0 Thought of the day

Church News on May 23, 2009

President Hinckley said he enjoyed the words of Jenkins Lloyd Jones written in a June 12, 1973, Deseret News column (Click HERE for the entire article):

Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed.

Most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.

Life is like an old-time rail journey---delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.

2 Happy Day?

Things to cheer about:

1. My ModBe swimsuits came in the mail today! I was totally surprised since they were shipped '7-10 day mail' yesterday!
2. I purchased 8 'Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince' movie tickets for opening night, 3 weeks from today!
3. My niece Maddie will now be helping me out by playing with my girls a few mornings a week so I can get my work done in the day instead of the wee hours of the night.
4. I cleaned behind and under my fridge and stove. I've been wanting to do it for a long time now.
   

All that happiness was almost canceled out by moving Kylie out of her crib today. Nap time included much screaming and repeatedly putting her back in bed, but not much sleep (wee hours of the morning here I come). I'm having second thoughts about the transition, but now that I've started I can't go back. Plus, it has to happen soon anyway. The reason for doing it now: in July we will be camping and tripping around. I don't want to have to haul a playpen everywhere we go. Oh, in other negativeness - I killed the car 3 times on the way to get said tickets.

0 Acustical Tears

I love this station I created on Pandora. Click HERE to listen yourself.

If you didn't know: Pandora is a free music service that helps you listen to and discover new music.

0 Too smart

Last night when I took the babysitter home I found out how the girls' dinner went down. I had left the kids some frozen dinners (I never buy such things, but these were a hot coupon buy for $0.20 each so I splurged). I made the mistake of getting one chicken nugget and the other corn dog. Well, Allie polished of her chosen nuggets and then eyed down Kylie's corn dog. Turns out 'Kylie is allergic to hot dogs,' at least that's what Allie convinced Kenzie. Don't worry though, Allie might have gotten both main courses, but I'm sure that Kylie thought she was getting the better end of the stick when she got to eat both chocolate puddings. What characters.

P.S. - don't get used to all these posts. I'm sure the sun will have to come out sometime and then I'll be off my butt instead of just sitting here, letting my rear end grow.

0 ***buzz**buzz**buzz**buzz**

I interrupt this irregularly scheduled blog to bring you this nerd moment.

Click HERE for:

Harry Potter Exclusive - A Retrospective

This 9-minute trailer takes audiences back through the first 5 Harry Potter films, reviewing key plot points and ultimately building up to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

click HERE for:

Harry Potter Exclusive - Extended Trailer

This clip features Harry's plunge into the pensieve in order to explore Dumbledore's first memories of the young Tom Riddle aka Lord Voldemort.

Thank you - now go about the next 25 days waiting till the midnight release.

4 My blog’s new look

I bet you've noticed that my blog has a new look.  I followed some instructions I found on a blog through Google to make it have three columns.  I like how that turned out.  Also, I've been using a new program to make posts: Windows Live Writer.  Click HERE to read more about it and download it for free.  You do have to sign up for a live account, but it didn’t take long at all. 

Windows Live Writer lets you do all kinds of fancy things to your photos (see below for a taste) and it gives you more control over photo alignment (something that drives me crazy about blogger).  When you add a photo to your post you can do basic edits, like crop, straighten, add boarder, sepia, black-n-white, ect.  I hear that you can also create your posts offline and then have them posted when you get back online.  As you can tell from my proliferation of posts, it is fun and easy.  I highly suggest it!  (oh, all credit for finding this jewel go to my friend Julie!)

2 a batch of berries

I guess the strawberry plants are recovering because this is what i picked this afternoon.  Kylie didn’t mind that they weren’t washed yet.  She is a big fan!

  

 

1 Personality snapshots

Here are a pair of pics I took at the ward pool party last night.  {Yes, the rain held off for a few hours and it was actually almost warm enough to enjoy.}  I just thought it was interesting to see the girls’ personalities come out in each of their photos.  Yep, that’s my girls!

 

Here is another pair of pictures I took this afternoon in the backyard.  Although Allie may be a wild woman outside and in the water, she is a great helper and likes to chat up a storm.  Kylie looks innocent enough here, but that’s only when she’s not throwing a screaming tantrum.  It is so interesting to experience the difference in these two little women.

0 How my farm garden grows

Weeding and ‘hilling’ the potatoes

- corn - - tomatoes -

- squash & other vine stuff - - potatoes/onions/carrots/cucombers

- potatoes - - watermelon -

0 Recuperating home garden

After the pounding hail and relentless 2 1/2 weeks of rain, I had to replant my cherry tomato and pepper plants. The promising first crop of strawberries had to be thrown in the trash since all the fruit was bruised and battered. It does look like it is coming around. I just hope that the sun will help heal the damage enough to get a decent yield.

0 Can anyone explain…

…why the kids need ALL the toys spread out to play?

I just don’t get it.

 

- Before  - & -  After -  

0 Allie thinks she is a teenager

Ever since Allie learned that there is a shortcut to her favorite babysitters house, she has been dying to walk to her house  The rain didn’t detour Allie last weekend when she begged to get Kenzie for ‘date night’.  I tried to spy on her to make sure she found her way across the cul-de-sac and through Booklyn’s yard, but Allie kept turning around and shooing me back.  I think it offended her that I was keeping tabs on her.  Sometimes it is hard to let me baby grow up.  Here she is returning with Kenz in tow.  The entire Beutler family dote on our girls and this time Twila lent her this pink umbrella and let her pick a few things from their piano rewards (2 suckers and a lip gloss).  Needless to say, the girls this the Beutlers are pretty neat too!

0 I’m so excited

If you aren’t familiar with ModBe, click HERE right now! The have the BEST swim suits. Since we go to the lake wakeboarding multiples times most weeks all summer long (when its not raining), I’m very hard on suits. Plus I have the added problem of an extra large chest and a post-baby body. Well, not only do these suits FIT but they also last a LONG time – well worth the $$$. My 2 from last year are still in great condition, but of course I wanted a new one. Today was my lucky day since ModBe is selling them on their webpage for $25/top for 24 hours leading up to their new denim release. I totally jumped on the chance to get them at almost half price. Here’s what will be in my mail box in 7-10 days:

Zebra Lace-up (last year’s model that I have it in green/brown) and Pink Knot Top (new this season)

My sister Abby ordered the pink tapestry ruffle front and my neighbor Hanne ordered the green tapestry halter

We ordered all 4 swim tops together so that we could split shipping. Today the swim tops on a wicked sale, but the bottoms are not. In fact a pair of bottoms cost slightly more that the top today, so we only ordered the tops. We all have bottoms from other ModBe suits (very interchangeable), but if you don’t, you could buy cheap bottoms in a solid color just about anywhere. It is the top that is critical; cover, support, and look oh-so-cute. These suits are so worth it. I paid nearly $100 a set (top, bottom, & skirt) for each of my first 2 and I never regretted it. If you know me, I have terrible buyer’s remorse so this is saying something. Now if that rain will just STOP, preferably before the ward pool party tonight.

UPDATE: I hate to tell you this sale ended tonight at 10pm. I hope you were able to take advantage. Not as exciting, but I did hear that the yoga pants are on sale for the next 24 hours. They look comfy, but I'd want to try them on for $18 since you can't exchange/return them. I guess its something different each day leading up to their denim release on July 2. Click HERE to see what the hot deal today it.

0 A long day

Is this how you feel at the end of a summer day?

9 My husband bought me a HOT new car

Nate has been obsessed with finding me a 'cheap little run around car' for months now that I go in to town to grocery shop so often. He's spent countless hours on www.ksl.com looking. We crunched the numbers a million times and I tried to show him how paying license, registration, insurance, and standard upkeep on another vehicle will more than negate any gas savings. And there is always the chance, no given need for repairs. Ever time we ended the argument the same way, mad. Well a few weeks ago, while I was out of town none the less, Nate made a move without my blessing. He thought I'd be happy with this $20 purchase that was destine for the scrap metal recycling yard. After all he could have spent $2500 on this other Subaru hatchback that doesn't run.

Here were my requirements:

• Runs: NOPE!!! needs a head gasket
• Automatic: NOPE!!! it is a STICK-SHIFT
• Kid friendly: NOPE!!! it is a TWO DOOR
• Air conditioning: Check

Well, that's 1 out of 4.

I finally decided to change my strategy. Logic and numbers haven't worked, so I'm trying the 'collect physical evidence' route. Since the car is here to stay (Nate replaced the head gasket...repair #1 = $200), temporarily at least, I'm going to embrace it. I spent all Saturday afternoon cleaning the filthy thing. YUCK! I then made it live-able by purchasing seat covers, air fresheners, and floor mats...which came to about double the cost of the car. SAD!

So far, in just over a week, I've put nearly 250 miles on it and feel somewhat able to shift. I hardly ever kill it! Nate did not like the seat covers. Too bad I say. I almost wish I'd taken a 'before' picture, but it might have grossed you out.

Last night Nate was complaining about free DTV reception to a friend and grumping about me getting ride of his cable. Very funny! He didn't like my pointing out that if I have to give something up to 'save money' then he should too?

Grocery shopping in the Turcel is a bit challenging. Here it is packed from my Wednesday morning 6am run. I spent $120 and was able to get all 3 heaping cart fulls of groceries (including 90 boxes of cereal) in the back despite the bagger/helper's doubts. I don't want this to turn into Sarah's shopping blog but I can't resist telling you that I saved $553 off Albertson's retail price that morning (I paid only 17% of the pre-coupon/promo total & I got steaks and produce, ect with all that cereal). It does feel good to be making some real progress in building my food storage. I was ready to cut back my food budget this week, but the cereal sale was too good to pass up. I'll start next week. Hey, maybe if I save enough on groceries Nate will let me drive my SUV again?



Note:
Nate decided we could take the TrailBlazer to church today, and can I just say how comfy and quiet it is. I miss my SUV.

1 FHE - Bowling

Since Nate's been rained out of so many jobs this week, we've been doing more family things past few weeks...well, non-boating family things. I can't get over that June is half over and we haven't been wakeboarding once yet. This is SO unusual.

On Monday night we took the girls bowling, something Allie's been begging to do again since we went with the Sorensens. Well, I think she like the social factor more than the sport. This time it was just us four and she didn't really seem to like it all that much. Checking out the restroom and switching ball colors made this one of the longest games I've ever bowled. Kylie was more interested in watching/catching the balls coming out of the return machine that pushing them down the lane. I didn't get many picture becasue halfway through they turned on teh stupid 'cosmic bowling' lights. They drive Nare crazy and make photos near impossible. I think we are going to wait till the girls are a bit older before we try it again.

1 Rain, rain, go AWAY!

So, we are on day FOURTEEN of rain. That may be normal for say FORKS WASHINGTON, but not Smithfield Utah. We've long since surpassed our monthly 'normal' rain fall and the month is not yet half over. Our poor lawn is being taken over by mushrooms. I live in fear that one of my girls with taste them. YUCK!

0 My current station

Our cat, Marble, is loving us having two laptops almost as much as Nate. She likes to curl up between the two since they both put off so much heat.

Between work and prep'ing for coupon shopping (see my coupon binder in green), I spend a LOT of time here. I have a desk downstairs, but I unpacked my new laptop on the table last month and haven't moved yet. The table is set in the dinning room bay window, so I have 180 degree visual range on the backyard. Plus, Nate sits across from me most nights as he does his books and enjoys surfing on his own computer.

3 Hula Hoop

Allie and her buddy 'Lou'
came in the other day
to show me how they can do the "Who-A-Who".

2 3 hits and a miss

Here are a few flicks I've seen recently. Have you seen these or any others lately? We've lined up a sitter for this weekend and have 1 more set of free passes. Any suggestions???

Family Fun: "UP" 4.5 stars

This was a fun film but not at all what I expected. I love that the previews didn't give the plot away! I admit I teared up a few times. There were some heavy topic touched on that really pulled at my heart strings. And of course it was silly and funny, too. Allie liked it, but I think I enjoyed it even more. We saw the 2D version, but I'd like to see it in 3D now.












Girls' Night Out: "17 Again" 4.5 stars

Now I really enjoyed this one! It surprised me since it was a cheesee chic flick. One problem: it made me feel OLD every time I looked at the young hero, Zac. I could see he was good looking, but I had a hard time relating since I'm nearly double his age. It was so weird, like a paradigm shift. I highly suggest it!











Date night: "Star Trek" 4.5 stars

I don't claim to be a hard core trek-e, but I did grow up watching the original TV series & movies so I really enjoyed this one. I laughed out loud when I quoted a few lines before they spoke them. Lots of laughs!











Disapointment: "MALL COP" 2.5 stars

Nate & I love Kevin James, especially in his TV show 'King of Queens', but this was not his best work and the plot was terrible. If you've seen the preview, you've seen the best parts. Mostly it was lame in between. We were fooled by how LONG it stayed in the expensive theater. Good think we only paid to see it at the $2 theater, and the afternoon show at that.









...and on the topic of movies: just 36 days till the next installment of Harry Potter comes out. If any one wants to join us at the midnight premierof 'Half Blood Prince' on Tuesday, July 14th let me know. Its almost time to buy tickets!