It's Good To Be Julie Watson

How Time Flies

2011-04-16T22:56:00.000-05:00

Have I really gone since JULY since I posted anything?

Friends, my life has been busy. You know the drill. Kids, 3 church callings, lots of home improvement and redecorating projects, babysitting, girls trips, endless errands, the list goes on and on.

I have a list of all the things I need to catch up on, and things to tell you about. But it will all have to wait just a little longer. It is 11:00 on Saturday night, and tomorrow is a LOOOOONG church day which includes 2 choir practices, one of which is in Ames. So for now, I will leave you with a picture that I love from my recent 38th birthday party.

My sweet Hannah organized a surprise party for me (guest list was 4 people long!) and attempted to bake a 2 layer cake for the first time ever! As you can see, the cake was not a smashing success. Unless you look at it through the eyes of a mother, and then it is the most beautiful cake ever made!

Photos I Love

2010-07-27T10:50:00.001-05:00

Today's installment of "Photos I Love" comes to you from Salt Lake City, Utah. Home of one of the most amazing women in the world, June Fuller, my grandmother.

This photo was taken at her 90th birthday party. This was the first time in a long time that so many family members were together in one place, and the room was filled with so many people who came to show their love for this lady. M Russell Ballard from the quorum of the 12 even came. He used to be her bishop. I said to her, "Look how important you are! An apostle even came to your birthday party!" Her reply was "Oh, you mean little Russ? He is a sweet boy."

When we visited her house during summer vacations, she woke us each morning to exercise with her. We would walk through her Mt. Olympus neighborhood at a brisk pace - no slacking! Then we'd return home to do whatever aerobics show was on the tv.

How many grandmothers do YOU know that play golf and bowl on a league on a regular basis?
Well MINE did! She was incredible. I think she even bragged about bowling a perfect score once. It was fun to watch her in action. She had more energy than anyone I know (including myself!)

When I was in 2nd grade, my sister and I had to go live with her for a semester of school. She enrolled us in the school where she worked as a lunch lady, and some of my favorite memories ever came from that time. Even though it was a very troubling time for us, I never felt scared or worried when I was with her. She took very good care of me and I will always love her for that.

Grandma was very careful not to waste anything. We have a running joke in our family that we shouldn't throw away our straws, baggies or wax paper because until they melt away we could still be using them! She taught me how to cook and save for a rainy day. Her grocery shopping/coupon system was so exact that even though I would like to, I will never be able to replicate it!

When I went to school at the U of U, I stayed many weekends with her. Several of my friends became regulars at her house and she loved them all as much as she loved me. She chastised me when I needed it, often with a few minor swear words thrown in for good measure. Like her favorite "you're such a dumb little s*@#! Why did you spend all of your money on that? How are you going to buy groceries?" Then leave me to figure it out, not knowing that my grandpa was slipping me $20s under the table!!

For all these reasons, and more, I cherish this photo of me and my grandmother. She is such an important part of my life and I know that I am who I am today because of some of the lessons I learned from her.

Once Upon A Time.....

2010-04-29T09:46:00.002-05:00

This is where it all started. A tall skinny boy named Kelly Watson moved to Albuquerque when I was 15. Was it love at first sight? Um.....NO! He had on white skinny jeans and a pink plaid shirt the first night we met at a church dance, and he made no real effort to be friendly to me. (In his defense, I think I was wearing a vest and a BOW TIE that night. Gotta love the 80's!!)

We did not hit it off for quite a while. The boys and the girls were constantly feuding about a woman's place in the world, and the only words I used to describe him at that time were names of various animals of the 4 legged variety. This lasted nearly 2 years. Not exactly a fairy tale beginning. But then one day, the tide turned.

It was Sunday. I had gone to prom the night before and according to tradition, was wearing my prom dress to church. I had to speak that day, and when I looked out on the congregation, Kelly winked at me. I thought he was messing with me - trying to get me to mess up or something. But later on when he passed me in the hallway, he said "You look pretty today". WHAT????? I had no idea what was going on. Up until this, we hadn't really had a civilized conversation. I was flustered, but intrigued!

The next Friday, the phone rang. It was for me. It was Kelly Watson. He asked me to dinner. I was totally shocked. I said yes. Here is where I should probably mention that I had a boyfriend, but when suddenly faced with the option of a date with Kelly, I had to go. I mean, what was happening? Did he take some magic potion that had turned him from an ogre into a prince??? I had to find out. So I accepted and off we went.   Now I will switch to the short version of the evening's events. It could take hours to give a full account!

*We had dinner at a 50's style diner called Yesterdave's.
*We then rented Lethal Weapon at Blockbuster and went back to my house to watch it.
*When we got there, my BOYFRIEND had called and threatened to come over and beat Kelly up if   he didn't leave.
*Kelly, unaware of said boyfriend, was not pleased and left immediately.
*I got on the phone and into a 3 hour phone conversation where boyfriend was threatening suicide if I broke up with him. I broke up with him. He survived.
*Next day, I went to see Kelly to apologize and see if he would forgive me. It went a little something like this:
     K: Why didn't you tell me you already had a boyfriend?
     J: Because I liked you and wanted to go out with you. But I broke up with him right after you left.
     K: So you're not going out with him anymore?
     J: No.
     K: So you can go out with me now?
     J: YES!

And the rest, as they say, is history! The next day, Sunday, we were sitting by each other holding hands at church, and people who had witnessed the hostility between us for the past 2 years were in shock! There are still friends of my family who can't believe that we are married. I can. I have loved him from that very day until now. We had lots of on-again-off-again moments, and we survived being separated for 2 years during a mission and college. There are many funny, happy, not so happy (Senior Prom!!), sweet and memorable stories that have made up our history. Now that we are 30 somethings, we have been together more than half of our lives. We have spent more years together than we ever spent without each other. I have the life I always wanted thanks to the boy in the white skinny jeans.

I love you Kelly! Happy Anniversary.

What a Difference......

2010-04-15T09:03:00.001-05:00

This was the scene on February 20 of this year. Just 7 short weeks ago:

The final, unwelcomed winter storm that made our spirits sink. The unrelenting, grim, and merciless icy cold grip of winter to which it seemed there would be no end, went out with over a foot of snow and the roar of our shiny new snowblower!

When the snow finally melted and the sun came out to play, so did we!!!

Hooray for spring! Hooray for outside play time! Hooray for green grass and tshirts and sidewalk chalk! Hooray for sunshine! I'd almost forgotten how beautiful you were.

Ode to the Sun

2010-02-17T08:36:00.001-06:00

Sunshine, sunshine, where have you gone?

I've forgotten how it felt

to play outside, instead I hide

inside - wishing the snow would melt.

Oh, how I long for bright blue skies

and temps above the TEENS!

I need your rays, and warmer days,

Instead of WHITE we need some GREEN!

My mood has been sour, my house a mess

my energy at an all time low.

My boots and my sweats really need a rest.

I JUST CANNOT TAKE MORE SNOW!!!

Sunshine, sunshine, PLEASE come back!

Drive all the gloomies away.

We're bored and we're cold - This is getting so old!

We all need to get out to play!

More Hannah....

2010-01-12T14:46:00.000-06:00

There needs to be a couple of things said about Hannah. As Kelly and I were talking about her last night, I realized that I omitted some very key personality traits. So here is an amendment to the previous post.

Hannah is an EXTREME rule follower. When she is told to do something, or is given a task, there is NO room for interpretation or negotiation! It is totally black and white in her mind. This will be a great quality as she grows up. Although, we have tried to explain that some things are general guidelines and not iron clad laws....still working on that concept! This also ties in to her TOTAL inability to grasp sarcasm. She sees things so literally that even most kids jokes go over her head. She very crisply explained to her teacher this year that she did not appreciate sarcasm, and didn't like it when she was talked to in a certain way. Her teacher said that she has taken that into consideration every time she talks to Hannah, and is sure to get right to the point with no messing around!

Lastly, Hannah is our Time Manager. She will shout out the time minute by minute as we are getting ready to go somewhere so that we will NOT be late. This starts the minute we begin to get ready, and continues in the car and all the way to our destination. (Unfortunately for her, her mother got the late gene from her dad, so despite Hannah's best efforts we are sometimes late anyway.) When she wants to know the time and someone estimates or rounds up to the nearest even number, that is not acceptable. You cannot say it is 4:30 if it is only 4:27. No no. Exactness is required at all times.

I think that everyone needs a Hannah. She runs a tight ship!

My Hannah

2010-01-10T19:22:00.000-06:00

So earlier this year (I got a little behind!!), Hannah turned 10. Double digits for my middle child. She has been such a special little girl right from the beginning, and now I would like to share her with all of you!

She loves her daddy! Ever since she was small, the way we got her to try anything new was for Kelly to say that it was his favorite thing, and it them became her favorite thing. She would choke down food that she didn't like just to please him, all the while sticking to her guns that she loved it. They have had a special relationship from the start. Here is a photo of them at last year's Daddy Daughter Valentines Dinner and Dance.

Another thing about Hannah is that she is very sensitive. Her heart breaks very easily when she has to move away from a friend, or when she has a fight with a classmate, or when she thinks someone is being mistreated. She is very aware of those who are lonely or in need of a friend and tries her best to reach out to them. When we moved away from NM and from Ohio, she had some very good little friends that she had to leave, she cried and cried. The most heartbreaking thing to see was Hannah and her very best friend, my sister Emilie, saying goodbye at the airport as we were moving for the first time. They couldn't let go of each other and were both crying - and ever since that day they have run up hours and hours of long distance calls to each other!

She loves to dress up and use her imagination. Here is her favorite getup from when she was 2 years old. She wore this to the grocery store many times, her tap shoes clacking away as she followed me through the isles. Here are a few more recent costume choices. She comes up with some very interesting ideas!

Another thing I love about Hannah is that she is so trusting. If you tell her that the sky is orange, she will look at it and say, "Really? OK." I thought that she would be devastated to find out that there was no Tooth Fairy. When she found my drawer full of her teeth and letters, I told her that it was me. I was the Tooth Fairy. She looked at me with wide eyes, and with all the innocence and wonder in her heart said, "So, are you the Tooth Fairy for the whole world, or just for our neighborhood?"

She has always been eager to please. She will do whatever she can to make her parents, teachers, siblings or friends happy. When she was younger, if one of her friends said they liked one of her toys, she would say "You can have it."

She loves to clean - well, everything but her room!! When we are deciding who gets certain chores in our house, Hannah wants them all. She loves to to the kitchen the most, even moving all the chairs out to sweep and mop the floors. She often surprises us by cleaning our room or bathroom while we are out. I'm sure that this trait came from my sister and NOT from me!

She is also sensitive to spiritual things. She feels the spirit and expresses those feelings to us. On more than one occasion, she has written her thoughts about things she has read in the scriptures and let us read them. She reminds us to read together as a family a lot, and loves to do things with her family.

She loves to play in the snow. It can be so cold that nobody else wants to go out, but she will be outside in all her snow gear just laying in the snow. She is always the first to volunteer to go out with Sam when he wants to play. She's happy to be outside any time of the year. Here she is competing in her Triathalon that she has done for the last 2 years.

She really likes this competition. She trains all summer and takes it pretty seriously. We love to watch the determination in her face during the race. She is amazing!

She looks up to Lucy more than anyone can know. She writes her letters and makes her things all the time to tell her how much she loves her. If Lucy gets mad at her she is crushed! Although there is no shortage of sibling bickering between the two of them, I know that there is no one that she loves as much as her sister.

So that is our Hannah. Sweet, sensitive, spiritual, loving, imaginative, eager and dedicated. She is an example to our entire family and we all love her very much!

2009-12-06T19:17:00.000-06:00

Poor little blog. Poor faithful blog readers.
I have neglected you all for far too long.
My life got a little crazy for a while, but
I promise that I will be back very soon
with a new post about my sweet Hannah
who just had a birthday - well, she had it
almost 2 months ago. OOPS! Until then,
I will share a cute story about Sam.

Yesterday he and Kelly left for a boys birthday
trip to Disneyland. When it came time for
them to leave, Sam hugged the girls with all
his might and for a very, very long time.
On the way to the airport, we were talking
about what fun things he would be able to
do there, and I looked back at him and he was
sitting with his head down and a sad look on
his face.
"What's the matter, Sam? Aren't you excited
about your trip with Dad?" I asked.
He started to nod his head yes, but then
paused, and said "Not really."
"Why not?"
And then, with a little tremble in his voice,
his reply,
"I'm just really going to miss the girls."

I am so glad to have kids that love each other like that!

Photos I Love

2009-10-08T12:12:00.001-05:00

Meet my dad. Little Eddy Fuller. He was the same age in this photo as Sam is right now. I cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, picture my dad acting like my son does! It's fun to think about, though.

Was he mischievous? Did he make his parents roll on the ground with laughter? Was he sweet to his mother? Was he independent? What toys did he like to play with? Was he good in school? Did he charm all the little girls in the neighborhood? I do not know all the answers, but I am certain that when his mother looked at that sweet little face she could not have ever been too angry with him, and that his smile melted her heart. Whatever kind of little boy he was, I know one thing for sure. He grew up to become a perfect father and the greatest example of Christ-like kindness, patience and love that I have ever known. He is the rock of our family and I am proud to call him Dad.

p.s. Notice the suspenders? Even today they are a staple in my dad's wardrobe. I guess if you find something that works for you, you don't mess with it!!

Photos I Love

2009-09-18T21:25:00.001-05:00

I love this photo. No further explanation is needed. Just look at it. Isn't she precious? She was the tiniest little thing, and although she was only 2, the dance teacher at Lucy's ballet studio let her into the 3 year old class because she couldn't resist this cute little thing in her tights and ballet slippers. She practically lived in this outfit....dancing all day long, spinning in circles and singing, leaving me with a perfectly perfect memory of my perfectly perfect little Hannah.

Follow Up...

2009-09-16T10:25:00.000-05:00

So inquiring minds want to know what on my list from yesterday got done.
I wish I could say everything, but I am having trouble finding my motivation.
Kelly is out of town all week, so in my mind that means a week off for me too!
I did clean the kitchen first thing. It is spic and span this morning! I also got
all the laundry done and put away, but the closet still needs to be swept out.
Garage sale stuff is on the list for today, and bathrooms can wait until right
before Kelly comes home on Friday. That's when I'll make my mad dash around
the house trying to make it look as if I've been busy all week!!

(Don't tell me you don't all know what I'm talking about!)

It's a Dirty Job......

2009-09-15T09:08:00.004-05:00

What I NEED to do today:

Clean my kitchen!! I haven't even put away
my groceries.

Organize the laundry room closet

Sort and price these items for a garage sale this weekend

Scrub this shower - it is gross!!

What I WANT to do today:

Make some more of these cute haunted bird houses. We
have been making them all week. I LOVE them!

Use these cute witches that I made...

And these fun things to make a Halloween garland for
my front door.

So I have gone to get my morning pick- me- up and I'm off to
get started.

Photos I Love

2009-09-12T19:27:00.003-05:00

For the second installment of "Photos I Love", I present to you one that I don't so much love. This was me. A face only a mother could love, as she will readily admit. I think the story goes that after I was born I was so fat and had such a huge birthmark on my forehead that my mother was not eager for others to see me. She covered me with a blanket at the grocery store and when a lady asked if she could lift the blanket to see her baby she said, "Not right now. She's sleeping."
This is the way my life started out. At least, that's what my mother says. The good news: I think I turned out alright. Let this be a lesson to you all. If things aren't always what you'd like them to be, wait a few years. They will improve!

Not A Baby Anymore

2009-09-08T08:37:00.005-05:00

So last month Lucy turned 12. My baby is nearly a teenager. As I reflected on this event, I pulled some of my favorite photos of her through the years and decided to tell the world all the reasons I am happy to have Lucy for my daughter.

1. LOOK AT THAT FACE! Could there BE a cuter baby anywhere? From the start she has had so much expression and personality written all over her.

2. She was the perfect baby from the start. No, really. She never cried or had tantrums, even when she was hungry. She would go to anyone and she was always happy.

3. She has always been independent. She takes great pride in being able to do things on her own. Although there were times I wish she needed me a little more, I know that this is a trait that will serve her well throughout her life.

4. She is good conversation! Her teachers always commented that she was fun to talk to and very friendly. One of her teachers (2nd grade I think!) said that she enjoyed talking to her so much that she had to move Lucy's desk to the other side of the room so that Lucy could get her work done. They spent so much time talking during the day that her work wasn't always getting finished!

5. She has always had respect for her parents. She has never talked back to me or said hateful things to me, and as a mother of little girls, I know that doesn't always happen! I am very grateful for this!!

6. She is helpful. From an early age she has has been helping me do things that sometines made me have to stop and remember just how young she was. I depend on her for a lot and she always rises to the challenge.

7. She knows exactly what she wants. She has always had lots of input for exactly how she wants her birthday parties to be run, just what she wants to wear, just who she wants to play with, and just what she wants to do (or not to do!) Another word for this is STUBBORNNESS! At times this makes me crazy, but at least she has a mind of her own. I don't have to worry about her caving in to peer pressure!

8. She is the first grandchild on both sides of the family. This has given her a special and unique relationship with her grandparents. She has a great sense of family and who she is.

9. She is confident in who she is. She is an individual and doesn't feel like she needs to follow the crowd. This gives me great comfort and also is a good example for her siblings.

9. She is very talented. She has musical ability, athletic ability, artistic ability and academic ability. I know this sounds like I'm boasting, but I am genuinely proud of all the things she can do. She is good at just about everything she tries.

10. She is my friend. We have fun together and I truly enjoy her company. I am so proud of the young lady she has become and I appreciate being able to talk to her about silly things or things that matter. I know that she will be a good mother someday, and that she can be anything she wants to be.

I don't know what I did to deserve such a good daughter. I hope she always wants to talk to me and confide in me. I am proud to be her mother.

Photos I Love

2009-09-04T13:58:00.004-05:00

I was looking through my huge box of old, un-scrapped photos last night, and came across several pictures that filled me with instant and vivid memories and emotions. I thought about doing a blog post displaying all the photos, but there were too many for just one post. So I have decided to post one every week, on a Friday, and write about why I love these pictures. Here is the first installment:

My mother. Obviously I do not remember her at this time in her life - she most likely didn't even know I would be born yet. I see this picture and I can imagine her life when she was young. I can hear her singing with her sisters and practicing her viola for her orchestra performance. I can picture her joy when she heard about and accepted the Gospel and changed her life forever by joining the church. I can imagine what it was like for her to meet my dad and how he must have instantly fallen in love with her. I can see all the things she thinks she wants her life to be written on her face. This is where my family began.

A Boy and His Bear

2009-08-06T17:55:00.013-05:00

When Sam was a baby, he had a teddy bear. His name was Daddy Bear. It was very soft and squishy, and everywhere that Sammy went, Sammy went, Sammy went....everywhere that Sammy went, the bear was sure to go. (He even made his way into our photos!!)

It followed him to the park one day, which was against the rules. You can imagine our dismay when we returned home and Daddy bear had not made it back with us. Sam cried and cried for Daddy Bear, and no suitable replacement could be found. No matter how similar, how soft or how squishy the new bears were, they were just not the same.

Then one day, our wonderful neighbor Michelle came home from the Cincinnati Zoo and had found a miniature version of Daddy Bear!! Sam ran to her and hugged the new bear, and immediately named him Baby Daddy Bear. Once again, he went out into the world with his new companion always by his side.

Given that Baby Daddy Bear was a tiny little thing, he proved even harder to keep track of, and he, too, was lost. Sam asked if he went to live at the park with Daddy Bear, and we would tell him stories about Daddy and Baby Bear hiding in the trees until all the children went home from the park, and then coming out at night and having so much fun playing on the swings and going down the slides, loving the fact that they had the park all to themselves! Hannah tried to give him her bear, Skeeter, but he was pink - not good for a boy like Sam.

So he gave Skeeter back, and his mood didn't improve for a very, very long time.

So Sam learned to live without his beloved bear. Since no other stuffed animal would do, he moved on to big boy toys. Spiderman became his new favorite thing. He got so into Spiderman that he told his new teacher at church that his name was Peter Parker!!
After a while, the Watson family moved from Cincinnati to Iowa. Sam was now 3 1/2 and had long forgotten Daddy and Baby Bear, much to his mother's dismay.
Sam is now the ripe old age of 5 - super heroes and Legos are his favorite toys. He plays computer games, loves SpongeBob and can name the artist behind every song on his iTunes playlist! He plays "Eye of the Tiger" and "Livin' On a Prayer" on Guitar Hero and can whip his mom's behind at wii Tennis. Baby toys are a thing of the past. Until.............

One day as Toys-r-Us, shopping for a bday gift, we found something incredible. Something EXTRA soft, EXTRA squishy and EXTRA large! It was as if the heavens opened and a light rested upon the shelf in the middle of the store to reveal........

GRANDPA DADDY BEAR!!!

Before our eyes was an exact copy of the treasured original Daddy Bear - supersized!
The happiness of a boy and his bear being reunited was a thing of beauty. Sam was so, so happy!
Grandpa Daddy Bear is so big and fluffy and to be quite honest, Sam's mother was just as happy to see him as Sam was. Because when Sam holds that bear, he doesn't have to be big. It's ok for him to still be a little boy who loves a bear.

Now, even though he is not a baby anymore (as he quite often reminds us) he remembers his love for his very first Daddy Bear. And as long as it will last, his mother will hold onto the memory of her little boy, clutching his Daddy Bear, and his Baby Daddy Bear, and his Grandpa Daddy Bear - because he will always be that little boy, no matter how grown up he becomes.

Firm, Fit and Fabulous!

2009-08-01T10:48:00.005-05:00

Ok, so not quite - but I'm on my way! Final testing day at Farrell's this morning. After
10 weeks.....
cardio kickboxing.....
resistance bands......
diet......
5:45 am 6 days a week....
daily homework assignments....
a fair amount of murmuring and whining....
THE RESULTS ARE IN!!

Weight: 171
Body fat: 36.1 %
Chest: 38.25 in
Waist: 33 in
arm: 11.5
Thigh: 22
Hips: 41.25
push ups/min: get ready for it.......here it comes.......brace yourself........60!!!
sit ups/min: 38
Mile run: 10 min 7 sec

Now for those of you who may be thinking "Those are some big measurements - what is she bragging about?" Let's gain a little perspective. This means that I have lost 8.5 inches over all. I think that's pretty good. I'm not so happy that I only lost 4 lbs, but my body fat went down 3.5%!! And let's just take a minute to reflect on my incredible upper body strength. I went from 16 push ups to 60. SIXTY!! the big SIX-OH!! I almost didn't believe it myself.
Thank you very much. Oh stop it! You're too kind! I know - Thank you!

So what have I learned during this Summer of Fitness?

I have learned that nobody should be awake at 6 am - much less exercising at that time!
That I can live without sugar every single day.
That cutting out diet coke did not help me lose weight - so It's back in!!
That exercising like a dog does not help me lose weight - so I don't have to do it anymore.
That I still love Laura Barlow even though she made me do this, and now I'm confident that we can do hard things and still be friends. Bring on the salon!
That I can endure just about anything, but I will never run again unless my life is in danger!
That losing weight is ALL about what you eat, so I have signed up for Weight Watchers, which was very successful for me in the past.
And finally, that I can do whatever I set my mind to do - even if I don't want to do it!
Would I do it again? Um, NO! Again, all I want is to be skinny. I don't care about building all this muscle that no one can see because it's hiding behind the fat. But I do feel stronger and will appreciate even more being able to sleep in each morning!

I will not be as bold as my partner in crime Laura, and will not be posting my before and after photos. The world is still not ready to see me in a bikini! But I will be content enough with myself, knowing that I made it through a very trying summer....and may even admit that there were some fun moments (Ab ripper!!!) Private joke - LB, will you ever be able to look at me with a straight face again??

So now, I am happy to announce that Fun Julie is back!! Who wants to grab a bite to eat?

Can It Be Done?

2009-07-17T13:31:00.004-05:00

Here is my To Do List for the next 2 weeks:

This week: Practice Piano for church

Prepare talk for church

Feed the missionaries on Saturday

Start cleaning for In-laws' visit

Farrell's every day

Make wedding shower invites for a friend

Next week: Continue cleaning for In-laws' visit

Practice cello for church

Prepare lesson for Young Women

Make Visiting Teaching appts.

Make B-Day gift for Young Women

Help friend frost 200 cupcakes for wedding reception

Take the girls to tennis clinic every day

Entertain in-laws (who I love, by the way!)

Go to Nauvoo

Cheer for Hannah at her triathalon!!!

Farrell's every day - 1 WEEK TO GO!!!!

All this in addition to feeding, clothing, teaching and entertaining the children.......

ANYONE WANNA HELP????

When Life Gives You Lemons......

2009-06-30T13:24:00.009-05:00

This is Sam's 10th day alone. His sisters are in New Mexico without him, and he is very, very lonely. He got tired of being bored, and asked me if I'd like to meet his new friend. He then brought out from behind his back Mr. Lemon - which he created to keep him company until the girls return! (His original face came off because he used a pen, so I helped him re-do it with a sharpie!)

Here they are sharing a nice cold beverage together.

And playing in the doghouse.....

And watching tv....

All in all, he has learned how to make the best of a bad situation. Good job, son! Don't worry, the girls will be home soon!

p.s. the text in this post has gone all wacky and I have no idea why! Why is it underlining things and turning them blue??? And why is the spacing different between each photo? It didn't look like that in the preview. I guess I need another tutoring session from Shanna.

Success...AT LAST!!!

2009-06-27T12:57:00.003-05:00

Well, as many of you know, today was our 5 week testing at Farrell's. The big half way point. I had every intention of walking out the doors when the scale didn't move in a downward direction. ( The coaches, however had NO intention of letting me do that!!) So here are my results:

Weight: SAME!!! Not one pound lost in 5 WEEKS - ugh.

Body fat: 36.3 % - That's DOWN 3.3 % !!!!!!

Inches lost: 4.25 - 2 of which was from my waist, 2 from my hips!

Push ups: 35 - more than DOUBLE what I could do 5 weeks ago!!

Sit ups: 28 - nearly TRIPLE what I could do 5 weeks ago!!!

Mile run: 10.5 minutes - that's ONE FULL MINUTE LESS that 5 weeks ago!!!

All in all, success. The weight thing still boggles the mind, but all the trainers assure me that it's normal, especially in women. But with all the other numbers going in the right direction, I have decided to stay on for the full 10 weeks, and do so with a much better attitude! Something is working - and I will choose to believe the staff when they tell me that from this point on things will happen much faster and that the lbs should start dropping. So do I feel like Wonder Woman yet? Not quite, but I know that I'm a lot closer than I was 5 weeks ago.

p.s. I'm glad I didn't have to heat Laura's big speech that she had all prepared for me - something about "how could I commit to our salon if I couldn't commit to a 10 week gym program...?" She may have had a point!

How Do I love Thee?

2009-06-07T21:50:00.009-05:00

You are looking at the greatest tennis player of all time, my secret boyfriend, Roger Federer. Isn't he beautiful? Today he won the French Open and as I watched the emotional trophy presentation ceremony, I became a little teary-eyed, as if I knew him personally. Here are all the reasons I love Mr. Federer:

He is so smooth! Just look at this photo...yummy!
He is the most graceful player I have ever seen. He makes it all look so easy - never even breaking a sweat as he faces hours long matches.
He always keeps his cool. He never has outbursts (like McEnroe or Djokovich) and even when things aren't going his way he presses on until the tide turns in his direction.
He accepted the French Open trophy today in a speech given in both french and english, and could have thrown in some swiss-german if he wanted. Again, smooth!!
His backhand is a thing of beauty.
He is not afraid to cry. He cried when he lost Wimbeldon to Nadal. It was heartbreaking! He has cried when he has won too, including today. I cried a little too.
He is now tied with Pete Sampras for 14 major slam victories - the most of any player ever.
He has now won all 4 majors - French Open, Australian Open, U.S. Open and Wimbledon, on all surfaces. He is a machine!!
He accepts defeat with incredible dignity - always giving props to his competetors and giving them the credit they deserve.
And last but not least....HE IS BEAUTIFUL!! I will watch him play any day, in any match.

And now, I will leave you with some photos for your viewing pleasure. Ladies and Gentlemen, Roger Federer.

I'd Rather Stab Pins In My Eyeballs!

2009-06-05T15:23:00.003-05:00

So, the question I've been asked is, "How is Farrell's going?"

For those of you who don't already know, Farrell's (FXB from now on) is my 10 week exercise program that is sheer TORTURE!!

Here we are at the end of week 2, and I am desperately trying to see some results....is my butt still as dimpled? Are my arms still flabby? Do I still have boobs on my back?

And the answer is - YES to all!! No measurable progress at all! WHAT IS THE POINT?????

Here is a summary of the events of the last 2 weeks:

Fitness Testing Day nearly killed me. "Before" photos taken in a bikini, sit ups and push ups were counted, and the dreaded one mile run was timed. Weight and body fat percentage were recorded as well. My stats are as follows (and I am ONLY posting these numbers so that at the end of this hellish journey hopefully you will all be witness to the incredible progress I have made): Weight: 175.5 Body Fat: 39% Sit ups/min: ??? I think the number was around 12, but Laura and I got the giggles pretty bad, and you cannot do sit ups while laughing uncontrollably. Push ups/min: 15 Again, this number is questionable. I got down to the ground many times and collapsed. Although I got back up eventually, I don't think I did but 2 or 3 real push ups. Mile time: 11.5 min

Armed with these tragic results, we began the journey that will last for the next 10 weeks. Mon, Wed, Fri is cardio kickboxing. If you have not yet tried this, I highly suggest that you avoid it like the plague! It is hard, it makes me sweat like never before and it makes my face turn a deep reddish purple color that does not go away for hours. Highly embarrassing! (This was also the cause for our case of the giggles during the sit up test which came AFTER the mile run on testing day.)

Tues, Thurs, and Sat are resistance bands. I see these days as a break. While it is still very hard, and definately responsible for most of my soreness, at least my face remains a normal color and there is very little sweating going on. We rotate between upper and lower body on these days. Legs KILL!! Arms KILL!! I was unable to lift my arms above my head or walk up the stairs without whimpering - and still am for that matter. When does all this get easier?

Then there is the diet plan. 6 small meals a day, with equal parts of protein and carbs at each meal and all the veggies you can eat. No sugar or artificial sweetener (hence my breakup with Sonic) and 100 oz. of water every day. I feel like I'm drowning. Water makes me gag - literally. I hate it. And just as I get a bottle down, it's time for another one. UGH!

So my coaches assure me that it's normal not to lose weight right away. There are several factors that lead to this. ONE - I have gone from NEVER exercising to hard exercising 6 days a week. My body is in shock and it will take a while for it to get with the program. TWO - I have gone from drinking NO water at all to 100 oz. a day. I am retaining it until my body learns to flush it out. THREE - after a lifetime of unhealthy eating habits, my body thinks I'm trying to starve it and is storing every bit of food I put in it for fear that it won't get enough. After a couple of weeks this too will change. They have told me not to weigh myself every day (but I can't help it! I'm looking for any small drop that may come!) and that by the 5 week weigh in I will see significant changes. It takes time to adjust to all this at once. Plus, muscle weighs more than fat, BLAH, BLAH BLAH!

Here is my plan. If at 5 weeks I don't see changes that make me happy, like baggier pants, smaller numbers or smaller body parts, I will QUIT!! This is waaaaaaaaay too hard to do just for fun. When I was on Weight Watchers, I lost nearly 8 lbs in the first 2 weeks, and I wasn't exercising at all. So the plan would then be to get back on Weight Watchers and walk every night. Easier, cheaper, and probably better results.

In conclusion, I think my body is rejecting this kind of severe program, and I am more than a little upset at the lack of results. I hope that I have the power to stick to it until the end, but I'm not making any promises. I just want to be skinny for our cruise in September - and I hope I find a way to accomplish that goal!

2009-05-18T07:57:00.004-05:00

Dear Sonic,

This is the hardest letter I have ever had to write. I never thought I would have to say these words to you, but I'm afraid it's over.

There are some things I just have to say to you before I walk out of your life forever. First I want you to know that it's not you, it's me. I have to make some changes in my life right now, and I can't be dependant on you while I do that. You are the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning, and sometimes even the last think I see before I go to bed at night. Your styrofoam cups and crushed ice have become a part of me and it kills me to think about what my days will be like without you.

Your sausage breakfast bistro has been at times the only "real food" Sam has eaten during the course of the day, and I have to say that this break up will be just as hard on him as it is on me! But for the sake of our health we just have to make a clean break.

I will miss seeing Rashelle, whose smiling face appears through your window each morning, as well as all the others who know me by name and cheerfully pass me my Route 44 Diet Dr. Pepper each day, sometimes twice!

If it's ok with you, we can still have a few days together so that our parting will not seem so sudden. I'm sure that from time to time our paths will cross - you will always be my weakness and I know that I cannot live without you forever. But for now I have to do what's best for me, and that means exercise and a healthy diet. I'm sorry!

Thank you for all the hunger you have filled and the thirst you have quenched in me. I will miss you more than you know......

I Have My Mother's Hands

2009-05-10T20:36:00.005-05:00

The past few years I have noticed one alarming thing about my hands. They are beginning to look just like my mother's hands (sorry, Mom. Don't be mad. It gets better!) They have the appearance of a much older woman - loose, wrinkly skin. Old lady hands. This has bothered me, as I don't want any part of me to age, especially parts that are so visible to the rest of the world! I apply hand cream liberally each day, trying to stop the clock, but it's not working. I will never have long, lean, smooth fingers again.

Today during church, I was examining my hands and thinking about the similarities between them and my mother's hands, and instead of feeling disappointment or sadness, another feeling swept through me, and I began to cry. The feeling was gratitude. As images of all the things that my mother has used her hands to do and to teach me, I began to feel lucky that this is a trait we share.

I have seen my mother's hands help build our house and make it into a home. Her hands have cared for her children, made us dinners, cleaned our rooms, sewn our clothes, bandaged our boo-boos, and wiped our tears.

Her hands have cared for the elderly, served countless church members and neighbors, brought meals to friends, helped care for underprivileged children in another country and even helped those who have passed away be prepared for burial.

Her hands have played the viola and taught us to love music, lead choirs and clapped in accompaniment as we presented concerts and dances in the living room as children.

Her hands have taught me how to sew and crochet, and also shared these skills with my daughters. Her hands have made blankets, shawls, hats, scarves, booties, and beautiful lacy runners that have found a home in the temple.

Her hands are worn because they have spent a lifetime working and serving others. As I examine my own hands and notice the similarities, I count myself lucky to have something that reminds me of the legacy of service that my mother has given me through example. And I hope that I can live up to that legacy.

And I am grateful today to have my mother's hands.

Piano Playing Update:

2009-04-28T13:53:00.003-05:00

I'm sure you are dying to know how the piano accompanying went at Lucy's school. Well, to be honest, I ROCK!! There are only 3 songs that I have to play, as one is already recorded on the piano (good thing it's the hardest one!!). So, crisis averted, Lucy is not ashamed to call me her mother, and I may have a future as the gullible, wannabe, UNPAID volunteer Parkview Middle School chorus accompanist.

Coming soon: A new list of funny Sam stories and quotes. There is no shortage of these kinds of things to pass along, I assure you!

Kelly's latest look.

2009-04-15T17:51:00.003-05:00

Kelly decided to shave his beard. However, he did it in "stages." He went from goatee, to this, to just a mustache (the worst) and then finally a soul patch (which I really hate). Needless to say, the beard probably won't be back anytime soon.

I Love The 80's!!

2009-04-14T14:06:00.010-05:00

We have fabulous friends! We like to go out to dinner, have play dates with the kids, shop together, play sports together, START BUSINESSES TOGETHER (ie. Our super fun children's salon opening next spring...) and most of all, play games together. These photos are from our most recent game night, hosted by the Barlows. It was an 80's High School Reunion Murder Mystery party. As you can see, we all had a part to play and that meant costumes!

I was Cindy Crawfish, the class flirt. My character had fooled around with almost every man at the reunion, and Kelly's character was my current secret affair!

Kelly was Nick Nixon, Class President and Presidential Candidate! He was married to Nancy Nixon (pictured here with her "real" husband!)

Here I am with our gracious Hostess (and salon partner) Laura Barlow, Prom Queen.

Turns out that my not so secret boyfriend, Steve Spielberg the movie producer, was the victim. Here I am crying over the tragic turn of events.

Our beautiful and sassy friend Molly Ringworm, the drama queen turned Hollywood actress was the killer!

Here is "Nick" chatting it up with his bodyguard, B.A. Barricade. Too bad you can't see the awesome tattoos on the back of his head!

At the end of the night, I walked away with the prize for best costume. It was a great time for sure! This one will be hard to beat!

Holiday Jam Session

2009-04-14T13:02:00.003-05:00

Hannah is learning how to play the guitar. This Christmas when Poppy came to visit he brought his guitar and they learned some fun duets together. They practiced for a few days and then gave us a concert. It was so great for Hannah to use her new skills in a fun way!

I Can't Say No....

2009-04-13T10:47:00.002-05:00

Here is my stress of the month: I sort of accidentally volunteered to play the piano for Lucy's school chorus. Her teacher was asking me if music ran in the family, and I mentioned that I played the cello and piano. She grabbed my arm and excitedly asked me, "You play the piano??? I would love to have a real live accompanist for the chorus classes!" I should've just wished her luck with that, but the people pleaser in me blurted out, "I'd LOVE to help out! That would be fun!" That was a month ago. Now that it's time to go to the school and rehearse with them, I find myself panicking because I haven't had time to practice properly, and I don't want her teacher to wonder why on earth I volunteered!! Let me say first that I am NOT a pianist by trade. I am a pianist by ACCIDENT! Cello is my game, but nobody wants to be accompanied by a cello. So I sort of taught myself how to play the piano, and although I have gotten pretty good over the last 2 years, I still feel that I need LOTS of time to practice anything important. The mistakes of my childhood still haunt me to this day - I was, and still am, a terrible procrastinator. I always think that I"ll get to things later, and then when later comes, I CRAM! So now I'm off to practice like a mad woman and hope that by the time I have to go to the school I won't humiliate myself or even worse.....MY DAUGHTER who will have to admit that the lady pretending to play the piano is her mother!

2009-04-12T17:10:00.000-05:00

Hello fans. Here is the blog you've all been waiting for. After numerous requests, I have decided to chronicle my day to day life for your reading enjoyment! Photos and cuteness will be coming soon - as I try to learn new computer skills!