Chloe's Top 10 ways not to die

And she says in no particular order....and I quote
1. drowning
2. burning or catching fire
3. being squashed
4. being chopped up
5. suffocate
6. choking to death
7. falling from a high building
8. being buried alive...did I already say chopped up?
9. being eaten
10. poisoned

This is a discussion she has frequently. Amber's questions made me think of it the other day. I'm pretty sure Chloe's list is very similar to mine. Number 6 was being shot but she decided it was worse to choke.

Summer Swim

Last night was the first and only swim meet I'll be able to go to for the summer season. Summer meets are my favorite, especially the ones at night. It's so fun for the kids. This has been our family tradition now for 9 years. It's not super competitive and the thing I like about it is...you are your own competition. Sure, it's great helping your team win, but the thing that matters most is your own improvement and beating your own time. It doesn't matter what someone else's time is when your own improves. Swimming is such a great lifetime skill too.

Chloe is the most critical of herself. She gets in the zone when she swims and doesn't like to be bothered or talked to until she's finished her race. About halfway through the meet, she relaxes and has some fun. Some girls from St. Joe came down to watch her for awhile.

Hunter really prefers the social aspect of summer swim. She gets in the pool and does what she needs to but really does best at having a good time. I think she swims so she can see boys!

Bridger always gets herself worked up before a meet and doesn't think she's going to do well. But after she finishes her first race, she chills and giggles with the rest of the girls. Last night she led a group of girls and Jack in singing "No Air" by Jordan Sparks. She claims she doesn't like her picture taken so I can only take them when she's in the water.

This is one thing I will miss while I'm out of town. At least Grandma will be here!

Nauvoo flooding

Tracy posted a couple of pictures of Nauvoo flooding today. I went online and found some pictures. I hope that the historical buildings won't be damaged. I will keep those who live along the Mississippi in my prayers...especially Nauvoo.

Accomodations

It's all starting to get very real and exciting...

Now why wouldn't I want to stay in these places when I telephone and they call me "love" over and over. I was so stinkin' excited just hearing their accents on the phone. They are sooo friendly and charming. Here's where we'll stay in the village of Whitworth. Apparently, this is the region of mills and wools. I'm looking forward to big english breakfasts and scenery. Both places are bed and breakfasts...one is in a pub on the village square!

These are the Parisian accomodations....

I can hardly stand it! I'll be running all over now getting things ready to go!

Hunter's 4th year

It's a tradition here in the Platte City stake for the 4th year Girl's Camp girls to have a "high adventure". They usually separate them out from the rest of the girls and they spend the week in a different location doing fun activities. In the past they've canoed down the Current River. This year President Murphy wanted them a little closer to home. So, one of their days they spent at William Jewell College on their ropes course and climbing walls. I think it was a highlight of Hunter's trip this year. At least it LOOKED like she was having fun.

Thoughts on Camp

I really wish I had pictures of Girls Camp to share but just imagine a bunch of stringy, wet headed girls and I think you got the picture.
When we prayed and fasted for the "right" weather, I had no idea what that would entail. You would think that would mean blue skies, 70 degree temps, no rain, no wind. But I saw the Lord had something else in mind for us. We did have some blue skies from time to time and the weather was cooler rather then hotter. But, we had raging storms. One night I heard the thunder begin around 2 am and the hurricane winds and lightening with torrential rains continued for 5 hours straight. If you have ever been here when it rains...you can imagine that for 5 hours and the amount of water there would be left. One day it rained for a couple of hours in the morning and then high winds came and dried it all up within hours. Because of the high winds and rains we had hardly no mosquitos. While there were huge trials of weather, the Lord completely compensated every time. I think it was a challenging week for the leaders but the girls got along so well. I never heard one girl complain...even while wringing out tents and sleeping bags. The Maryville branch was wonderful and came to the camp and took back with them tons of sleeping bags and clothes to dry and then brought them back that evening.
The crafts went well and I was so grateful to have Melissa with me. She was a trooper. One day we used the showers while the girls were doing their certifications. When we got in there with the hot water and steam running, it started pouring and lightening and thundering outside. The lights flickered and we just laughed and giggled the whole way through our showers. What a funny, surreal feeling to basically be showering out in what feels like the open during an electrical storm....trying not to step on the big beetles that were crawling all over the shower floors.
I have to say, I'm really grateful I got to go to camp. It is really hard work but I enjoyed getting to know some girls that I never knew very well and associated with great women. Being a craft lady, is the best way to enjoy camp. I got fed very well. So well, I will be dieting all this week!! I was a judge for the Bishop dessert cookoff on wednesday night. Imagine 10 full helpings of desserts in a half hour. Bishop Litster's strawberry icecream and Fia and Bruce Hammond's peach/pineapple cobbler were amazing! Enough said.
I am a little overwhelmed with the recovery. We spent 5 hours after we got home hanging 20+ tents to dry in our garage, spreading 15 huge tarps all over our yard, unpacking a week's worth of 5 people's stinky clothes to wash, unloading camp gear, driving girls and their gear home and then making it to Bridger's dance recital with her all dolled up by 6:30 last night. The garage is still full of all the tents that need to be packed, the laundry isn't done, I have to help at the choir car wash this morning, Bridger has another recital at 2:00 and then at 7:00 today, I have to figure out what to do for Boyd for Father's Day, and I really want to help Catherine pack and get ready to move. All of our cars and our trailer are out in the driveway and in the street (a big neighborhood no no). I'm on overload.
I'm grateful to Heavenly Father for protecting his little "flock" of girls this week.

Ear Piercing

We took Bridger to get her ears pierced (again) for her birthday. We let her get her ears pierced for her 8th birthday but they got infected when she wore a cheap pair of earrings and she let them close up. I think she was more scared this time then the first time. She might have remembered what it felt like! Hunter captured this photo of her sitting in the chair about to have it done and you can tell she's freaked out. It's so funny! On the way home Hunter took a picture of Bridger with her friend Nicole, who came to watch the spectacle.

Request Granted

I hate that anyone asked for me to post more pictures of my hair. I guess it must be hard to imagine it on me without seeing my face so after I got ready this morning, I had Hunter take a picture. When I see pictures of myself, I look different then I think I look. Does that make sense? I don't think I'm very photogenic and I always have a crazy look on my face. I feel like I look really heavy in photos too...double, saggy chin, flat hair, shiny skin. Well, since it's my blog, I probably won't be posting anymore photos soon.
A lot of people reacted funny to my hair yesterday at church and then there were some who didn't say a word about it when they talked to me, they just kept looking at me funny. It's strange taking a shower..all that long hair. It's easy to wash...just like your own hair, only a lot more. The curling iron is really hot and the hair is course so I imagine it would get damaged fast. The process of getting ready takes a little longer but lasts much longer then the way I was wearing my hair before. My favorite is wearing it in a pony tail or with a hat. Hats have never looked good on me before because of my short fine hair, I looked like a cancer patient wearing a hat to cover my hair loss. Not that there is anything wrong with that...unless you don't have cancer.
The general concensus so far is...the long hair makes me look younger. I don't know for sure but I'm afraid I look like a 40 year old TRYING to look younger. It's just fun. I don't know how long I will have them for, but they certainly make my hair a lot more fun and feminine. It brings out the 80's rocker girl in me. Maybe I ought to go dig out my black leather jacket. I only wish the extensions made me lose 10 lbs. What is up with me not being able to get the weight off??
I'll be spending the day getting packed for girls camp. Boyd and Chloe left this morning and the rest of us leave tomorrow. I'll be sure to take pictures while we're there!

Happy Birthday Bridger Connie!

Because she was born on the same day as her Aunt Connie (and Aunt Tonia), we gave Bridger, Connie as her middle name. I had completely psyched myself out for this pregnancy and delivery so I was ready to go when she was induced early in the morning. When she was first born she cried for the first couple of days, so much that I was a little worried that she was angry at being induced rather then come when she wanted. I was overdue with both Chloe and Hunter and I scheduled for Bridger to be born ON her dute date. Heavenly Father completely held His end of the deal on this one. (Long story, but has to do with deal I made when I found out I was pregnant). Bridger started sleeping through the night after the first week of bringing her home from the hospital. She nursed well, never spit up, hardly ever cried, rarely got sick and has been the easiest thing ever. She was so quiet the first couple of years and a friend of mine warned me that she was saving up her energy to share with us later...and she has. This girl can talk like crazy. She can tell you every line from any movie, even if she's only seen it one time. She sings, she dances around, she tells you about everything she sees and does. I've tried so long to keep her a baby and I think this was the year that she made the cross over into teenager life. Bridger is a pleaser and doesn't like to be where there is confrontation or contention going on. She is very obedient and we hope she stays that way now that she's entering 7th grade.I can hardly believe my baby is 12. All my girls are in Young Women's now. Yes, I'll be going to camp...everyone asks me if I'll be going to camp since all my girls are in. Never mind that I've gone several times...a couple of times when none of my daughters went. But anyway, we will all be up there this year...Boyd too. It ought to be a fun year.

I'd like to hang on to this baby a little longer if possible. She sleeps with me when Boyd goes out of town. She tries to sleep with me most nights but Boyd carries her to bed. Not a day goes by when I wish she was a baby again and we could do it all again. There are no regrets, I have cherished every day with her and would give anything to do it again.

I'm so blessed to have 3 healthy, beautiful girls who all have taught me so much. Each of them has brought so much joy to my life. In this way, I'm glad that their birthdays are all so close because it's a continuous month of reflection and gratitude for them.

New Hair

So, to begin with, I hate these pictures of myself. Enough said.

But here are the results of the hair extensions I had put in last night. I should have had Hunter take the picture last night but here they are this morning. It took 2 1/2 hours to put them in. The hair is real...it's from a distributor in St. Louis who buys them from a company who gets them from 3rd world countries. It's slightly courser then my own hair and holds a curl like nobody's business. It's fun and a nice change but I'm not sure if long hair is really flattering on me. I think I look better in short hair but it's fun to have long hair and thick enough that I can actually wear it long.

My kids said I look exactly like Aunt Melanie before she cut her hair! I don't know what Boyd thinks....I think he's in shock.

Seriously, I know I said "enough said". But really, do I look this huge in real life? Anyway, here's the result. I'm hoping to wear them through the summer.

ABC's of Summer

So, as I sit here with the computer in my lap and tv on the weather, I'm checking the blogs and come across the ABC's of summer on my sister's blog...we'll try it out here....
A. ATV's, air conditioning, August
B. Bridger, birthdays, BBQ, bugs, bathing suits, backpacking, blogging
C. Chloe, choir practices, chocolate, cold drinks, California, car washes, church, cousins
D. Driver's Permit, dandelions...hopefully not on the lawn, deer poo in the back yard, drive in
E. Europe
F. Friends, flowers, family reunions, fireworks, fake tans, flat hair, flip flops, Father's Day, frozen custard
G. Gardening, Girls Camp, giddy girls, grilling, gasoline prices, Grandma
H. Hunter, Hot weather, heavy rains, humidity, hair extensions, hamburgers, hiking
I. Icecream, ice water, icky humidity, Independence Day
J. jello salads, jumping on trampolines, June, July
K. kittens under the front porch, kicking soccer balls
L. Laughter, late nights, lightening bugs, lazy days, London, lightening, laundry, lifeguarding
M. Matinees, Maui Babe Tanning Oil, moonlit nights, mountains, meets, mosquitos, mowing
N. Naps, no school, New Mark registration
O. Outdoors, Oregon, ocean, Oak Park registration, organizing
P. pools, patio, Paris, potato salad, parties
Q. Quick Trip
R. root beer floats, reunions, rodeos, Rock Band, repellent, reading books, restaurants
S. shakes, sunshine, swimming, shaving legs, sunglasses, shorts, scout camp, storms, sunscreens, seminary training, strawberries, Staley registration, sprinklers, shade, Smithville Lake, sisters
T. Tennis lessons, tubing, tons of sun, trips, tomatoes, tornadoes, thunder, tomcasso
U. Umbrella for shade, ugly hair, Utah
V. Vacations, visiting family and friends
W. Watermelon, warm nights, weather, weddings, Wii, walking Lola, water
Y. Yummy food, yellow hibiscus, Young Women's activities
Z. ZZzzzzz's - anytime I want
These are some of our ABC's of summer. It has been a great diversion as the lightening approaches.

Crazy Weather

I will never get used to the volatile weather we have here. Tonight we are under a tornado watch with a high risk and I'm just on edge.
I've had nightmares about tornadoes for the last three nights so I'm a little frazzled to begin with.
Say your prayers for us here in KC.
Monitor us tonight through www.kctv5.com

wack it wednesday

Well...really, it was supposed to be Tackle Tuesday but I didn't do it until today. So, is that called wack it wednesday then?

I picked a super easy project for my first. Actually, once I folded the swim towels that have been washed for the last few days, there wasn't room and the doors wouldn't close so it was out of necessity.

So here is our swim cabinet before:

After:

That ought to last a day.

Up for the Challenge

I mentioned in my Testimony post that I need to be better about bearing my Testimony and a few people offered up a challenge for doing it this fast Sunday. That would be THIS weekend! Who's up for it? You know the story....if you go, I'll go!

Also, we've been asked to fast as a stake for Girls Camp. They would like us to fast for the RIGHT weather, not necessarily the best weather. For instance, one day last year it was cloudy and cooler. That wouldn't be the best weather for those who are camping but it was the ideal weather for those who were hiking that day. I know that fasting for camp has benefited it immensely the last couple of years.

Sitting at the feet of an Apostle

That's how I've spent the last day and a half, sitting at the feet of an Apostle of the Lord. My experience at the 16 and older conference last night was nothing short of sacred. I have never been more touched or more changed then I was listening to Elder Holland. He compared our sufferings to "Liberty Jail" trials. Those times when, like Joseph, we are in the dark, seemingly endless cold and wish for the sun to come. Those are our Liberty Jails. I know I'm so blessed to live here and to witness for myself this sacred place where Joseph was incarcerated for months. I know he must have felt total anguish and despair. We were warned that there would be more of these Liberty Jail trials in our lives to come but that we must never abandon ship when the storm comes. How unwise would it be for us to throw ourselves overboard and deliver ourselves to the raging sea when it's during those storms that we need to batten the hatches and stay the course in the safety of the ship? Through our Liberty Jail moments we learn to have a "broken heart", just as the Master did. Elder Holland taught us that Christ literally died of a broken heart. The Lord loves "broken" things. It is with broken clouds that the earth is nourished, broken land that seed grows, broken grain that bread is baked. We must have a broken heart.
He told us last night that today he would leave us with an Apostalic Blessing. So, it was worth it to me to get my family to the church 2 hours early so I would be able to sit close and witness this miracle. He told us that giving these blessings is historical and a tradition and that he had two missions as an Apostle...to bear witness of the Savior and to go in His name and bless.
This are excerpts from his blessing that he left for the Platte City Stake:
In the name of the Lord...
Elder Holland blessed every man, woman, child as if his hands were on each of our heads. He knows about the needs and quests that we have. He knows we have and will have sad days and happy days.
He blessed us thru those days--those Liberty Jails days to come.
These blessings carried over to those we love and are concerned for as he knew that the cause of much of our sadness may be due to others' sufferings.
He blessed the men to be worthy of the priesthood they bear. Nothing could bless the kingdom more then honoring the priesthood.
He blessed the men to be more like the Master, whose priesthood they hold, to treat all those they know kindly.
He blessed men, young and old that they will become the disciples of Christ they said they would become when they received the priesthood.
He blessed the women. Women have carried the flag of faith since the beginning of time and said he was here because of faithful women in his life. He blessed those we love and cry for and that we will know we are loved and cared for. He reminded us that as Christ suffered, that it was women with perhaps the exception of John, who wept and huddled around the feet of Christ.
He blessed the children that they would be protected in all important decisions they will make. He wanted the youth to understand that we (as leaders) understand their journey and want to help them. Know and love and respond to the teachings of their parents, that they will be safe.
He blessed those who are sick, in mourning, those who have lost loved ones to death and reiterated that this blessing was as if hands were on their heads. He acknowledged that he knew there were some that were hoping to get personal blessings this day but that he couldn't personally bless them all, but that we are to believe that this blessing is as if it is on their heads of healing, happiness and hope.
He blessed marriages and said that God had authorized him to bless us to have strong marriages and trust in each other.
He said, "All of this will be realized in your life."
He said of Christ, "He has, Does, and Will appear."
I cannot even convey the Spirit that was there and the enormity of what we learned and I don't even think it would be appropriate or mean the same to someone else. It has been a sacred experience I will hold in my heart forever. What a generous man, as he lingered as the Savior did with the Nephites as they stood with tears in their eyes as He told them He would leave them until the next day. Elder Holland lingered and shood the hands of many people until he could no longer stay. I truly felt his love for us.

Please do not copy or use my summary of Elder Holland's words for your personal use as much of this is taken from my brief notes and I know that what is sacred to me may not be to you as the message delivery is without the same Spirit. I hope that makes sense and that no one is offended by that. Knowing that others are actually reading my blog has recently altered what I want to include in my thoughts on it. This experience was too important to me for me to allow it to be made light of and I feel awkward even addressing those who read my blog, which I've never done before. What used to be just a journal or way to communicate with family has really blossomed and evolved...not necessarily bad but it does make me rethink what I post and the impact that has. Elder Watson made mention in his talk about the way their comments are posted on the internet and he even mentioned You Tube. I would not want to damage their honorable names by having something I wrote about them on the internet to be published or miscontrued in anyway...therefore my request.

Love to all.