Wrong shoes

I feel that there comes a time in everyones life where they eat crow and just have to apologize for their behavior. Yesterday....I actually did apologize to my family. This is how it all started (duh, dunt, duh)....I was at work, called home and specifically asked John to make sure this kids were dressed, hair combed, correct shoes (this was meant for Bryan), teeth brushed so we didn't look like neglectful parents on our family outing. Our intention was to go SCHOOL SHOPPING!! I know I made a point of the shoes because usually we have Bryan showing up with cowboy boots and shorts, or pink dora crocks and his sunday best. One time he was dressed up and had on spiderman slippers!! I don't know why Bryan just seems to be forgotten in the shoe arena. Anyhow, John picked me up, he forgot the gift card to Walmart, so we went to Sams for dog food. No school shopping, but we did need to stock up on stuff from Sam's. We get out of the car, walking in the parking lot and I notice that Bryan has on 2 totally different sizes and colors of flip flops. One was brown, was too small and the other was too big and camo! I made a big deal reminding John and everyone else that we need to pay more attention to Bryans shoe problem. This little guy just wears whatever is available. I had to throw the too small snow boots out because he would wear them down to the ditch to swim. Anyway, we all laughed, I was a little embarassed, but John reminded me that Bryan was happy and everyone was getting along. Now lets flash forward oh...about 4 hours. John wanted to go to the grocery store for milk and other stuff, I was tired, and so I slipped on my cute sage green mules, and headed out the door. We pulled up to the store, got out and stood in line for about 20 min trying to return the redbox, did that, now onto the store. I was walking and then had to wait for John to catch up when my foot itched. I noticed my sage green mule felt a little different, when I looked down and saw my dark brown penny loafer!! I could have sworn I put on my green shoes!! I then looked at my other shoe and would you believe it....my sage green mule!! I had two totally different shoes on!! I started to laugh, John caught up and asked what was so funny. I told him that I needed to apologize for Bryans shoes earlier because (here is where I point down to my shoes) I too am wearing the wrong shoes. He laughed and said that he now knows where Bryan gets his shoe problem. If you know me at all I do have a shoe fettish. I can no longer fit shoes in my closet. I do have room under my bed though. I will reinact the shoe problem and post a picture so you can get the full effect. I do want to make clear that today I am wearing the same shoes :)

Anticipation of school

I know that it must seem a bit weird to others, but I cannot wait till school is in!! I am counting down the days. What this means for me is no kids calling me at work asking for candy or sweets. No more children calling to see if they can watch a netflix movie. No more children sitting around waiting to finish their chores until 4:30 when I should be arriving at home from work. No more kids going through 3 different towels (I have 4 kids...add how many towels) each day that are wet and dropped on the floor. No more fighting, no more teenager getting upset because she couldn't sleep in even though it was here choice to stay up reading until the wee hours or morn. No more "can I go to so and so's house". I am looking forward to the orginazation, cleanliness, orderliness, rest, sleep, and peace we seem to have when school is in session. We say our daily prayers, scriptures, and daily thought. I am looking forward to studying, parent teacher conference, school plays, school lunch, teacher gifts, emails, powerschool, buses, backpacks, and all the cool things that come with kids being in school. Most of all, which is weird out of all those things....I look forward to children getting ready for bed at 7:30 so John and I can spend some time alone without children! Someone is always up during the summer. I hate it. During school....everyone is scheduled and in bed at 8:00!!

The cheesecake and avacado egg roll appetizer. I had the chichen madera for lunch. Holy crumb it was sooooo good!

I'm ashamed to admit that I did in fact buy the watermelon, we did go to the Jefferson County fireworks, and yep we had the hamburgers. However, I did not buy t-shirts or make potato salad! To admit, I really had Howard Jones on my mind. My little brother, Blake texted me to let me know that he bought HoJo tickets!! Now I will admit this because I am adult enough to realize that everyone has some closet obsession. I am a closet Howard Jones groupie. I love his music, love his concerts, and if I lived in London my kids would take piano from him...no matter what the cost!! The 4th shouldn't have taken a "back seat" but it did. I was ready to go Friday night, rode to SLC with my older brother who went with us! I stayed the night at my moms house, slept in, watched my nephews, swam at the pool, went to lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, and went to the concert!! We were third in line WHOOT WHOOT. My awesome brothers got the best seats in the house WHOOT WHOOT! First order of business was buying the coveted concert t-shirt. Now in reality where in the heck would I wear a concert t-shirt? I have been known to wear it to church (that was the last HoJo concert). I work full time, I go home get into my PJ's and usually just stay there. I'm not going to wear it in the garden, it might get dirty. I would not wear it to a "church function" (Sunday church is different). I will fold it up, put it in my closet and keep it there. Anyway......I bought the t-shirt went into the bathroom and changed before you could blink. We sat down, had dinner and then the miracle of July 9th started!! (I still get giddy in my tummy). As the concert proceeded the girls behind us were a little, okay, well on their way to intoxication. They were talking about rushing the stage. I was not intoxicated, but Clint told me that if I didn't do it, it would be something I would regret it the rest of my life. I sat for a few songs and then it happened. I realized that I would indeed regret this, I would sit back and ponder the concert and wish that I had "rushed the stage". In that moment of a haze I turned around told the ladies behind me "come on, we're going up"! I don't know what happened but a huge smile appeared and I was grooving to the music leading the ladies like the pied piper of HoJo!! We passed all the duds in their seats, sitting down and started to dance right in front of the stage :0 I turned around, waved my arms at my bros. and danced until the song ended. I can truly say that Howard was so happy, he looked right into my eyes and I could tell at that moment we had a connection. After the song was over, he took an intermission. I ran back to my bros and jumped for joy as I realized that I didn't sit back and let someone else "lead the group". It was me, all on my own, I decide to get off my butt and do it. Now I can go really deep, but I realized that I didn't need to be intoxicated, no one else knew who I was and lots of people were smiling when we came back to our seats. Maybe, just maybe I inspired some other woman in the crowd to get off her duff and do something. I know I'm more motivated to get off the duff and do more, do something, want more, do more. Thank you HoJo, I would not have come to this realization had it not been for you.

Ponderings

I don't know why, but this year the 4th of July just seems like a dud. We haven't done the annual firework trip to Wyoming. I haven't bought the watermelon, doesn't everyone have watermelon on the 4th. I don't have the hamburger thawed for the BBQ, I haven't gone to the store to buy chips, drinks, stuff for homemade potato salad. I don't even have lemonade for a cool refreshing drink. I don't have sunscreen, my knees can attest to that (they are fried from mowing the lawn)! I haven't even taken out the decorations (I still have Easter up....shhh). No flags, no sparklers, no t-shirts from Old Navy, doesn't everyone get their $5 shirt there? Then I sit and ponder that the 4th is not about all of these things. I think this year we are going to pull out the free booklet that has the Declaration of Independece, Bill of Rights and the documents that continue to make our country the best in the world! I think this year I will make a turkey and stuffing, kinda like Thanksgiving and teach my children how blessed they are to live in a country that allows our freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to bear arms! I think I'll go buy a box of ammo and set up a target in the pasture, just because I can!! I think I will write on a piece of cardboard box and stake it in the front yard with a message about freedom, just because I can!! Forget the darn t-shirt, sparklers, fireworks, pop and chips. This year we will let freedom ring by doing what we want to do, because we can, within the limits of the law. Maybe we will get all the books we don't want and take them to the county jail and donate them. I have learned that there is a library in the county jail. Books are allowed to come in from friends and family, but once there, they stay. I am sure you can realize that there aren't a lot of books in the library. In our county jail, there is no TV. Can you imagine sitting in a cell for 23 hours without anything to do but read, write letters, and sleep. I need to clean out the bookshelf anyway. This year we're going to stay at home, protect it, take care of it, thank the Lord we have it, and we will enjoy every minute of it. I still might make the potato salad though!! Enjoy your 4th of July and don't let the stuff take over why we really are celebrating the 4th.