GO TO MEGAN's BLOG

You can see the video of Josh opening his call...AND you can see what an amazing daughter I have....

The day has finally arrived...it's wierd, it's like it's NOT REAL...but somewhere in the sky right now is MY BOY on his way HOME....and I will sleep tonight with EVERY child under our roof...I may not be able to sleep...I'll just bask in the feeling of it.

KENYA, Nairobi MISSION

It's really true. Josh leaves Nov. 5th for the Mission Training Center in Johannesburg South Africa. Nwe ow, I know you think I opened it by myself, but had I, I would still be DEAD on the floor. About 7 tonight he said maybe he SHOULD just go ahead and call his friends ....and of course we all pounced and got that party together!! About 75 people were here by 9....when he read it out loud, I thougth for SURE he was joking me...but he didn't even hesitate and just kept reading. Don't think I'll sleep much tonight...gonna become an expert on Kenya by morning:)

God must think I am much better than I am. He must not be watching too closely. Or maybe it's that whole parental philosophy of "ignore the bad"... The one thing I know, is that Josh is GOOD to the bone. He will love the African people, and they will love him. Maybe we'll go on a Safari in two years? I always loved those old Tarzan and Jane movies. We'll have to help Josh get the YELL down...Spencer thinks he'll get to wear a loin cloth and throw spears.

Remember the boys who we found sleeping on the tramp? Yep...Dave and Jake showed up to hear the news...this time they left their jammies at home and came dressed special for the occasion.

Paul and Katie happend to be in town!!!

Kristy, Sam, Spencer and Sydney were there to comfort me...Christy's whole family and Sydney's whole family was there...the Otterstrom's, Allphins, Southard's, Hainesworth's, Kym Peterson, Bell's, Bean's...we have SO MANY GREAT FRIENDS!!!!
This is Karie, one of my best friends, and her soon to be son in law just served in Kenya and she has told me stories about his mission...as soon as he read it off she b - lines over to me and says, "Everything I told you...I was just kidding" She loves me. Josh has no shortage of BEauTIFUL friends. I wish I had a huge group picture. Megan took some great pictures with camera and got some of our whole family together.

My phone died DEAD DEAD DEAD and it took ALL my numbers with it. If you happen to be reading this will you e-mail me or call me with your cell number? Especially you Michelle... we were SO SAD not to be able to get a hold of you and the boys tonight.

I'm tired. I might be able to sleep after all. My brain hurts. Oh, maybe that's my heart.

Fireworks For Michael's Homecoming!!!

Just click on the picture and make your own Fireworks show.

It's HERE!!!!

Josh's Mission call is here...WITH ME...and I'm ALONE... as you can see by the photos...I haven't opened it...yet. He says he is waiting for Michael, and then probably until Friday night when all his friends can be here. I get WHY he's thinking that way...I just can't STAND IT!!!! Is anyone close by that knows how to steam and reseal without his knowing? I have until about 5 o'clock.... Can't believe that I would even consider it? Get over it...just another needful thing for you to know about me. The water's on to boil.

Pics of Michael IN GERMANY TODAY!!

Our neighbors 3 houses down have JUST been sent to serve a mission in Frankfurt!!! They saw Michael this morning (on his last day) and sent me these pictures. I can't quit crying. This is a BEAUTIFUL BOY...and he belongs to me. Only ONE MORE DAY....

Waiting MOM

I'm surprised at how useless I have been today. Seems all I can do (ok--all I AM doing)is sit and daydream about a gazillion things...since my run I just want to eat green grapes, lay in the sun, read my brainless book, and think about OTHER lives not lived. Having a bit of a hard time living in the same head that is THRILLED to have Michael coming home, but Josh getting his call tomorrow.....

Miracles in MY Life

Graham came home today!!! YES!!! HIS HOME!!!! They couldn't find the blood clot when they tested yesterday. Unbelieveably he is home with NO MONITORS and only oxygen!!!! Thank you THANK YOU T H A N K Y O U for all your prayers. We could still use a few for the rest of his life actually...but again, THANK YOU...a week for AMAziNG hoMeCoMIngs!!!!!!

OH my GARAGE!!!

Just another nesting item...today we tackled the garage...yes WE...Megan came over (in between her old job and new one so she has a few days off) and we went for it. It amazes me how much TWO hard working women can get done together and how fast. Of course Haven and Elle were "working" right along with us as is evidenced in the picture...they did a real number on the Otter Pops. I think mostly they were in disbelief that I never once said they couldn't have another one and after awhile were just seeing how many I would really go for...and that isn't all of the wrappers...Elle was quite fastidious in the begining about getting them in the garbage.

TA-DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! Hasn't been this clean in 2 years!
Now look really far to the back back back yard of this picture...they finished the FENCE today!!! It's EIGHT feet high! Pretty sure I won't have to clap and scream and yell at the deer anymore!!! I'm going to plant Virginia Creeper all up and down the fence line so next year it will look like an English Hedge...please don't tell me they LOVE Virginia Creeper!!!

So...I'm only working when people call ME this week. I'm going to get my haircut and paint the hallway tomorrow...I'm thinking about getting a set of nails...Michael LOVES his back scratched (okay--EVERY Harris does) and my nails are SHORT with all the outside work I've been doing. (and LOVING) Wednesday and Thursday I'm going to shop and cook...and THURSDAY NIGHT...well, I know you know. Okay...so, another day is ALMOST over!!!!! I keep wondering what in the heck he's doing right now....

Buddy....WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!! I just washed the sheets and they smell yummy! Home is just a waitin' FOR YOU!!!!

Graham update

Hello Everyone,Just a quick update on baby Graham. He is doing great! His chest is healing nicely and they have removed all but a few tubes and needles. He trying to learn how to eat orally but hasn't quite figured it out yet and may have to go to sucking school. Our last echo of his heart did show that he has developed a blood clot in his right atrium. We are keeping our eye on it and giving him blood thinning medication. He will have another heart echo on Monday and we will know more about what the clot is doing and how his rerouted veins are working. So please continue the prayers and lets hope for good news.Thanks for all the support and concern.
Kori and Jeremy

Boating!!!!!!! YeeeHawwwwww!!!

The Kohlert's have a boat and invited us to Deer Creek Reservior for the day....HEAVEN!!! I almost got up wake boarding!!! I can't wait to try again. I could get up, but then I couldn't get the board turned around...get this...(and it's TRUE that they said it!!!!) ---I guess I am just "too light" for that board...they'll have to have a smaller one next time. You bet I'm still grinning after that! The boat had a problem mid day and we had to end it all...BUT, the little time we were there was HEAVEN!!! Doug Kohlert is a patient man. He worked with everyone while they tried to get up. Sam and Josh are already great wake boarders, and if you remember August 12 two years ago....Spencer is too...just had to have brain surgery over his little wake boarding accident...this was his first time back since the accident. I was amazed...he just jumped in and went for it. Boys are such different animals than girls. (Thank you EVERYONE for never complaining about all of my run on sentences, Mrs. Sharp ---High School English teacher-would freak) We are THRILLED the Kolhert's are new in our neighborhood...and NOT just because they have a boat. They are dang fun and just plain easy to be with. We feel like we've known them for years. They are bringing a new and needed energy to our street.

Okay...so you know by now that I'm not the best picture taker and you can see that there are no wake boarding pictures here...go to Megan's blog...she'll have all the good ones. And I purposely did not put the ONE picture of me here because THIS IS MY BLOG and it's not fair that people only take my picture when I am eating food and looking less than lovey. I mean, WHO wears make up and does their hair to go wake boarding?

Microwave

So, the microwave died today. Instead of making me super sad, I was grateful DEEP inside that I could just go get another one, TODAY, and not have to wait and save and hate being without one.

Again, as I have bumped around in my day, I am grateful to have a son with skills. (Don and I also have this skill, but we're not going to remind him). He's doing a fantastic job. As I downloaded these pictures I am just amazed at how manly he is...that this large human came from my womb...and could be so incredibly good looking....and sweet...and about to leave me for 2 years. I'm not convinced I can do this a second time, much less a 3rd and fourth.

I couldn't help the rear shot, I thought you really NEEDED to see how great the tile looks:^) He never reads this anyway so I'm safe.

Pioneer Day

Yesterday was just one of those days that make you gald you came to earth! We started the day with a ward (church) breakfast at a park really close to our house. Then we ripped out the laundry room and Josh is currently tiling it for me (gotta love sons with skills). At 3 o'clock the Sanders' and the Kohlert's came for the rest of the day/night and we had a LOVELY time. We had a water war, shot of the water bottle rocket launcher, played NERTZ, BBQ'd, ate more treats, broke a pinata, visted a neighbor's ROCK BAND party (more on that on another post) lit fireworks and just had FUN!!! It was blazing hot, but under the shade of the trees it felt a good 20 degrees cooler. We wandered from inside to outside to inside to outside...just HUNG OUT together.

Jamie has MUCH better pictures than me so check out his blog in a day or so...but of course ignore any he might try to blackmail me with. It won't work Jamie.

Here you can see the pinata to your right on the ground before the kids took several hits and then Sam blew it to smitherines. It was filled with LOTS of yummy candy enjoyed during the fireworks "SHOW".Miss Elle scared the crud out of me when she took a bite of a PEANUT BUTTER cookie and she is VERY allergic...just what Jeremy needed with all else going on...his babysitting sitter to almost kill his child with a peanut butter cookie. I was in deep panic...called him immediately...she spit it out right away and we didn't even need to have Bendryl or go to the emergency room...yeah.

I loved seeing the sponges all over (use them instead of water balloons) after most of us had come in to play cards...and there were MORE on the upper level. The Kohlerts made these COOL pvc pipe water soakers...gonna make us some. I'll post the directions here when I do. These are the Kohlerts (minus Tyler who you will see below, PLUS Justine on the end at far right...she's 18 today...HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUSTINE!!!! WE LOVE YA BIG!!!!!!)
And then me looking quite fetching...it's the new WATER WAR look... NO, Josh the Beautiful has not recieved his mission call yet...guess it will be next week...will be WIERD if it comes the same day that Michael comes home...hum hum..yes...6 days to go...SIX DAYS!!!!
Playing NERTZ.... I feel bad...I don't have any pictures of the Sanders... I thought this was hysterical...I look in on the little guys while we were playing Nertz in the kitchen and they are in a full blown game of KILLER BUNNIES...I swear this is a real game...I included the box cover to prove it...and they SO LOVED IT!!! THanks McKAY for bringing it!
Spencer's growing up.
This gives you an idea of how exciting our FIREWORS show was...even the neighbor kids came over and grabbed a chair!!! We do thank Jamie for the illegal ones that made us jump and ohhhhh more than we anticpated being able to...did I say illegal? I meant out of state...or something like that...

Nesting

Truly, the only time I remember FEELING this way was when I was pregnant and near delivery. I have cleaned every drawer, closet, room, furniture,...you name it...Megan even helped me do the whole Basement yesterday..storage room too! 1 WEEK from today and he will be HOME!!!! So...I'm a little proccupied.

It's our Pioneer Day here today. Will give pics and details tomorrrow.

Cranford

I just up and quit life about 2 o'clock yesterday. I got on UTUBE (which my mind is still whirling for those boys who started UTUBE and sell it for 1.8 BILLION dollars just a few years later!!!!)--Megan taught me how to get on and watched the BBC Series CRANFORD...this may well be my FAVORITE YET!!! Yes, even over Mr. Darcy ...not so much for the love stories, but how it seemed everyone was trying to do their best in truly caring for those they loved. ALOT of HAPPY ENDINGS, but not all...like REAL life:) IF you need some brain space away from this planet I suggest you get comfy and have a view! THANK YOU MEGAN T for telling me about it on your blog and THANK YOU MEGAN H for helping me find it on the net so I didn't have to wait a week for my copy to arrive.

I Forgot

Oh my heck!!! I forgot this OTHER JOY Thing!!! 2 things...1ST... Josh installed this MAJOR magnifying mirror in my bathroom now that the regular mirrors are up. Let me just tell you...I will never miss a stray chin hair again! I'll be able to put on my make up WITHOUT my glasses or contacts in! (I just have to keep from picking zits when they seem GIGANTIC...in MY world, NO ONE will have zits after 16 years of age, before 16 they provide the humbling affect, after 16 it's past humbling...after 45...well...wait to YOU get there)

The second JOY thing is my brother Preston. I LOVE talking/connecting with him. He sent me this link to this interesting video, a talk by a Harvard researcher, who had a stroke, which shut down her left-brain, analytical mind, and caused her to have an experience of cosmic consciousness. I LOVE TO THINK about this kind of stuff. Anyway, here is the link if you want to go. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html

Thanks for loving me and GETTING ME Preston.

Amazing to think of all the incredibly wonderful things that have gone on this week in the midst of all the pain and worry that has come with Graham's complications. "Opposition in all things".

I LOVE Sunday mornings

I'm just fussing around...Don is at meetings, Spencer and Josh won't move till I wake them at about 11 or so...Sam the lucky dawg is off to Lake Powell with his friend Jackson-his family has a house boat (I've never been, neither has he...but it is UNBELIEVABLY GORGEOUS) It is on "the list" of places to go. We aren't real familiar with boating so I think that's the biggest reason we haven't made a trip (Well, and that the house boat rental thing can be thousands of dollars...that might have something to do with it...)The water is SO warm--about 90 degrees ( you know me and warm water). And then to be surrounded by such incredible beauty. Maybe if some of you would come and visit we would actually go?Let's PLAN a trip...Austin? Audry? Issac? William? Anyone, Anyone?

Anyway. I LOVE being home knowing all is well in my world and just quiet. Me and the cats and the chickens and the sprinklers...and the smell of my easiest and yummy Sunday dinner in the crock pot.

1 roast

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 pkg lipton onion soup mix

5 + hours on low

Potatoes ready to boil in the pot.

Making roll dough.

Trying to decide what lovely dessert I'll make..probably the one that is the most fun to lick the bowl (Becky, if you're reading this I am JUST KIDDING--Becky is my running partner)

Zuchinni mania from the garden has started :^) Stir frying it in chicken broth with onions makes my heart sing...smothering it with fresh parmesan cheese I start to dance! This part of Sunday I LOVE...just quiet and rest and alone time.

I opened up the pictures in my camera on the computer to start trying to catch up on this blog, when I found that Spencer had been having a moment with photograpy and videoing...take a look...I think he was impressed with his GOLFER's tan.

And then trying to get a grip on his SWING---this is a video so click on it.

Now for random happiness stuff, not that the above hasn't been random...

I SHOULD have invented this garden hose basket!!! A MILLION times I have wanted something other than the sterile metal winder upper/so I have opted for winding it up and leaving it all over the ground...I have even thought about getting a big basket, but DID I do it and then take it to HOME DEPOT so thousands of gardener's could love it and purchase it like me and make enough money to go to Lake Powell and maybe even retire before I'm 75?Obviously NOT. Dang this is a good idea. I'm glad THEY DID IT even if I didn't. I'll just be their commercial and let you know they also have big BRONZE pots that are beautiful, but they didn't have any at the time for TWO hose lengths worth, and that's what I needed. Want to surprise me? HOME DEPOT trip, gift card...yep, that'll do er!

Now for the JOY segment...most of you know instead of a "vision board" I have "vision DOORS". I cut out pictures of things that connect with my heart and stick them up there and hope that one day they will be in my life. Well, on FRIDAY I stuck this picture up and thought..."I CAN DO THAT...I just need a book to teach me how, after school starts I'll go find out the how to and maybe by spring if I tend them indoors they'll be looking pretty good." Well...yesterday while at Cook's nursery guess what I found? AND the bigger miracle that Don felt GREAT about the price of the purchase AND the addition of another "funky" animal figure in the yard...I am SO IN LOVE with this chicken!!! I can't wait to name him...the right name hasn't settled on me yet. OINK just seems perfect for the pig, but CLUCK doesn't seem fitting enough for this guy. I'll plant him in the morning and put that flat of RED impatience all around him. Oh I can't wait!!!! I'm still gonna get me a book...I think these littler guys all around him would make me smile even MORE when I'm out there. Can you believe it? ONE DAY after I put it on my door and SHAZAAM!!! I'm a lucky, blessed girl. Come by on Monday and see him!!! Whatever, come by NOW!

I'm sure I lost most of you several pictures ago. No matter. It's Sunday morning and I still have HOURS before church (1pm), and I am off to NOT lick a batter bowl. I could tirade about that for awhile but that won't change the facts or my body, so I'll skip it...one of the nice things about being 45 is learning you can just skip the all the triade feelings if you're up to being a big enough girl. Today I'm up to it. Lucky you---wait...LUCKY ME!!! XXOOXXOOXXOO

Okay...11 days and my BABY will be home.

Graham is still holding his own. Will be slow moving from here...as much as we hate that, the plum in the pudding is that I'll get to have Haven and Elle more :^)