Miscellaneous

Isn't it funny how everything's better when the weather is perfect?

We hosted family dinner at our house tonight. It's fun having a bunch of loved ones over to eat and hang out. I almost feel like a real grown-up.

Ever since I destroyed the closing hymn in Relief Society on Easter Sunday, I've taken to actually practicing the songs before Sunday, not just quickly running through a tricky song, crossing my fingers, and hoping for the best. I worked hard getting one right for last week, and again this week, but today we ran out of time, and the gal conducting the meeting nixed the closing hymn altogether. It was because she wanted to add her two cents to the concluded lesson. Which would have been fine and dandy, but I could tell the chorister was bummed because she'd carefully selected the perfect song for the topic of repentance. I wonder what would have happened if I'd gone ahead and started playing the song when it was time to end. It happens all the time on award shows.

I'm getting back on track with my goals. Renee and Maria came over for lunch on Wednesday to make an official start to our goals for the month, even though it's practically over. Since we'd all been slacking off in varying degrees, we'll keep these goals for the remainder of this month and extend them through May. Mine are the same as last month, with the following modifications:
Last month: Exercise 6 days/week, 20 min/day.
This month: Exercise 5 days/week, 20 min/day.
Last month: Go to sleep by 11:30 on nights I'm home.
This month: Go to sleep by midnight when I'm home.
The scripture goal remains the same, to read at least one verse each day. (No one can read just one!)
Yeah, so it may seem like I'm backpedaling a bit with two of my original aspirations. It doesn't mean I won't ever go to bed before midnight. It's just a limit so I don't ever decide to stay up until 1:00 trying to finish a blog post that really isn't urgent.
If my bedtime and exercise goals seem wimpy, the magnitude of a "new" goal I've added makes up for those, and then some. It's a next to impossible feat. Here is an excerpt from the email I sent to Renee and Maria:
"I want to try and make myself think before I say things, especially when I'm angry. I've never really applied that 'count to 10 slowly' method, and I really think I should. I am so defensive and have such a short fuse. And I want to stop yelling in traffic when the car in front of me isn't going fast enough. This one will be tough for me, but I think it's about time I exercised some self control. When my kids start sounding like me, I know it's time to change!!!"

I've always been pretty easily provoked, and over the years I've tried and failed to change. Is it really possible to become more easy going and agreeable? Even when I was super churchy and doing "everything right", I've never been able to tame my temper. I don't like being so quick to anger. It doesn't seem fair that some people are born with such natural patience, when others of us just cannot seem to kick the habit. I have the utmost respect and admiration for people who can keep their cool. Is it easy for them, or are they just good at pretending? Has anyone ever heard of a person who "used to" have a hot head? Is it really something that can be overcome?
I dunno, but I'm gonna give it another try. . .

In semi related news, I've been successful in discontinuing a couple of ill-advised habits. One of them I haven't done in about 24 days, and the other one, 53 days. I almost forgot what it feels like to occasionally practice some self control. Little by little, I'm working on putting off the natural woman. I still have other weaknesses that should be eliminated, but in general I feel like my ability to divert attention from pointless and/or obsessive tendencies has increased. It helps when I'm busy with household projects and enjoying beautiful spring weather.

The end of January I started the Body by Vi "health challenge". Some friends of ours started promoting it, and they were having great success, shedding weight left and right. Since I'd "been sitting around like a bump on a log since the half marathon" over a year and a half ago, and I wasn't "doing anything to avoid letting myself go", I thought I might as well give it a shot, along with beginning consistent workouts again. The challenge I chose consisted of meal replacement shakes. Every day for breakfast and lunch, I had a shake. In a way it was kind of nice, since I could blend fruits and other flavoring agents in with the shake mix. In other ways, I really missed lunch. It's meant to be a 90-day challenge, but I only did 60 days. My intent was not necessarily to lose pounds, but to just become more fit. During that time, I lost a whopping two pounds. I like to think that I put on bunches of muscle to offset the overall weight loss. It's tough to know for sure, but I do think my biceps are more defined, and are starting to look less like "flabby, 50-year-old arms". Also, I think I've noticed some muscle tone happening with my abs and calves. I think it may be more a result of doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred than a result of the meal replacements. By the end of 60-ish days, I was really ready to be done drinking the shakes. I get sick of the same stuff all the time, and it was pretty easy in the morning, but like I said, I like lunch. When I'm hungry, I don't crave sweet things. I want savory.

Speaking of lunch, I heard five more songs to add to my list. =)
1. "That boy took my (lunch) away. Oh, he'll regret it someday." ("This Boy", The Beatles)
2. "There was (lunch) all around, but I never heard it singing, no I never heard it at all, till there was you."
3. "That's what (lunch) is for, to help us through it
That's what (lunch) is for, nothing else can do it.
Melt our defenses, bring us back to our senses
Give us strength to try once more, baby, that's what (lunch) is for." (Amy Grant)
4. "Oh, girl... I'd be in trouble if you left me now. 'Cause I don't know where to look for (lunch), I just don't know how." (Chi-Lites)
5. "And long after I've gone, you'll still be humming along and I will keep you in my mind, the way you make (lunch) so fine." (Plain White T's)


Grandpa McCaleb turned 95 on the April 7th. I sent him some homemade cookies. The last time my sisters and I were in Arizona, we went over to see him. He didn't seem to remember who we were. =( He was so frail and kept dozing off while we were trying unsuccessfully to carry on a conversation with him. That was 2 years ago, and I can imagine he's only digressed since then. All I can say is I hope I don't live to see 90. I mean no disrespect, but by that point in life all there is to do is . . . well, not a whole lot.

I finally finished reading the Hunger Games trilogy. Once I got past a slow patch in the first third of the book, I got more into it. It was good, even though it took me about a month to get all the way through it. I guess I had too many things going on. Now it'll probably be a while before I start another book.

I guess that's enough randomness for one post.

I hope everyone's enjoying the all-encompassing splendor of spring!

Front Room Pics

So, I finished decorating our front room a few days ago. I'm sure everyone's been on pins and needles wondering if I was done yet.
:: crickets chirping ::

After a few weeks of trolling the city, gathering lamps and wall hangings and other trinkets, I picked a paint color and soon found myself spreading it all over the walls and ceiling until the space was sufficiently saturated. The painting occurred the day before Easter, and the days immediately following Easter, I painted some furniture that happened to be lying around in our garage. A week after I painted the room, I dragged everything in and carefully arranged it.

Here's what I started with. Drab brown walls and a yellow ceiling. Nothing says home like the sweet hues of sewage. . .

After days of staring at samples I'd spread in this corner, I thought maybe I should just go for a patchwork technique. It could be the start of a new craze in the interior decor world.



Here's a look at the room after I got my hands on it . . .





I'm not ashamed to say I love Ross Dress For Less. The old TV commercial took the words right out of my mouth. "I love it- I got it at Ross!" I kept finding thing after lovely thing there on my recent searches.
That's where I got this lamp. I love it! You can't beat their prices, either. Twenty-one bucks for an entire lamp? Heck yes!

I like this globe from Hobby Lobby. A lot.


This bookcase was a hand-me-down from my mom. It was beat up in places, so I painted it a darker brown and decided to offset that with cream on the back of the shelves. I hoped it would look as good in real life as it did in my head, and I personally think it does. It makes the stuff sitting on the shelves stand out better, and it brightens the overall look. I should have taken a picture of it before I filled it up. I guess you get the idea.

Here's a picture of the mirror to the left of the bookshelf. I took it just to be annoying, 'cause it bugs me when people take pictures of themselves in mirrors with the camera showing. There are better, less tacky ways to photograph oneself. But along with acting like a teenybopper, this pic proves that it's my house, and not a series of stock photos from my pal Google. ;)

This sits underneath the mirror and serves as a home for our piano books.

I ordered this neato poster online for $5 and bought the frame at Hobby Lobby.


This is one of the end tables I painted to coordinate with the bookcase. It was really ugly before.

The chairs were the first things I got for the room. At Ross, of all places. I planned the whole room around them.

I like the shape and fabric.

I selected these sheer curtains online at Kmart. I love the diamond pattern. It reminds me of my favorite kind of windows. Those ones with the diamond patterned glass.


I got this nifty lamp at Lowe's.

That weird glare on the wall to the right of the piano is the light reflecting off the nearby mirror.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to put something in the big blue vase.

I found this framed picture of antique hot air balloons at Ross. Yay! If anyone knows me, they know I have a thing for hot air balloons. How cool would it be if they still looked like that?

This table is one I got at a thrift store last year for cheap. It also received a much needed painting treatment. Perched on top is a photo of Grandma and Grandpa McCaleb.

And last but not least, probably my favorite part of the room. . .

The ceiling!
Doesn't it look so much better when it's not yellow?

Welp, that's it!

April Assortment

Hi. I just love spring! My wonderful flowers keep blooming... Other people's flowers keep blooming... My crocuses have croaked by now, but I enjoyed them while they lasted. My tulips are getting set to show off their pretty petals. A few of them have already, and the rest are nearly open. I can see their colors peeking through the cracks of green. The shrubs by our mailbox now have a sprinkling of tiny white blossoms. It's been sunnier and warmer when it's not raining, more and more like springtime. I love it.

I'm so crazy about these daffodils! So CRAZY! I know I've mentioned this before, but I think flowers are some of the most miraculous things ever. The way they grow up out of the dirt to display their intricate beauty.



-The day after April Fools' Day, I found out that Renee and her family are moving to Florida this summer. I'd hoped it was a day-late joke, but no. Her husband was recommended for a job at a more stable company than the one he currently works for. Maria and I (and a likely load of other locals) are not looking forward to this fun family's departure. We're hoping it's not a long-term situation, and we're sure they'll be treasured there in Florida, but they need to know that Boise will be lonesome while they're gone.

-Now for some good news. Becky's parents are moving to Boise from their home in St. Helens. Yay! They came to town this weekend to look at houses and they already found one they love. They made an offer and it was accepted. Wow, that was fast! Reminds me of when Becky was house-hunting. Like mother, like daughter... =) Marsha (Becky's mom) and I have been emailing regularly since Becky isn't here to talk to. =( We've gotten to be good friends.

-The day before Easter, little Ruby had her first birthday party. Ruby belongs to Gavin (my brother) and Maren.
Maren decided on a cupcake theme. =) Here's the cute cupcake cake she made.

Yes, it tasted as good as it looks!

The sweet birthday girl.

The entire rest of this day I spent painting our front room. I like how it turned out. Photos to come very shortly. =)


-Easter was lovely. I neglected to take any pictures of the kids' baskets, tried and failed to get any good shots of the egg hunt, and totally screwed up my attempt at pianoing the closing hymn in Relief Society.

But Easter was still lovely. Because it always is. So what if I could have won a "worst hair in the world" award that day. So what if my girls' hair wasn't in perfect ringlets, or even curled at all. We made it to church *almost* on time at 9:00, the ward choir ("starring" me) presented a beautiful song, and that afternoon I crafted a cake that would be consumed after a tasty turkey dinner at my parents'. Working with sugar makes me happy, and somehow it's extra sweet on Easter.

Here's the one picture I took from the hunt that was even worth sharing. The kids just hop around too fast.


I happen to embrace the tradition of Peeps. I know there are a lot of fierce haters out there. Peeps look so cute and innocent. Why do people harbor such hostility for these limbless sugar-coated figures?

-The first half of this month has been almost a total loss concerning my personal goals. I'm blaming it on the fact that Maria, Renee and I have not met up to discuss and make our aspirations official. But last month I did a rather good job. I only missed one day of reading scriptures, missed 5 days in a row of exercising (due to illness), but I made it up the next week by working out 5 consecutive days for 40 minutes instead of the original 20 min./day goal. I was proud of myself for meeting my 11:30 bedtime goal, and I only missed it by a few minutes a few times for pretty good reasons. (Ha, at first I accidentally typed "food" instead of "good".)

I'll talk about some more stuff soon, but for now I fear my blog runneth over. And I'm hungry.

Spring Break

We stayed home for spring break. We'd originally hoped to go somewhere, but then we decided to save that trip for June.

My flowers started blooming, thanks to all the recent rain.

My crocuses. I really should have planted more. This is what I get for always following the instructions so closely. The box said to space them out a certain number of inches. Next time I want bunches!

They're still pretty, even though they're sparse.


I got a couple of things to dress up the door. A cheery mat and hanging flower decoration.




My daffodils bloomed. =)

I think the wind has weakened their fragile stems. They're hanging on for dear life. They're even droopier now. =( I'm still loving them, and I'll savor their presence until they fade.


My Easter decor, just inside the front door.

I got this cute cabinet a while ago at Hobby Lobby. I like that place.


Since we weren't going on a trip, we decided to go ahead and get a trampoline! We'd been thinking about it for a while, so we took advantage of tax returns and splurged. The kids were gone at Grandma's house all day, so Ryan and I went to get one and set it up as a surprise for when they got home.

This is what it looked like before anyone jumped on it. Ryan and I tried it out, and he kept stealing my bounce. It was all fun and games until I remembered my bladder isn't as trusty as it once was. And I even used the bathroom right before jumping. Oh well. Tramps are meant to handle mass quantities of moisture, right? ;)

The kids were so excited about the new addition to our yard.



I caught Cora giving Ollie a hug and kiss when he started crying. =)

I was peering down at them from my bathroom window.


It was a coldish wet week, but the kids took any possible chance to go out and jump.


One day, I happened upon some anatomically correct Peeps at Big Lots.

Oh boy. I think I should make them some little pants.


The other events of our week went well, too. For example, I got to see a comic (Mike Birbiglia) at the Egyptian Theater with Megan, Mike and Gavin. Gav's wife ended up not being able to attend, so I went in her place, so as to not waste a ticket. I'd never heard of the guy before, but he was funny. I am amazed by anyone who can get up in front of an audience and make people laugh for that long. His show was well over an hour, and he didn't miss a beat.

Ryan and I went to see "The Hunger Games". It was good! We thought they stuck to the book pretty well.

On Wednesday, our friends Rachel, Livia and Lucy came to our house for a few hours. They moved to Coeur d'Alene last summer, and were visiting Boise for a few days. We've been pals since Jane and Livia were little babies. It was so good to see them!

Ryan, Cora, Jane, Oliver and I went bowling on Friday with Jackie, Eric and Ethan. It was fun!

General Conference was great. To me, the best part was President Uchtdorf's talk. I really feel like part of my heart changed for the better during Conference. Let's hope it stays that way...

I guess that's about it for spring break 2012.

Happy April!

More March

As I was hurrying to get to sleep on time the night of my recent post, I realized I failed to mention one of the tastiest parts of March. I must've become sidetracked while uploading photos. Don't worry, here's a picture of the not-to-be-forgotten bacon cheeseburger pizza from Papa Murphy's.

When I first saw the commercial for it, I thought, Pickles on pizza? Before I could object, my brain embraced the concept. Oh, pickles on pizza!
I tried it as soon as the opportunity arose. It's good! It tastes like a cheeseburger. It has a zesty burger sauce that's really yummy. I'm worried it will only be available for a limited time. =/ We've bought it twice so far. =) I love pickles. But they have to be dill. Sweet pickles, bread&butter pickles, etc., are disgusting!

--> I'm getting ready to paint and decorate our front room, finally! I'm in the process of deciding which color to do. I was sick all last week, but the last two days I've felt fantastic. I sound normal again. If I hadn't gotten ill, I think I would've had the whole painting project done by now. Instead I rested while reading "The Hunger Games" trilogy. I'm kind of stuck in the middle of the third book. It's going a bit slower than the first two, and isn't keeping my attention very well. I started reading them because I wanted to know what all the hype was about, and to be ready for the movie. I think they're well-written stories, and I like them. But truthfully, I just want to finish the last book so I can do something else with my self-appointed spare time. I'm not a very fast reader, and some of that comes from my being easily distracted. I find myself constantly monitoring the thickness of pages I have left.

--> On the 15th, Renee and I took Maria out for a two-days-late celebration of her birthday. She suggested we see a movie and get dessert, so we saw "The Vow", then went to Shari's for something to eat. It was after 11:00pm. We lamented the fact that everywhere good closes early. Shari's food wasn't bad, this time. I'm sure it was enhanced by our really moist conversation, which covered all sorts of fun topics. From our window seat we saw a sporty black car pull up with a huge decal on the windshield- The Punisher. As we wondered what makes a person decide to put something like that on a car, I could have sworn I saw it move a parking spot closer to us. Ack! And the driver wasn't even in it.
When it was time to pay up, we had a lengthy discussion with the waitress about oatmeal. She raved about it for longer than I've ever heard anyone talk about it, letting us in on all of her favorite ways to prepare it.
I can hardly wait until the next time we get together!

--> My mommy turned 60 on March 1st. I hope looking that good at 6 decades is genetic! She rocks her longish sleek silver hair, and she's still so cute. And I don't mean that in a "cute little grandma" way. A while back, she had some older ladies come up to her in the mall and tell her how great she looked in her jeans.

--> Maria, her husband, and their 2-year-old girl are expecting a baby boy in July! Yay! I'm so eager to meet this little guy.

--> My sister Megan, her husband, and their 4-year-old boy are expecting baby #2 in October. This revelation was completely unexpected by everyone except them! What joyous news!

--> Jane was accepted into Pioneer School of the Arts for next year! It's a magnet school, so they determine enrollment by way of lottery. I think it will be great for her, seeing as she's so creative and artistic. I wanted her to go there when we moved in, seeing as it's within walking distance from our house, but they didn't have any open spots in the middle of the year and blah, blah, blah... I just hope she likes it there, 'cause she doesn't seem to like her current school.

-->I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that Cora will begin middle school (6th grade) next fall. She's not so sure about it. If we were in the Boise school district, she'd still get another year of elementary school... I don't think I'm ready for what's ahead. She's already demonstrating some nice mood swings. But usually I can just give her some food and she's happy.

Getting ready to go eat Sunday dinner at Mom's house with the whole happy bunch. =) Yummy salad bar tonight.

Parts of March

This has been a pretty good month, aside from the first day or two.

I'm not a frequent crier. Since I'm not a cry-over-everything-whether-it's-happy-or-sad type of girl, when I do break down it means I'm utterly crushed. Before this month, the last time I cried was the beginning of September. I guess I was overdue for a good tear duct purge.
On the night of March 1st, something sucker punched my soul, and I had to just go to bed and cry. Quietly, because I didn't want anyone to hear. I was on cloud -9. I woke up the next morning and remained on the verge of tears as I helped the kids get ready for school. They left, and I started misting up as I drank my breakfast, but then Oliver said something to make me smile. I pushed away the misery until later. I made myself exercise, then in the solitude of the shower I wept again, letting the tears mix with the water as silently as possible, well aware that any wailing would be amplified by the tile surrounding me. I look pathetic when I cry. My chin contorts, forcing the corners of my mouth into a sickening perma-frown. I can't speak coherently or relax my face, no matter how I try.

I pulled myself together to go run errands. Ryan was off work that day, so he stayed home with Oliver, and I went shopping by myself. At one point I was driving to another store, but when I got there I couldn't go in because a song I was listening to made me start sobbing once again. So I just drove around until it was time to go home. I was thankful for tinted windows.

I wouldn't ordinarily feel it necessary to document a crying spell, but I don't want it to seem like I only share my fluffy, silly moments. I'm generally a happy person, but I'm also not a stranger to anguish. And maybe I brought it up so the remaining days of March would seem extra delightful to read about.

For every one thing that drags me down, there seems to be at least ten things to lift me back up. It's like that song goes. "You take the good, you take the bad, you add 'em up and there ya have the facts of life." Life's not meant to be a breeze, so when it's not, I am ever grateful for all the people I love, and all the little things that inevitably add up to make my days happy in spite of the trying times.

On that note, guess what! I'm going on another trip with my sisters in June! Erin discovered, with mixed emotions, that Glee will not be touring this summer, but we still wanted to go somewhere together. 'Cause we couldn't stand the thought of not going on a trip this year. Both Erin and I have never been to Vegas before, so that is our chosen destination this year. Yay! We'll drive down the first Friday in June and stay until Monday. A quicker trip, but we are planning on attending a show or two and just milling around and eating. I am so excited!


How about a few pictures of things that have been busy making me happy?

Here's my favorite snack lately. They're sea salt & olive oil flatbread crisps with yummy avocado slices. Avocados are mmmmm. . .


~Oliver and I had dentist appointments this month and neither of us have any cavities! Yee-haw! Time for some celebratory candy!

~Ryan and I went on a date on Fri, the 2nd. We enjoyed a dinner at Smash Burger. Ryan hadn't been there yet, and burgers always sound tasty, so there ya have it. Plus I wanted some of their fried pickles. Then we went to see the Sherlock Holmes movie at the cheap theater. It was quite entertaining, and a nice evening out.

~Monday the 5th was a gorgeous day out, so I asked Oliver which park he wanted to go to. He said, "The brown squishy park" down on Hill Road. We went, and happened to run into Maria, who had picked up Renee's kids for the day since Renee was sick. It was a fun surprise seeing them there. If it had been up to me, we would have gone to a park closer to home, but Oliver was adamant about which park he wanted. I was glad I listened to him!

~Saturday the 10th I took Oliver to the new Boise Aquarium. We met Ryan's sisters and their kiddies there. Ryan was at work, and the girls had other stuff they wanted to do, but I'm definitely going to take them along next time. I liked it. They don't have anything big, but I didn't mind. I'd personally rather see teeny tiny sea creatures than big scary ones. Of course, I do have an affinity for little things... This aquarium houses all kinds of mini sea horses, jelly fish, sharks, stingrays, etc. Ocean life has always fascinated me. I love all the pretty colors and shapes of everything.

~Speaking of colors, there was a beautiful rainbow the night before St. Patrick's Day. The pictures don't do it justice.


Yay for rainbows! I guess we're safe for at least another year. ;)


~I got some cute new PJ bottoms.

They basically had my name written on them. Nothing excites me quite like the combo of turquoise and pink. And polka dots!


~Jane made me this cute bookmark one March afternoon.

It's three iced cookies with sprinkles for letters. No word on why it's shaped like a pantiliner. =)


~The bulbs I planted in the fall are making their appearance!

This was on March 7th.


And by the 16th, they'd grown this much more!


This is a poor representation of the flower bed in the front yard, but it was taken before most of the buds had emerged. I am so pleased that they are coming up! My first attempt at bulbs. I hope they actually bloom. For my luck, they're trick tulips. My mom said bulbs are pretty much fool-proof, so I should be safe.

~And here's a random shot of Oliver.

I like how he has a baby Iron Man next to the big Iron Man. And of course, I love his smile. Oliver's, not Iron Man's.

I hope everyone (if anyone reads this) has a wonderful spring break!