Friday, July 30, 2010

Jessica Olsen has her TWINS!!!!

Big Brother Luke is going to have a hard time telling who is Brooklyn and who is Savannah!!!
I hope I get called for night duty sometime!!!!!

Hello LOVEIES!!!!

At lunch today Jamie said "All through the day I just wonder what Ray is up to...I hope he sends me his daily schedule". YOU KNOW how I do that! Throughout most days I am thinking "Josh is sleeping now, or just getting up or WHAT IS HE DOING TODAY, I hope he had breakfast...good breakfast???" or "I wonder how cute Michael's tour guide is this week? I wonder WHERE he is going today? I wonder how safe and in good? repair this bus is he is driving?".....and then there was Spencer gone this week in Lake Powell and it was alot of, "Please wrap that boy in a protective shield and get him home safe to me"...
I guess all mothers are alike. But I do think and wonder. I love to hear from you.

The week has been so jammed packed it has gone so quickly. These are the weeks I like when I am counting down:)
I went to Barb's today to take her some of my left over beer to kill her slugs since its kind of an "issue" in this valley. Her Don took my picture of me handing it over and is putting it on Facebook...I knew you'd smile if you saw it. But when Barb first came out she had a white cockatoo on her shoulder and it reminded me of you Michael. I told her the getting him out of the tree the first time story with popcorn. They named it Poppy and Poppy liked me. ALMOST made me think it'd be fun to have one again...but then I remembered the mess everyday all over the floor under the cage....and the singing in the mornings when she was bored and wanted everyone up....

It is SO GOOD to have Spencer home!!! I told him I could hardly stand it and wasn't sure I could do another missionary and he just looked at me and said...YES YOU WILL...I want to go and I'm going. Strange how the Ensign never writes articles about Mother's like me.

Megan could hardly come home from Stanford she loved the campus so much. Sam went boating with the Schades early this morning, and golfed a tournament up Hobble Creek on Monday that I got to go to with him...so BEAUTIFUL! Dad is in his happy place ( Argentina ) and goes to his even happier place tomorrow? ---Chile!!! I sold the Peterson's house this week to Don and Terry Tenney...I've been helping them sporadically for 3 years now. Kim and Matt are thrilled...they can start building their new house now. They'll move into a rental during the build.

As you can see, our house has been rocking since the pool. That pool is such a happy place to be. Kind of makes it hard to want to work..and you know I like work!! I just want to take a day off and spend the whole day just laying by it reading, swimming, eating, and then doing it all over again...that is SO MY PLAN for Wednesday of next week. I will imagine that you both are with me!

Be good. Make choices that make you happy. Relax enough. MISS ME/US. Can't wait to hear from you!!!! REMEMBER how much I love you...FEEL my arms around you for the tight squeeze that lasts a LONG LONG LONG LONG TIME...and then pretend I am scratching your back to sleep:) Interesting how LOVE is made up of so many things....
LOVE YOU BIG!!!!!
Mom XXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOXXXXX

An Advertisment for BLISS

Remember how last week we celebrated Sarah's Birthday??? We decided it was so much fun we needed to do it 2 weeks in a row....and did I ever tell how Kim texted Bruce that we NEEDED Smart Cookies at like 9:30 and he went and brought us a dozen??? Well, not to be topped by hubby, even though we had yogart at the Red Mango...Kim shows up with these TO DIE FOR HOLD IN YOUR MOUTH AS LONG AS POSSIBLE Cupcakes from THE CHOCOLATE on State Street. RUN THERE!!!! Get the chocolate caramel or the vanilla vanilla...oh baby oh baby...
This is a GREAT World to be on/in!!!!

Pioneer Day 2010

We celebrated Pioneer Day with some of our FAVORITE people!!! I laughed when I saw Melania turning on the hose to jump on the tramp even when she had the pool...she was joined very soon by most of the girlies...we BBQ'd and swam and had creamies...a little different than the day the Pioneers came into the Valley---THANK HEAVENS...there is a REASON I did NOT come then....



Happy HAPPY Birthday Jamie Woman!!!

I LOVE having best friends...especially ones that you have had for years and years and years.I'm not gonna tell you everything we ate....but we ate it UP GOOD!!! Wednesday Jamie put Ray in the MTC(Her first missionary)....and today, even with the birthday...2 years seems just SO FAR AWAY!!!! (And IT IS!!!!!) Joshy...you have been out 90 weeks this week...with only 14 more to go...14 I can count...14 14 14 :) :) With the pool, I am finding it hard to want to do my hair when I know I am just going to get it all wet the very second that I can!!! I need help finding an attractive "inbetween"???

Family Night with the Otterstrom Clan and Allphins

This was the first time my "baby Beach" was really used for what I dreamed it!!! ONE DAY those are going to be MY Grandbabies on that baby beach XXOOXX :)!!!!!! They all send you love Josh and Michael. Josh...the girl with Greg is NOT a love interest...she was in his mission and is only 18...she is coming out here to live with an LDS family for the year.



Happy 20th Justine!

Sander's were on their way home from a family California trip that Justing missed out on because of her college finals so we snatched her up and had her and McKell and Raquel for dinner to celebrate. I realize that cake looks like a sorry site...but let me tell you...the TASTE made up for it....I had NEVER heard of a chocolate peanut butter cake, but that was Justine's favorite so I went on line and got the recipe off the net...and AGAIN...another winner!! I LOVE the 5 star recipes off the net. It suggested it be made in a 9 X 13, and now I know why....but I just really wanted her to feel EXTRA LOVE with the heart shaped pan...the love was ALL in the taste! We love you Justine!!! (We love you too McKell and Raquel!!!!)

Carly and Brian welcome baby MOLLY

July 28th at 8am th ADORABLE Molly came into the world at 8lbs 3 oz and 18 1/2 iches long....making ME feel very old. When the little kids in the neighborhood start having their own little kids it kind of sends a jolt through my "I am so sure I am just 20 years old" brain. Megan has held her and says her hair is likes Michaels and she looks like an ANGEL....I can't wait to SMELL her and see her toes...I just have this thing for their little baby toes.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Another week...
Nathan Holbert came home from his mission this week and Ray Nelson leaves this next week... Cole Wharton got his call to Mendosa, Argentina and is thrilled. Did I tell you Mike King was called to Tonga?
Megan went to San Fransisco to visit Braden at Stanford and is so happy to be traveling! Spencer left for St. George with Stephen and possee for this Pioneer Day Weekend. Sam got back from Trek and loved it. Needless to say, the leaders did a great job for him to think so....So Sam has been stuck with us...but it ain't so bad....we took him to the movie INCEPTION (will be in my top 10 for all time I think---I LOVED the idea of it all) and then to Costa Vida for dinner. He is getting a taste of what it will be like around here next year and NONE of us like it very much...we want you ALL to come home and STAY HOME!!!!
I have had a lovely week in real estate working with 2 great families...and one of them is making an offer on one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE properties. The first time I drove up the drive and saw the old home and the VIEW (it's on 2 1/2 acres)...it had my heart. I can't help but smile to think that I GET to be the one to bring the new owners to it. I hope so ....I have my fingers crossed! And so do they! It's in PG just up from the high school:)
Josh...it's package time...do you want some more shoe inserts? Skittles and what else??? In the movie (INCEPTION) we saw today it showed Mombasa and we were ALL thrilled...I had NO IDEA it was such an expansive city...and the rolling landscape surprised me as well. It really is true that before you left I never really even thought that much about Africa, and now it is on my mind every day!!! Well, YOU are!
Michael...I am praying for your tips...pretty incredible that they could be so generous! I am a grateful MOTHER!!! One of the boys mentioned that you might not be coming home now until the first week of September? Is that true?Did you get your "hold you over till you get home to really celebrate your birthday" gift?
I love you both. Now after seeing this movie it means even MORE when I say "meet me in your dreams"!!!! Just do it...meet me at Hogle Zoo by the Gorillas and I'll take you for a treat:) and you can both catch me up on what is REALLY going on in your lives :)
Miss me bad...XXXOOOXXXOOOXXOXXXOOOXOXOXOXOXOOXOOXOXoooo
Mom

Lovies...23 July 2010

Another week...
Nathan Holbert came home from his mission this week and Ray Nelson leaves this next week... Cole Wharton got his call to Mendosa, Argentina and is thrilled. Did I tell you Mike King was called to Tonga?
Megan went to San Fransisco to visit Braden at Stanford and is so happy to be traveling! Spencer left for St. George with Stephen and possee for this Pioneer Day Weekend. Sam got back from Trek and loved it. Needless to say, the leaders did a great job for him to think so....So Sam has been stuck with us...but it ain't so bad....we took him to the movie INCEPTION (will be in my top 10 for all time I think---I LOVED the idea of it all) and then to Costa Vida for dinner. He is getting a taste of what it will be like around here next year and NONE of us like it very much...we want you ALL to come home and STAY HOME!!!!
I have had a lovely week in real estate working with 2 great families...and one of them is making an offer on one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE properties. The first time I drove up the drive and saw the old home and the VIEW (it's on 2 1/2 acres)...it had my heart. I can't help but smile to think that I GET to be the one to bring the new owners to it. I hope so ....I have my fingers crossed! And so do they! It's in PG just up from the high school:)
Josh...it's package time...do you want some more shoe inserts? Skittles and what else??? In the movie (INCEPTION) we saw today it showed Mombasa and we were ALL thrilled...I had NO IDEA it was such an expansive city...and the rolling landscape surprised me as well. It really is true that before you left I never really even thought that much about Africa, and now it is on my mind every day!!! Well, YOU are!
Michael...I am praying for your tips...pretty incredible that they could be so generous! I am a grateful MOTHER!!! One of the boys mentioned that you might not be coming home now until the first week of September? Is that true?Did you get your "hold you over till you get home to really celebrate your birthday" gift?
I love you both. Now after seeing this movie it means even MORE when I say "meet me in your dreams"!!!! Just do it...meet me at Hogle Zoo by the Gorillas and I'll take you for a treat:) and you can both catch me up on what is REALLY going on in your lives :)
Miss me bad...XXXOOOXXXOOOXXOXXXOOOXOXOXOXOXOOXOOXOXoooo
Mom

SUBWAY HIKE In Zion's National Park


































7 miles of THE most GORGEOUS and varied country I have ever seen in my life, with some of our favorite people...but it was no walk in the park. I made it through 3 repels (pretty much a MIRACLE for this height phobic woman), and several SO COLD you have to remind yourself to start moving your arms SWIMS!!!! The assent out was KILLER, like, straight up and you could just slip and roll off the side...but even with all of that...I am SO HAPPY that I was able to do it!!!! Will I ever do it again?????????
HHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......
I'm going to post ALOT of the pics here to remind me! Shirl Tomlinson was our guide and he does it many times each summer...I can't imagine ANYONE going on this for the first time without an experienced guide. You have to get special permits and everything. Probably SUCH a GOOD thing that I really had NO IDEA before I left. The first repel is about an hour and 1/2 in, so there isn't any turning back...
Again and again my heart would race at the magnificence of it all, I would feel overwhelmed with awe and gratitude--- and I have NO DOUBT, there IS a CREATOR of this UNIVERSE!!!! Enjoy!
(When I found out after coming home that Sam has already done this hike in scouts I about had a heart attack!!!)
PS...in the one picture where I have my hand on the rock it is inside a REAL Pterodactyl footprint fossil...I mean really, HOW COOL IS THAT???? The whole side of this one HUMONGOUS boulder was covered with them...you could see where he had run up the side of the mountain!!!!

Happy Birthday SARAH!!!!!!

My beautiful and FUN running partner, Sarah the BEAUTIFUL (blonde with BIG SMILE) turned ????16 ????? so we had to celebrate with dinner out and then a swim in the pool (and of course TREATS!!!!!! I LOVE ALL OF YOU!!!!! And we missed some of normal possee due to vacations....but it just doesn't take very many of us for it to be a PARTY!!!