Update

Wow. It has been a while since I posted. It has been crazy busy around our house and I have just let this slide. Football season was a seemingly unending adventure. We had something every single Friday night as well as several Saturdays. And let me tell you - working a consession stand on Friday nights will wear you out for the rest of the weekend. But, I'll do it all again next season because all that work translates into money for the band. And as wonderful as the band has been for Evan, I'll do whatever they need. Which brings me to this weekend. This weekend we have a Queen of Hearts pageant for the middle school girls. 34 girls - grades 6 thru 8. It's a pretty good fundraiser for us, but man, is it work. Last weekend I spent all day Saturday making sure the band room was clean because that is the staging area for the girls. This weekend, I'll spend Friday night cleaning the classroom we will use for a hospitality room for the parents/kids that will be working the pageant. Saturday, I'll be running the hospitality room. Mom and I are cooking so the workers will actually have some protien and not be running on a cookie/cake/chip high.

What shocked me about this pageant is Evan. Yeah, I'm requiring him to work it. But he's doing it with a smile. Last weekend he helped with the stage artwork. I've scratched out a face and a shirt... I don't know those people that well, so I don't want to put anything identifiable... anyway... Evan helped sketch the poster and even directed the older kids on how to draw what they wanted. He spent his whole Saturday working on this and went back after school Monday to help finish.

But for the night of the pageant he is going to usher - get the ticket holders to their seats. And this is how he MAY look...with an adjustment to the tie. And possibly a smile.  He has another suit and I picked up a bow tie today (black with red guitars) so he may wear that... but I'm not sure. I'll leave it up to him. I'm just glad he's vountarily dressing in a suit.

PS - today is our 20 year anniversary. And we are still alive. And not in jail.

Oh, you stupid, stupid human

This is Daphne. This is my favorite sewing machine. At least, it used to be my sewing machine. Daphne has decided that it is now her throne. Woe be unto the stupid human that tries to remove her.  I think I'll blame my lack of sewing on her decision to take over this space. At least for now. Brat.

Summer!

Well, Summer is officially here. How do I know? It's the beginning of The Messy Game Extravaganza!

Wednesday nights before Youth the kids get together and play games that involve horrible messes and gross requirements. The first picture is Evan playing the game "how long can I hold Alka Seltzer in my mouth before it spews out" game. Once they start adding water? Not long! In the second picture you see his "big sister"* holding him for revenge. See, they played a game where he had to shoot water into her mouth, she had to spit it into a cup. First team to fill the cup wins. Well, let's just say Evan could work on his aim! She held him tight while someone else soaked him down. He came home wet with streaks of chocolate syrup on his shirt. I didn't even ask about the chocolate!

*Big sis - this amazing young lady was 4 years old when we moved into the neighborhood. She is graduating high school this year and we are going to miss her so much next year!

“Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others.... By and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves.” ― Gordon B. Hinckley

Thought for the Day

Sometimes, life really can be about just about making a choice. A choice to be happy, a choice to take the high road, a choice to make things better for others around you. I don't always make the right choice, but I'm learning that when I do, when I take the time to make a conscious decision, things are easier. Less stressful. Happier. I'm not saying that things always go my way. Things come up that are completely out of my control. But I'm trying. And so far, it seems to be working.

I saw this the other day and it really hit home with me!

What's up???

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I took a couple of extra days off and spent some time with Evan.  I was extremely lazy. After dinner at my parents' house on Thursday I didn't leave my house. 3 whole days of living in jammies. I did do some much needed house work, but other than that it was football and craft time. I started a project Sunday - one for all the kids in the family. Grinch pillowcases with their names on them. I ordered the material to make a quilt...but I haven't gotten around to it. So 6 pillowcases it shall be. I have finished 2... only 4 more to go!