Beach house finally rented!!!

It is way too late, but I don't have to get up early for the first time in a loooooonnnnnnggggggg time. So I think I will blog.

We have worked our little fannies off for the last week and several hours and days in the past, to get our new vacation rental up and ready to go. And as is our nature, we were still there when the renters arrived. We were basically done, but had last minute things that popped up at the last minute that we didn't know were going to be a problem. Example, the TV we purchased with the house in the downstairs apartment was too old to hook up the normal way. So today I had to go to Radio Shack and buy a special attachment to make it work. Then after Weight watchers, I had to run up to the rental to put on the attachment and do last minute touch ups. Well I get there and the attachment needs to be plugged in , which means I now need to go back to Walmart and get something to make more than two plugs, I now need 3 plugs. I get everything else done so that all I have to do is plug everything in. So when they got there the house was clean. Steve had to wait for them to arrive because the key place we use was closed today, so he had to give them a key. I had to get cookie sheets because I forgot them. Anyway you get the picture. Then after we get home, and are finally vegging, Steve says to me that we forgot the curtains on the French doors that lead out of a bedroom into the living room. I couldn't believe I forgot that. Anyway there are still little things to do, but we will do those later. For this weekend, we are going to enjoy the knowledge that there is nothing we can do now because the renters are there!!

I am going to spend the day getting ready for Lizzie, Tanner and Kate. Yea for me!!!! I am so excited. I love spending time with my kids and my grand kids, and oh yea, and their spouses. Hee hee. Really, I am grateful for my kids spouses, big time!!!!

I am excited to go to the aquarium with Tanner now that he likes that kind of thing, making pancakes, maybe bug cakes, playing in the sand, playing with Kate, and being with Lizzie.

I'm sorry I haven't put any pics in lately, I haven't had time. I am too lazy tonight, I am in my bed with the laptop on my lap!

I have lost 5.4 pounds of my 11 pounds I gained in New York and the few days after I got home. That feels good.

Weight watchers is doing good, I love being a leader. Our numbers have been in the 30's lately. It is wonderful to help others to feel healthy and work through this tough part of their life. Plus I just love teaching in setting where I can be silly and serious all in one setting.

Well, hopefully tomorrow I will have some pics up of a few fun things, like my new pancake turners from Williams and Sonoma! :-)

And oh yes Danielle I often think of something else to say and go back and forth sometimes about 5 or6 times changing things.

Love to you all!!!

short blog

these videos have been just what the doctor ordered!!! I have been running ragged. They are my pick me up at the end of the day!! Thank you Lizzie for getting us all doing it! And big thanks to Amy for doing so many, I really needed a good laugh!

Silly Video

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

Conference/New calling/ geting ready for the new Beach House

This weekend was our Stake Conference. I think I mentioned my calling to some of you, but maybe not all, I have been called to the Stake Primary, I am first counselor. About 2 weeks ago I went to the temple for Courtenay's endowments. The projector was broken and so they had these little drop down screens that show the movie and words at the bottom. The little screens are for the hearing impaired or for other languages. So you see, hear, and can read. I think it is human nature to read when there are words, so that is what I did. When it came time for the last covenant about giving of your time, means and talents and whatever the Lord may bless you to the Church of Jesus Christ and etc. I felt this real strong feeling come over me. I interpreted it as a need to give more to my calling. I thought that Heavenly Father was telling me that I needed to do better. So I thought about that and decided to do better. After we left the temple, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It just kept coming back to me. I kept thinking boy I really need to have an attitude check and do more. The first thing the next morning (Sunday) it was the first thing I thought about. I thought that was really odd. So often when I go to the temple I have to keep reminding myself of the things I am impressed to do, or I will forget them. After Sacrament meeting, one of the high councilors told me he wanted to meet with Steve and me. At first I had this fearful uh oh feeling, then quickly reminded myself of where we lived and thought this is about Steve not me. So I went with Steve and the High Councilor and sat down. There are so many callings that the Stake calls men to that are callings in your own ward or branch I was sure it was Steve. I had born my testimony that day and mentioned my trip to the temple, so Bro. Miller said well you obviously have a temple recommend, how about you (to Steve). He said yes. Then he turned back to me and said, Sis Arnold the Stake pres. has asked me to come and call you to be a counselor in the Stake Primary Presidency. I was shocked, but said yes, and realized why Heavenly Father wanted to impress that covenant to me. This calling is going to require many trips to Corvallis, so money and time. I knew then that the reason he did that is because I would have said yes, but it would have been half hearted. I was able to say whole hearted, yes. Steve and I talked about it and decided we wouldn't complain about the time or money at all. That we were going to support this 100%. I was grateful he felt that way also, because I knew Heavenly Father had been telling me for almost 24 hours that he was expecting more of me and that He felt I have it to give. I am very excited. I have wonderful women to work with. I haven't worked in Primary since Lizzie was 3!! That is a long time ago. I have never been in a Primary presidency either. To make it a little on the funny side, my main responsibilities is the scouting part of Primary!! I am starting to get excited I think about that. I am definitely excited about the 11yr old boys day camp. I plan it and make it happen. I went to the one for this year, I had been called but not sustained, so they asked me to go and help and observe. I am soooooo thankful I got to see that and get my bearings there. I am always amazed how quickly Heavenly Father starts prompting us in our callings. I saw several things that I wanted to do next year, and asked questions that led to other thoughts. Then during Stake Conference, it came to me exactly what I was to do and what the focus should be. I quickly wrote down my very sketchy program. I am excited about that!!!!

Well, enough about that !

The Saturday session a lady gave a talk about Africa and her mission there. I am tired so I will give the short version. It was very humbling, and one comment she made was that some people there have to walk 1 1/2 hours to go to church. Now it takes 1 1/2 hours to get to our stake center. When she said that I thought, how could I ever complain about going to the stake center in a car with comfy seats, heat or an air conditioner. She then talked about people that live too far to walk have to take the bus, and if they do, they can't afford to eat that day. She said that over and over again she heard them say, "I am grateful much", or "The Lord blesses me too much". These are extremely poor people, who are so grateful to have the senior couples there. Needless to say, Steve and I talked about the need to go on a mission when we can.

Mom and Dad came yesterday. We have had a good time. Poor dad (grandpa) is working his little fanny off. Mom and I have been shopping our feet off buying supplies for the beach house. Steve and I spent a ton at Costco on Saturday, so I thought naively that it wouldn't be that much at Walmart. WRONG! It cost almost the same again. Mom and I took out 5 carts and her scooter. Saturday it took 2 big flat carts to get everything out of the store. We still have a few more things to buy. But I think we are pretty much done. We are so grateful that they wanted to leave some things behind that we were able to purchase. It would have been really hard if we had started from scratch.

Well, it is late. I loved those silly videos so much, I am thinking about doing one of dad and I. We'll see, I left the house in the morning and didn't get back until dinner. I was tired enough to go to bed at 8:00, but was afraid to go to bed that early. We will have full days I am afraid until it is about 10 minutes until the renters come in!!

love to you all!!!

Time for an update

Life has been crazy lately, I fell apart on Sunday and had to get up in the middle of a talk in Sacrament Meeting and go bawl in the parking lot. When I got out in the parking lot I realized I had pushed myself to far. So I have tried to slow down some and made sure to read my scriptures, write in my journal, and say my prayers. I had gotten lazy and I can't do that. I had gone to Portland 3 times and Eugene once in one week. I think that is a little much. Then with the craziness of getting a new beach house up and running, I had a migraine for about 8 days in a row. Finally after the breakdown on Sunday I started saying no and went out in my greenhouse and caught up the things in the house that needed to be done. I feel better now, no migraine for 3 days. I realize though that I need to start taking some time to do something that is just a me thing. Then yesterday the coolest thing happened, a lady came to weight watchers that used to work at the tole tree. She said that several of them are getting together once a week on Tuesdays and painting together. I had already been trying to think of a way to start painting again. Painting is the one thing I do that makes me feel like me, not a mom, not a wife, not a sister, friend, or daughter. It's so freeing. So I am going to look at my calendar and I think I am going to do it. I really need a time where there is no access to the computer or my phone. I was telling Steve on Sunday that that is my problem, even in New York, with the modern world we live in, I had the laptop and the phone, so I did business everyday I was there. When we went to Europe, somehow the business lived without me. I am complaining, I am sorry. I am just glad to figure out why I can't seem to feel like I have no time for me. So I guess I shouldn't think about it I should just block out the time every Tuesday and get myself a little me time back. It's pitiful that I can't just stay in my own house and do that!!! Oh well, maybe if I do this I can get myself to ignore the phone and the computer and sew for the fun of it or paint for the fun of it.

I finally put my chairs together for the greenhouse, I am hoping to put my table together. I have so much to do today, my parents are coming on Sunday and I am leaving tomorrow for Stake Conference. We spend the night now in Corvallis instead of driving back at 9:00pm and then driving back to Corvallis the next day again. So I have to have the house ready today. We are going to costco, so I need to make a list of the things I need. I have tried to go to Costco about 5 times now, every time I went to Portland and Eugene, and it never worked, I am finally getting to go tomorrow! Yea!!

Well, I think I have sufficiently wined enough.

Sunday Dinner/ Jakes show

Well, today I felt the need for lots of veggies and not a lot of work. So I grabbed my new basket that I got from the decorations left over at our new beach house rental, and went out to harvest some veggies from Sharon's Farmers Market. I picked just enough for dinner, plus a little.

I picked a cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, herbs, shallots, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, and a large yellow pepper. I included a pic of the pepper by a Book of Mormon so you could get an idea of how big the pepper really is.

I cooked up some chicken added all the veggies, and some of my delicious new basil infused olive oil. Made some pasta, grated some Parmesan and voila, nummy dinner!!

It's a gorgeous day, I have a headache, am going to lay on the sand after I get done watching the Firm on TV.

We went to Jake's show last night at a Jazz Club. It was actually part of North by Northwest Festival. The club was really nice, the sound was fabulous, and they had a real baby grand on stage to play. The band was in top form, I couldn't have enjoyed it more. There is something about watching one of your children do something they love extremely well. I had a smile on my face all night. Sometimes I have to giggle with true joy, he is so much fun to watch. I wish you could all see him. The club was full of people of all ages, and they all loved it. We sat by a couple about in their late 30's, early 40's that loved them. Jake came over to us after and when he left she said she could tell he was our son, because he looked like me, that is a first, she said it was our smiles.

It was fun walking around Portland. It reminded us of Greenwich Village in Manhattan because the buildings were older and shorter than downtown New York. It was fun to relive that. I am like Danielle I think I love Portland. Steve was talking about a client that bought a condo in Portland, he thought that was weird. I told him I could totally understand. I would love a condo in Portland. I miss having a place to run away for a few days. I know I sound ungrateful, but I love the "energy". Danielle and Lizzie will understand that phrase. Anyway love you all!

Ruby's family b-day party

Well we were the 3rd group to celebrate Ruby's b-day, she is very loved, but that was our fault for not being able to come in as a group earlier in the week. We had a great time because we were together and because Ruby is so much fun. I don't know if there is a happier child than Ruby.

I took 69 pics so it was hard to decide which ones to show. Sooooo you can just fly past the ones you're not interested in, I think I pared it down to 20 or so.

This is earlier in the day

This is so Ruby so I had to choose this one

beautiful Megan

Danielle and Grandma

Ruby with everyone's favorite aunt (I think even more of a favorite than grandma! ((Me)) oh well)

these two are really going to miss each other when they graduate and move away!

the group

this pic was weird color wise, but it is still cute



time for the party

this is a dress I was really excited about, Ruby on the other hand was very excited about the lion book I got her. Oh well
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Megan called me and asked if Ruby would like gum, I forgot that Jake and Lyndsey don't let Ruby have gum, she would tell you that she isn't old enough for gum if you asked her if she wanted any. So back to Meg's question, I said "oh yea she would love gum". So when Ruby opened it, she was very confused, when she realized it was hers and she could "eat" it. And that is just what she did, as hard as Lyndsey tried to explain that you chew it she kept swallowing it. I noticed that after a few days she still had almost a whole package left.



Finally she wanted to try on the "fancy " dress, honestly I wasn't offended, I learned long ago that kids are hard to figure out. After she got it on she danced with Lyndsey.



after the presents Megan and her went swinging.

Just as I was about to leave, I realized I wasn't in any of the pics, so I grabbed the camera and asked someone to document that I existed.
It was a fun night!