Expecting great things (and people)

We are getting ready to have Kristen, Eric, and Camie come for a month!  Yahooey!  We've cleaned the carpets, made a bedroom downstairs, and are trying to de-junk some (isn't it amazing).

I'm glad we'll all be together for Christmas.  We'll get family pictures.  Kristen, you choose the colors because your wardrobe is probably the most limited.

We just went to Sheena's band concert.  She has a couple of other good friends who are flutists.  We all met at the Arctic Circle afterwards for a treat.  She and her buddies were having a good ole' time.  I'll see if I can upload some of the concert on here or facebook sometime.

By the way, Big J's had a fire in the back of it one early Sunday morning.  It's been closed for months, and will be for months.  WE MISS IT!  I guess we could go to Richmond if we had to.

Tomorrow is the Utah/BYU football game.  The 'Steaders are coming over at four to watch the game with us.  Ya'all want to come?!? They're bringing hamburger buns and TRIFLE, we'll supply hamburgers and homemade oven fries (from our garden potatoes).  My mouth is watering, and I'm full!

Its been a privilege to go visiting teaching this month.  I've gotten to choose the message from the conference report.  I taped the talks and have listened to them  several times.  The Brethren want us to learn to share, be happy no matter what happens, and be ready for change.  Its very sobering.  I'm glad to be simplifying life, like they suggested.  I gave Elder Perry's talk on simplifying life.

Well, that's it for now.  Oh, yea, Dad and I got a new select air comfort bed.  We each can choose the number for firmness or softness.  This is our second night in it.  I really liked it our first.

Love ya all,

Mom (Susan)

A Bit More

That list was just a fourth of it.  Let's see--clorox our sonicare toothbrushes, mop the kitchen floor, wash and hem up the living room curtains; wash the windows in and out; wash the window screens, paint the house (does your paint ever go white-ish chalky?); paint the swing set that I took apart to do so; go to the temple with my friends in the day; paint the playhouse (that one's been in the works for 15 years); copy off all the family videos from the vhs-c's  our videocam uses; sit and read a book; figure out computer family history, ETC.  

Yea for a full and busy life.  This morning I was going to get 40 pounds of fresh boneless, skinless chicken breast to bottle, but (luckily?) they were sold out--they sold 100 forty pound boxes in a matter of seconds.  I was feeling very tired, so I took a 5 hour nap.  Now on to budget and bills!

Love,

Me

Oh, yes!  I DO have a blog, don't I.

I have lots to catch up on:  bibs for Camie, sewing for Kallie and Sheena, finding out what to update in all my cubbies Cub Scout books, doing something with 3 boxes of apples, doing something with 6 big buckets of plums, cleaning up my papers, cleaning up the basement, getting some more levis from storage that fit Kallie, finding snow pants and a thin coat for Sheen at the DI, downloading photos from my camera and cell phone, finding rechargeable lithiums for my new Nikon camera, mopping the kitchen, cleaning out the fridge, cleaning out the upstairs freezer, cleaning out the downstairs freezer, counting and organizing the food storage room, weeding my flower beds (it's been 3 years since I did!), being a better neighbor, vacuuming the van, teaching Spanish to the girls, teaching Kallie how to crochet, hanging out with my girls, hanging out with my man, figuring out how to modulate between 3 primary songs for the choir, finding the folder with the college girls' addresses to turn into the RS because I'm not getting letters written to them monthly (Feb was the last), weekly cub scout meetings, practicing the organ for church, wanting to paint or draw pictures, wanting to write personal history stories, wanting to write Ensign/New Era articles, wanting to make poetry and games for the Friend, wanting to SING (think Monty Python), wanting to clean out the sewing room so I can get my MAC computer and do all my photos--especially a Grandma Myrt CD, getting ready for the 3rd batch of kitties this summer (now that snow's on the ground), and lots more.

IT'S A GOOD THING THAT WE JUST FOLLOW THE SPIRIT AND WE ACCOMPLISH WHAT REALLY NEEDS TO GET DONE, HUH.  : )

Love,

Me

A, B, C's of ME!!

A, B, C's of ME!!

A- Attached or Single? Wonderfully married to an amazing match

B-Best Friend? My Man
C-Cake or pie? Cake--spice with penuche frosting or Score cake.
D-Day of choice? Monday--FHE!
E-Essential Item? frige
F-Favorite color? baby blue
G-Gummy bears or worms? bears--cinnamon
H-Home town? Pleasant Grove, UT
I-Favorite indulgence? Soaking in the tub with a book and a banana split.
J-January or July? July--summer, warm
K-Kids? 6+a little
L-Life isn't complete without? The Church
M-Marriage date? 1983
N-Number of brothers and sisters? 4 brothers, 1 sister
O-Oranges or Apples?  Oranges
P-Phobias?  Someone will throw away my things
Q-Quote? All the scriptures
R-Reasons to smile?  I remember enough to survive each day
S-Season of choice? Spring, although it's one day long here
T-Tag 3 people: Lauralee, Sista, Stephanie
U-Unknown fact about me? I lost 40 pounds in 6 months at age 23
V-Vegetable?  Homegrown tomatoes (I know, it's a fruit)

W-Worst habit? Need to finish what I start
X-Xray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound
Y-Your favorite food? Pizza (and cold for breakfast)
Z-Zodiac sign: Sag

NYC

I've just come back from NEW YORK CITY.  

I'll tell you more later.  It's past my bedtime.

Suz

Saturday

Dad worked 1/2 day. We cleaned inside & laundried, then finished planting corn, carrots, and pumpkins in the garden. 20 potatoes are coming up, and the faithful zucchini is up already. I think the tomatoes want a little less water than they've been getting.

What was funnest was playing badminton baseball with Kallie and Sheena, then badminton with Dad, Kallie & Sheena in our gorgeous green backyard. The rain makes everyone's yards look great. We're all getting better and better at badminton.

Then we lied down on the lawn, and then came in for "Dumb and Dumber." (Well, actually I went to the meetinghouse to practice the organ.)

I told Dad today that we needed to go to the temple. He looked at me with a pained expression. That was because we've already gone twice in 4 days. Linda Hollingsworth was sealed to her deceased husband Tuesday, then last night Barbara Weyerman was sealed to her husband. It's too bad we couldn't go to Bethany's endowment last Saturday, but the Andersen reunion was on.

Ben comes home from his mission Monday morning. Sheena, Kallie & I may go down tomorrow pm and sleep overnight at Gladene's. Ben comes in on the plane early. We'll probably sleep over again Friday night, because Bethany's sealing is at 8:20am, and we're supposed to be there at 7:50am!

Shadow's kitties are getting bigger. Whitey was given away last week. Blackie and Tiger need to go SOON.

The Mary Kay lady was having 40% off everything, so Lauralee, Stephanie, and I made orders. If you want to check out the site, Sista, it's http://www.marykay.com/lindseymsmith .

Guess that's it. The house is clean, the laundry is all put away, we're fasting, and I need to hit the sack (or the Man).

Love,

Mom

Hello People,

How's it going? Today it rained cats and dogs (at least 3 cats in our yard). I think we live in a rain forest now--it's been raining off and on--mostly on--for weeks.

I hope the seeds in our garden grow instead of mold.

Tonight Kallie and I went to help a friend with a crocheting project. She has 7 sons. The boys were asking me if I went to school with her. Actually I was married with a baby when I met her. She was 7. I taught her 4-H crocheting when she was 9, and I had two babies.

School has been out for 5 days now and my friend is going stir crazy. She asked me if I wanted to take some boys home. I told the second oldest he could come home with us, but he didn't get the kitchen cleaned up in time. Kallie wanted to bring the baby home, but his mommy would miss him too much. I offered to take another one and his mom said, "No, he's the best one--you can't take him!"

They have 2 cute little puppies. I love feel their fat little ears.

We saw Camie Cutie and Kristen on AIM today. Camie was smiling like wacko at her mommy. Kallie and Sheena kept saying how cute! Stephanie and Lauralee--download AIM and see them! http://www.aim.com/get_aim/win/latest_win.adp and click "Install Now."

The 'Steaders left on their mission to Cody, Wyoming, today. We went up last night and helped load their car, get tubing for Duane, and bring home a couple of fridge things that won't last 4 months in their fridge. I hope we can go to Yellowstone and then visit them in Cody sometime before the end of September. Do you want to go there, Kristen and Eric? Lauralee works, too bad! Stephanie, do you want to go, depending on work of course?

We're making 14 more 2-cups things of strawberries into jam. Sheena was watching "The Sound of Music" while she was doing it; Kallie and her friend were downstairs watching "High School Musical II" while they were supposed to be doing it. Dad went home teaching tonight.

That's it.

Love,

Mom

The Beginning

Hey, it's my first!

We just finished up four crazy days with 32 people in the same house (at the Homestead). A couple of times the noise drove me crazy. We had fun times, too. "Singles Ward II" was good. Shopping with the women was good. The devotional meeting with Mom and Dad getting a blessing from their sons and sons-in-law was very sweet and full of love.

It was fun to see what each family fixed for their meal. Good stuff.

But it's so nicely quiet now at home. Back to the grind. Now what to do with the girls for summertime, and figuring out the next cub scouts.

Linda Hollingsworth gets sealed to her deceased husband tomorrow, and Barbra Weyerman and her husband go through and get sealed on Friday. We're invited to both.

Love,

Me