Say Cheese!

Snow Day???

Today is a snow day in Missoula. November 23rd. One day before Thanksgiving Break and we get a snow day. I think we got about a foot of snow but it's below freezing outside and blowing. Unsafe for anyone to be outside or drive.

The last time I remember a snow day was when Emily had just turned one. I remember the whole town was basically closed. We had gotten so much snow that year. I know this is the first Snow Day our kids have ever had at school but not sure when the last one was in Missoula. It doesn't happen often. If anything we have a two hour delay but not a school cancelling.

Even though it is so cold outside I'm sure the kids would love to go sled and play outside. Poor Benjamin had that "third nipple" removed yesterday. His birthmark/mole removed on his chest area yesterday and has 8 stitches. He needs to keep it easy. He is not allowed to run or jump around. He needs to keep it easy. Did I mention for the next 10 days?? How do you keep a 7 yr old boy down? For 10 days? Any ideas?

The Best Show You've Never Watched

Friday Night Lights is an amazing show. As we get closer and closer to being caught up and it being over I am so sad. Like I want to cry sad. Literally. How sad is that?

Dan and I were talking about it yesterday and it just seems the show never got a fair chance. Who puts a show on Friday nights? I remember years ago seeing the commercials and thinking that looks like a pretty good show but who is ever really sitting in front of the tv Friday nights? As Dan said he read somewhere "You either love it or you never watched it." Dan loves it - it reaches guys with the football thing, I think especially if you ever played before. It's like watching Kenny Chesney's The Boys of Fall video for an hour. It pumps you up, gets you feeling like you are in that locker room. I love it because of the relationships and the football. Coach Taylor and Tammy have a pretty good marriage that they work at every day but at the end of the day they know other has their back. Emily loves it because of the high school part of it. She gets to see lots of ways to not act in high school and some ways to act. She gets to see first loves and mean girls.

Just not sure what is going to happen soon. Sorry to see them all go. If you get a chance, sit down and watch an episode. You'll be hooked!

The Picture That Got Away

Dan and I recently found the tv show Friday Night Lights. Have you seen it before? Oh my it is amazing. I remember when it was on NBC a few years back. On a Friday night, was never really around to catch it. Well ABC family brought it back and we started DVRing every episode. We were hooked. Emily too. Well then ABC Family decidedto stop showing it. What the heck? We were into the second season! We found that season available for rent at Hastings but then they had no other ones, there is still two more seasons. Well all is good in the world, found them at Crazy Mikes video.

Anyway back to the reason for this post (again in less than a week!!!) there is a relationship in that show with the QB2, Matt Saracen, and his Grandma. They have a great, amazing relationship - always reminds me of my Grandma. Hard to believe it's been 5 years now. And still hard to believe that my Grandma actually aged and died. Still so hard.

In the episode we watched last night they showed Matt helping his Grandma walk. He just had his hand on her back and it was so sweet. Reminded me of the last time I was with my Grandma. They had moved her out of her house. And she was living in a little place with others around. Not assisted living. Yet. But a cute little apartment. Benjamin and I were in Erie and you know I can't remember why? Maybe my uncle's funeral? Anyway we went to hang out with her and the three of us went for a walk around her place - the place was built right off the shore of Lake Erie. It was a beautiful walk. I remember I was holding my little guys hand, I think he was three and I was holding my sweet Grandma's hand - keeping her steady and upright. I always wished someone was there to take a picture of that. From behind. My hands locked in place with Benjamin's and Grandmas. Three generations. When I picture that picture it makes me all warm and cozy.

There is one more picture I always wish I had too but I think I have blogged about this before - way back in the beginning. Dan's Grandma and Grandpa holding hands. They were the sweetest little couple and oh how they loved each other. Holding hands for over 70 years - what a testimony to love. When Grandpa passed away a few years ago that was what made me so sad. We didn't get that picture of their sweet little bodies walking in front of us - with their hands interlocked. Would have been something for generations to come. Especially with divorce becoming more and more prevalent - could have given our kids, grand kids, heck great grand kids something to see. That love and marriage can prevail for years. Over seventy years.

Makes me sad the pictures that are only in my head. The pictures that got away.

Emily Made Me Do It!

Emily started a blog a few weeks back - www.thatonegirlthatsme.blogspot.com I have enjoyed reading it and it has made me want to blog again. I want to scrapbook again too but that is for another time. Hey! Maybe during my winter break when I have almost all of January off!

Since I started talking about Emily and am doing this again because of her I thought, hey, what the heck, I'll tell some Emily stories.

A few days ago the song "I loved her first" came on the radio and Emily was like "I want this song played at my wedding" and all I did was say 'oh I know, it's gonna be" and she looked at me and went off and said I am not allowed to be planning her wedding now or ever! I wanted a evening wedding on a brisk November evening. My three attendants were going to wear Emerald, Garnet and Sapphire velvet dresses. I have told her I would love for her to have that wedding - the wedding I never got. Is that so wrong?? She says I am not planning her wedding. I am not allowed to have anything to do with the day. I explained to her I am sure she will change her mind. Won't she???

Another funny Emily story? Hmmmm...high school has been interesting. The stories she tells me that she sees or hears scare me half to death but then I remember being in high school too and things haven't changed much. I guess just that I am the mom now - the one worrying about these crazy kids.

My new thing to do is scream "MAKE GOOD CHOICES" when we drop her off anywhere. We dropped her off at a LDS Church Halloween party. I shouted my usual. And she screamed back, as she walking in the door, "I'M GONNA MAKE OUT WITH A NICE MORMON BOY IN THE CORNER. THEY KISS SO NICE." Ugh! What am I gonna do with her? She was very excited about this dance though. After going to her first high school dance and seeing all the kids grinding she was not very fond of the dance. The Mormon dance had rules - girls had to cover most parts of their bodies and she said the dancing was so fun, cause they danced!

She is a good kid and making good choices everyday - at least I think. She may have us fooled!

Emily is a Freshman??

Last night Emily was promoted to high school. No more middle school for her. She looked so beautiful. Kris did up her hair. She got her eyebrows waxed for the first time. Heels. A pretty dress
I picked out even. She looked gorgeous and so grown up. She is turning into a beautiful lady - inside and out.

After their ceremony they have an 8th grade dance. I picked her up from their last night and I don't quite think she realized how emotional she would be. Hugging all these friends goodbye that won't be going to Sentinel. It was hard to watch for this Mom. I'm sentimental too. I think she may have been tiny, weeny bit sad to leave the school. That was HER school for the last 3 years.

Emily earned the Presidential Academic Excellence Award last night. Not many in their class did. It's a big deal. I hope she realizes how smart she really is, how the world is open to her and her good ideas and how she can really do something with her life. I wish her so much...

A Sign From God??

So anyone that knows me knows that I struggle with my weight - daily. I don't want to be in this body and just accept me as me but then I don't always do a lot to change it either. I think about it ALL THE TIME.

Last fall I started walking daily. A few miles a day. Up hills and such. It felt so good. It was my release. I also was able to try the HCG diet for free. I did it and lost like 15 pounds in three weeks. My body changed. It was weird. It really did. I had some clothes I hadn't worn in years fit again. It was wonderful.

Then we moved and it was the holidays. Kind of fell of the wagon and in January jumped back on. Was working out at the YMCA 6x a week. Felt good. Things were shifting again and all was good in the world. Then I started that stupid job at the hotel and it totally threw me out of whack. I was tired all the time. Stopped working out. Stopped eating well. I have tried and tried and can't seem to get back on that band wagon. I am frustrated with myself and I feel my body shifting again - this time for the worse. The weather here is not helping. It's June 6th and swimming suit season or shorts are far from my mind with this 60 degree rainy weather.

Again, I think about this ALL THE TIME. Every day I want to start back up but then feel bad about myself and my mind starts playing tricks with me. Well, in the last two weeks I have had 3 different people say "God you look great". "Have you been losing weight?". How am I supposed to take this??? I've gained. I look like a freakin blob. I don't look good or feel good. But then I think is this a sign from God to motivate me???? Thinks that make you hmmmmmmm