never get tired of the music. They should all thank me for my 30+ years of loyalty.

It seems like lately artists aren't making albums where you listen to the whole thing, you just buy selected songs that you like. Maybe I could make an exception for Confessions by my boy Usher, but there are actually a few songs there that I hit skip on. So for now, these are my top 3 all-time favorites owned in all formats. There are a very few others, but they don't make the all-formats list. Don't feel bad Journey, Foreigner, The Police, The Best of Bread, I just didn't buy the album or 8-track.

Here's a glimpse of lyrics - do you know what all-time great album I downloaded?

Hi there, how are ya?

it's been a long time.

Seems like we've come a long way.

My, but we learn so slow

And heroes they come and they go

And leave us behind as if we're s'pposed to know why.

Why do we give up our hearts to the past?

And why must we grow up so fast?

Comment with your guess, and I'll let you know next time.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E.
V.I.D.E.O.

Check IT out!

Thanks Brad & Kara

A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

W.E.E.K.

Monday, Kara and Hallie came over for a visit. They were in town for some family events in Kara's family. Just watching Miss Hallie play at our house was so fun. I miss Brad, Kara & Hallie. I loved her little flip-flops, they reminded me she's our girl from Cali. Before long she'll be wearing cut-off capri sweat pants with something printed across her butt and hoodies, just chillin & cool.

She loves reading books and knows her letters.

Hallie sang and stomped the Dinosaur song for us. Something she learned from library reading time. She also played the piano while I played the harp. We make a pretty good duo.

Hallie played with grandpa's mustache.

Saturday was Ashley's Graduation!

Yeah! Mom!

With her parents, Richard & Joleen Hunt who are from Goodyear, AZ

Ashley graduated from the Business College with a degree in Accounting. We are so proud of you Ashley!

Sunday was SCOTTY CALLS HOME day aka Mother's Day

Scott sounded great. He has the inflection in his voice you'd expect from the language down there. He loves his mission president, and wondering what the new president will be like. He's in a little city 10 hours from Belo Horizonte, so he expects to be there for 6 months at least. Everyone from the family met here for his phone call. It was just GREAT to hear his voice. I miss this kid so much, but we are so proud of his willingness to serve. He's loving Brazil, missing American food, speaking Portuguese, and having a great time.

Grandpa Marx had his questions written down. They were some good questions, and I need to talk to him to find out what the answers were!

After The Phone Call, the boys BBQ steaks and we had a wonderful dinner. They surprised me with some thoughtful gifts, Cafe Rio, new shoes (oh, so hard to find in my size), and tickets to see Donny & Marie, and a spa treatment. It was a beautiful Mother's Day. Thank You so much.

Grand Canyon Trip

The Scenery

Our plan for this trip was to go up to Mequite to a dirt trail that lead up and over the mountains. The total trail ride would be about 130 miles to the northern edge of the Grand Canyon. There is a campsite up there where we would stay Friday night. Saturday morning, visit the canyon, and then come home Saturday afternoon.

I enjoyed the trail ride and the Canyon view, some other parts of the trip were not as enjoyable. Here's a peak at some of the scenery.

We're probably 10 feet from the edge, but it was still too close for me. I know I'm not too coordinated on my feet, I didn't trust myself to look over the edge.
Our friends Kim and Chance DuVail that came with us.

Matt & Ashley

Are you C.R.A.Z.Y.?

Grand Canyon Trip -

The Break Downs

Back in the archives of our family is the famous "Trip" to Lake Powell. What makes this trip stand out so far above the other 30 trips to Lake Powell was the break downs (8 flat tires. 10 hours of travel there and back turned into something like 25 hours)

I try very to hard to avoid these types of trips. But every now and then, they hit. Our Grand Canyon adventure turned into another trip for the archives of our family history.

Here's a list of the problems:

1. 15 miles short of camp the trailer we were pulling with all the camping supplies got a flat tire.
2. Ron continued driving on it very slowly getting as close to camp as possible. 10 miles short of camp, the axle on it broke. The trailer is really done for now.
3. Piled as much of our camping gear as possible on top of me in the bousa car and continued on.
4. Kim starts setting up camp while Ron goes back for the rest of the gear.
5. Kim discovers the the ride out was so bumpy in the trailer that the ice chest was a mess. The eggs were all broken and swimming around in the ice water (major yuck). The foil dinners were wet and mangled. The crate with the kitchen dry goods and pans didn't fare any better. The salt container ruptured, everything had been just beat to death.
6. We're going to make the best of this and a fire was started, foil dinners rewrapped and cooked. Not too bad - but they could have been better.
7. The air mattress had a leak. 'nuf said.
8. Ron and Matt discussed many plans of how to get all of us, our gear, and out of commission trailer home.
9. We head out on our way home and a wheel on the bousa car almost falls off. After 90 minutes we take off. (1 p.m.)
10. It broke again. Another 90 minute fix.
11. Catch up with Matt and Ashley who had been sitting for 3 hours on the side of the road. Oil is leaking from Matt's motorcycle. The night before he took a tumble and the kickstand came up and put a hole in some part that hold the oil for the engine. We put half of a quart in the bike and keep going. (3 p.m.)
12. Matt was in the lead and took a wrong turn at a fork in the road. Ashley followed. Ron was last screaming at them that they're headed the wrong way. Ron drove insanely crazy to catch up to them and turn the back in the right direction. My eyes were closed. (6:30 p.m.)
13. Put more oil in Matt's bike.
14. Get 26 miles short of Mesquite and Matt's bike needs to stop so it doesn't totally run out of oil and burn up the engine. We leave him with a camelpack of water, backpack of fruit roll ups, beef jerkey, and granola bars. He will wait 3 hours...again. (7:30 p.m.)
15. Get to Mesquite. Ashley and I go buy JB Weld and oil. Ron heads back to Matt, Ashley & I get in one of the trucks, drive through Jack in the Box, and get on I-15. (8 p.m.)
16. Just as I get to the Bunkerville area, Ron calls and says his car is broken, come back.
17. We get to Ron 8 miles up the trail. He jumps in the truck with us and we start the s...l...o...w trip up the trail at about 15 mph. (9 p.m.)
18. After a few minutes, the stick that was holding the back window up broke. This problem started a few hours before we left on Friday, the window was proped in the closed position but the road was so rough it broke. Ashley was holding on to the window. If it fell inside the door, it would break for sure. Ron stops on the trail and takes the door panel off, removes the glass, and we continue on with an open window.
19. Get to Matt, JB Weld the oil pan, add oil. Ron gets on the motorcycle because he is more experienced and can ride in the dark back to Mesquite faster. Matt joins Ashley & I in the truck and we're going to s...l...o...w...l...y go back on the trail to where the bousa car is, Ron will ride into Mesquite get his truck and trailer and meet us back there. (10:30 p.m.)
20. Using the tripometer, we get back to the spot where the bousa car is and find it hid off the trail. Where's Ron?
21. 5 minutes later we see his head lights heading ever so slowly up the trail
22. Then we can hear him. Thud, thud, thud.
23. Ron has a flat tire on his truck.
24. Wait around to see that Ron & Matt have lights, right size socket, and a spare. Check, all tools necessary - they're on there own. Ashley and I head back down the remaining 8 miles of the trail to Mesquite.
25. Get gas and caffeine to keep me awake on the way home. (11:30)
26. FINALLY 12 hours after we started, and 6 hours later than we thought we'd be, we got home. (12:30)
27. Matt & Ron got home at 2 a.m.

Our camp is still set up. The trailer is still on the side of the trail broken.

On Sunday, Matt & Ron leave at 10 a.m., head to St. George to get on a better trail that's driveable. Go to the camp. Get all our gear packed up. Go to the broken trailer, put it on another trailer that they had pulled out there, and brought it all home. They get back again at 11 p.m. Sunday night.

What a FUN weekend!

Ron & I have had some discussions on our different definitions of the word FUN. Ron loved the trip. I was anxious, nervous, worried, scared. Not my idea of fun. Today, in Scotty's Mother's Day Call, after he got done talking to everyone that was there, Ron got on the phone. All he wanted to know about was the trip mom wrote him about. He asked Ron if all those things really went wrong. Then he said, "How fun. I can't believe I missed such a great trip. I can't wait to get back home and go with you."

Those boys and their idea of fun.

Grand Canyon Trip -

Shout-out to the Hughes Boys from Mesquite, Nevada

On the return trip home, Ron and I were going down the road just fine. Matt and Ashley were ahead of us with instructions to drive until you run out of gas - we're behind you with the gas and will stop and fill you up. (we could drive faster than them, so they got a head start)

That was a fine plan in theory - until we heard a rumbling sound. I thought it was a flat tire. Ron gets out and takes a look and the rear tire is about to fall off. I don't know all the technical terms, but some of the lugnuts were missing, as well as the posts that they're supposed to screw on to. I know enough to know that's not good.

Not far from us were 4 rhino-type vehicles full of men out riding around. They came over to see what was up. One of the older gentleman said to me, "Well, all we really have to offer is a lot of opinons and advise."

How to fix this situation with limited tools? They stepped up with the correct size socket, and some duct tape. Yes, men of Ron's own heart who believed that anything can be fixed with duct tape and bailing wire.
They also offered a lot of brute strength to help lift of up the car since we were without a jack. I really enjoyed all they're opinions and advise. You know how it is when there's a big problem, it was my job to stay out of the way and worry. But I managed to ask a few questions. These guys were FUNNY and out having a great time together. I found out the two older gentlemen were brothers, and all the 'younger' ones were their sons. So we had a bunch of brothers and cousins. They were out having a guy's weekend. They're all from Mesquite and are in the same kind of business we are. And between all the 'younger' ones, they had something like 15 children - I hope those little cousins grow up having as much fun together as the dads.

After 90 minutes we were on our way again. Thanks Guys.

But we only made it about two miles...

a few minutes later the Hughes boys rolled up again. Since the first fix didn't work, this time all wheels needed to be removed and bolts and studs barrowed from all wheels. And some how to put it all together it necessitated putting the wheel, brake system and studs in all at the same time - Which was Rusty's idea from the start. I don't know really what was going on other than he said, "Thank you, that was my idea from the start." Yes, they offered lots of opinions and advise.

Now, keep in mind that the 3 hours we've been on the side of the road fixing the bousa car - Matt and Ashley are up ahead of us run out of gas somewhere, without water or any food. I'm personally freaking out.

The second repair worked wonderfully and got us 130 miles back to Mesquite.

How do I adequately thank the Hughes Boys? Opinions, advise, tools, manpower, jokes and laughs - they were awesome. So in the small little world that blog stalking creates, if you know someone who knows someone who's friends with a blogger from Mesquite, PLEASE let them know we say Thank You so much for your help.

4th Annual Easter Egg Hunt

The Participants:

The Hunt:

The Spectators:

The Dinner:

BBQ chicken, potato salad, cranberry salad, deviled eggs, rolls, vegetables. Cream cheese dessert pie - it doesn't have an official name (graham cracker crust, cream cheese and whipping cream, topped off by strawberries) Do you know the name? Let me know.

The Reason Why:

"One of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Amen.

Ward Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt

Ron and Matt manned the grill for the pancake breakfast.



I was assigned to be in the "under two" field with Charlie. Her mom obviously didn't want her gathering many eggs, look how small her basket was.

I don't have pictures of Drew 'hunting' but he showed me his stash. Not being his first Easter Egg Hunt, Drew knew to grab the trick-or-treat bag to hold more eggs.

Checking out the loot. Charlie's favorite was the eggs that had gummy worms in them. Drew liked it all. Ashley grabbed the chocolate.


Here's Ron trying to convice a couple in our ward that they just have to go on our Grand Canyon adventure with their quads. He didn't gather any eggs.