Daddy/Daughter night...

It is our ward's Father/Son Campout tonight... An event that Shane is not sad he misses out on!! Around our house that night looks more like this...

We call it Daddy/Daughter Night!!

Losing my mind....

I have a problem.... it involves the fact that lately it seems I have lost my mind. Two experiences in the past two days should prove my point...

Tuesday a lady called me for a very small vinyl order... it was around 10 am and I told her to stop by to pick it up @ 4 PM. At 4 PM the doorbell rings... and said lady is standing at the door... I look at her... and for a couple of seconds try to figure out why she is at my house... till I realized that I told her 6 hours previously that I would do something and then COMPLETELY FORGOT!!!

Then yesterday I headed to our local grocery store (with coupons in hand... cuz' that's pretty much how I get my excitement these days!!) Got into the shortest line and started putting my stuff up on the belt, when my great friend Kim and her kids jumped in line behind us. We were chatting and joking with the bagger (my across the street neighbor Josh) about his bagging expertise. Then to my horror the cashier tells me the total... and I realize I came to the store with NO money!! Uhmmmm.... pretty much felt like a dork at that moment... But darn happy that I live where I live, and that I picked that particular grocery store... because it's basically the social gathering spot of the valley... Kim of course helped me out (while laughing and reminding me that I'm a dork) and Josh announced that he would have spotted me too. Nothing like having a friend buy groceries for you...

Although I have no brain... I don't think I could have planned that better if I had tried! Free groceries are even better than groceries with really good coupons!!! hehehehehee :)

"Wheaties" - the Breakfast of Champions...

I have been in a blogging slump... not because of lack of things to blog about... just pretty much a lack of desire to blog... Or maybe because I'm not sure where to start with all the things I should blog about... (Any other bloggers feel that way... why does blogging stress me out sometimes??? Could it be those friends who REMIND me that I am behind in my blogging??? I know people, I know! :) )

Anyway... today's entry is about my cute Tayler. What a joy she is... I love that she tells me EVERYTHING (at least I THINK she does.) Each day I ask her for the drama of the day... which involves all things "Middle School like"... meaning who is "going" with who, who broke up with who, who talked to who, who's mad at who,.... etc, etc, etc. (Makes me stinkin' glad I'm not back in 6th grade!!) But we always have a good chuckle about it all!!

Last week (@ 6:30 in the morning) Shane and I attended "The Breakfast of Champions" program at her school. This is held for all students who received at least 1 - 4.0 during the year. I was impressed at how many kids were there... what a great start for all of them in their "academic careers"!!

After the "lite" breakfast or "Honor Roll" as it was called, (and no offense here if you helped make those rolls... but they weren't very "honorable", they were nasty... pretty sure there were a lot of hungry smart 6th graders that day... glad I got to go home and get me some lucky charms!!) anyway... the principal announced that he would call names and the kids could come and get their box of "Wheaties"...

Tayler immediately turned to me and said, "That is disgusting, why would they give us a box of hot dogs????? What are we supposed to do? Put them in our locker?"

Apparently she thought he said "A box of Wienies".

Shane and I were dying at that... but then laughed harder when we were walking out... and she looked at her box with amazement and said, "O my heck, how did they get them to print "Breakfast of Champions" right on the box." (The theme for their program).

??????????????

She may be a straight 4.0 student... but we obviously aren't big Wheaties fans at our house.... (Sorry Dad). We'll keep her though... cuz she always makes me happy... even if she is growing up WAY too fast!!

I only do this for TRUE friends...

If any of you know Raquel Bushman, count yourself lucky!! Raquel is the best... a fabulous mom, a good listener, an awesome friend, lots of fun, kind to everyone, a great example, world class neighbor and... lucky for me an especially good sport! Because when we invited a few families over for family night last week... which involved delicious tin foil dinners and banana boats... we also threw in a little fun for Raquel who was having her 40th Birthday the following day...

The kids all helped make posters for her garage...

(My 3 partners in crime... Lisa, Deon and Kim)

And these next couple of pictures are kind of random... but Jadyn went to all 3 of the teenage boys that were there that night... which is not usual for her... Josh... Nate....

AND Kyler...

After our night of food and fun we all headed to Raquel's with all of the plastic bags we could find... This is what she woke up to... (Pretty sure there were more the night before... apologies to all neighbors who have leftover bags in their yard...)

Yep we bagged her house... and left a sign that said...

Like I said... she's a good sport so she thought it was a hoot and felt very lucky that no old pictures were dusted off for the occasion... She had no idea that her husband had enlisted mine and others help in pulling off a surprise party for her a few days later...

She definitely looks surprised. Guaranteed I would be surprised if I came home to 30+ people standing in my family room! (I reminded Ron that he would need to make sure the house was clean... and that I would even help if needed... because even I am not that cruel of a friend... No one wants to be caught of guard like that... I do have limits!!)

Good thing there was a wheelchair there for her!

(And Raquel so that we continue to remain friends and just plain because I love you THAT MUCH... I refrained from posting those awesome picture that I had blown up of you! )

There were plenty of treats and good laughs... but the highlight of the night was when "Ethel" arrived... I had never met Ethel before... and I am still amazed at how hilarious it was when Ethel rang the doorbell. I can guarantee you can't tell who "Ethel" actually is from these pictures... But Ethel made me cry I was laughing so hard!

We have plans for Ethel and her act... so be prepared!

Happy 40th Raquel... you ROCK! I always say if my friends weren't so darn old.... I wouldn't have nearly as much fun!!!

I have been warned SEVERAL times that my day will be here before I know it... and that it is going to be a day I will NEVER FORGET... because they have 5 years to prepare for that day...

The only consolation I feel is that in 5 years they will all be sooooo old they might not remember much... HEHEHEHE!

One last pic from Hawaii....

I gave my nice brother Andy a hard time (a couple posts ago) about his gift of a camera... so in the spirit of apoligizing I am posting one of the pictures that actually turned out. Apparently the camera WAS taking pictures, even if it was filled with water. A little blurry with water spots on the negatives... but this one didn't turn out half bad and I even got all 5 of our dolphin friends in the frame! Love ya brother... and if you ever need a "reloadable" water camera I've got one you can borrow... hehehehe...