I can't believe it has been 1 and a half months!

That shows the state of my mind and life for the last few months! I have had lots to blog about, lets see... visits from my mom and dad-2 times, Danielle and her in-laws, Amy and Mike at least twice, Megan and Greg-twice, Jake and Lyndsey-once, and Rebecca and the girls. During some of these visits we were living in a house that is torn up, sheet rock dust up the wazoo, and men in my house before I was dressed some days. The outside air in our house and no way to change that. I lived in my bedroom with the door shut and the heater on when I could. It made me crazy. Then when it was time to paint all the places that now needed it, we were tired and wanting it done. But as the coast world is, no one wants to work, so we had to paint it ourselves. I did the upstairs kitchen and bath, Steve's office areas, the down stairs hallway,laundry area. Steve did some in the apartment. Then is was time to clean everything up. I finally hired someone to help me 2 days before Danielle and her in laws came. I feel like I have been running for several months and I am not done yet. Jake and Lyndsey went on a 10 year anniversary trip to Mexico. So we have Miles and Ruby for 10 days. Labor day weekend, Steve's sibs are coming, then Meg's baby is due. Our garage and shop still are a disaster. I want them done before the rain starts in October. I will have I think about 1 week in between all of that. Like Rebecca said I will probably crash and sleep for days after Ruby and Miles leave.

Now having said all that, I love my family and visits, it has just been hard because we were trying to do the remodel at the same time.

Tuna time has come again. I have a new Tuna hair style. I will post it tomorrow. It is very practical!

The bad thing about Tuna right now is that I can't do it during the day when the kids are here, it is too dangerous, so that means nights in the garage till 1:30am or tonight's will be around 3:00am. Oh well. We are grateful for the Tuna. I just wish Steve would go and get some Salmon. He gets so obsessed with the fact that he can get as many Tuna as he wants and only 2 Salmon a trip if he is lucky, that the Tuna win out. I personally would like some salmon. He has only caught one this year and I have already frozen about 100 bags of Tuna, and as of tonight will have canned about 230 half pint jars of Tuna.

I am getting groggy, what a shock! I forgot to get my camera before I came down to the garage, so the pics will have to come later. Well, hope all of you are doing well! love you all!

Random Things

When Steve and I went to New York a few years back, we went on a walking tasting history tour of Greenwich Village. It was pouring down rain but fun and tasty. One of my favorite places was a little Olive oil store named O&CO. They had delicious bread and different kinds of olive oil to dip it in. I thought they were to die for, even just the regular olive oil. Steve thought it was in my head. They told us because we went on the tour we got a discount on the oil and they would ship it for free whether we bought the oil that day or after we got home. It was spendy so I had to think about it. Towards the end of our trip I just couldn't stand it. I went back on the subway all by myself and bought some and they shipped it to our home. I bought the lemon and the basil. I fell in love with the lemon, and when it ran out I didn't know what I was going to do. About that time Lizzie was going to New York with Shad, so she went and bought some and they gave her the discount. About a month ago I ran out of what Lizzie had bought me. I found the card for the store and the number called it and the number had been discontinued. I was a very sad girl. I went on line to the main company's website and found out that they had a few stores in the US, but the closest one to me is Seattle. So I ordered it online with no discount of course. :-( Well, you know what happens next, I start getting ads from the online store. And then a big sale ad comes across my email. I wasn't going to look at it and then couldn't resit. I bought some small cans that still were way to expensive, but I thought what the hay, life is too short not to have some fun. Here are my fun new oils. I haven't tasted them yet, but I want to experiment with using them not only with bread but my fish , salad and who knows what else. I am excited.

Oatmeal

I love my oatmeal, just have to say it! It is so good for me and tastes so good. I use Old Fashioned Oats now and they are sooooo tasty. I use soy milk instead of water, add flax seed oil, flax seed ground, wheat germ, and lots of berries. MMMMmmmmmm!I can't remember if I blogged about this before, but if I did, it deserves two blogs! I bought this at Fred Meyer on a whim. When we moved from Idaho Street to here, there was a rust spot on our light blue carpet in the master bedroom. It was from things spilling under the love seat. So I went to Freddies and found the above. I thought the worst it could do was not much. It worked and didn't change the color of the carpet or do any damage to it! I was amazed. I took it back home with me and tried it on my porcelain cups that had rust from canning lids in my dishwasher. Voila! It worked. I love this stuff, a great addition to any home!!!!

We have a painter in our house today!!!! I have never been so happy to have a worker in our home. For the last 2 and half months we have had noise, dust, dirt, men going in and out from 8:00am -sometimes 5:30pm. Chaos has reigned. I have mopped my floor once since we have moved in, there was just no point. Then when the construction had stopped and the elevator was in (which is awesome by the way) all that was left was the painting. We tried and tried to find someone and gave up. We started to paint (I should say "I" started to paint) and someone finally called back! Wahooooo! When the paint is done we can as Steve put it, "finally move in." We are moved in obviously, but knowing we were going to put in an elevator caused us to not bring certain things in because we would just have to take them out again. I almost have my sewing room back. It became a storage room for some of the things that were in the way. There is finally light at the end of the tunnel!!!

The elevator. When Steve puts the flooring down in it I will take a pic of it. We put the elevator in because Steve was having problems with his knees, and if we ever sell this home the people that buy it will be our age or older, so it will be a huge selling point. Our main living area is upstairs, so going up and down the stairs is an ongoing thing all day. The first time we went in it together we just giggled all the way up and down. For me personally I go up and down the stairs still, BUT when I go to the store especially Costco/TJ's trips in the valley it is awesome!! One Sunday when I had scary heels on, down the elevator I went! When we have to vacuum downstairs you guessed it we put it in the elevator instead of dragging it down the stairs. I love it!

Steve was watching the BYU channel the other day and came across this great talk about being perfect, everyone should read it I cried and was greatly moved by it. Read it!!!! http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/archive/2002/ss_reynolds.htm

Well, the day is marching on, love you all!!!

Experiment

About a month ago I got an email that said Microwave ovens were evil showed an experiment with water boiled on the stove, and water boiled in the microwave used to water plants. The one watered with the microwave water started to die within 5 days by nine days was dead. The other one with water boiled on the stove thrived. I decided to see for myself if this was true. I got 4 plants to make sure that one wasn't sick and therefore died.

When my granddaughters came they were pretty excited about it. Aliese asked me to post them. Well, they all did wonderfully, they all flowered after 2 weeks or more. I didn't take a pic, but put them out in the harsh coastal air. I went out today to take a pic of them. Remember they have been outside on there sides for a week. But it proves once and for all at least with water, that there was no difference in the way it affected plants. I'm sorry I didn't do a before pic, but you have to trust me.

Road Trip!

Well, I am so far behind, that I will have to catch up a little at a time. I am going to go backwards-the most recent!

I didn't know what to get my mom for Mother's Day and her b-day and mom had mentioned she wanted to go on a trip with me to Carin's (my cousin). I thought great present! I called mom and said do you want to go on a Road Trip for mother's day and your birthday, my treat? She didn't hesitate.

So on June 16, I got up at 6:00am, exercised, showered, got dressed, grabbed my shake and was out the door at 8:15am. Drove to Creswell and picked up my mom. Then off down the freeway we went. It was great! We did what we wanted when we wanted, we didn't hurry at all. We drove first to Megan's. We had lunch then got dressed to go to the temple.There is nothing quite like being in the temple with family, especially your mom and a daughter. It was great! Then when we got home Meg wanted some pregnant pics. Although, I thought the temple ones showed her tummy the best!
After dinner, we went to Megan's salon which was very cute. It was old fashioned and hip at the same time. Then Megan did my hair! Yeah for me!! After that we went home and went to bed-ahhhhh.

Next morning I took a 5 mile walk in Megs neighborhood. It is so nice, it's a great place to live. I figured out a loop that is one mile exactly without going out of her neighborhood or going on a main street.

After I got back they got up and we had a very leisurely morning, it felt so good. We talked laughed, ate and just enjoyed each other. Then we went to Jacksonville. It was sooooo cute and fun. It's an old cowboy type town. We ate gelato, shopped and then went out to dinner. We found this divine place to eat. We got there plenty early and it was a good thing, because it took almost 2 and a half hours!!!! But the food was to die for, so we didn't complain. Then for the first time we booked it, not time for leisure, to Ashland to the Shakespeare Festival. We went to Pride and Prejudice. It was so much fun and very funny. The mother and Mr. Collins were the best! Then home again, home again, jiggety jig. Thank goodness Megan lives a half hour from Ashland, as we had had a big day and were ready for bed.

Up the next day, Megan had to go to work, we went on our way to Carin's. She lives in Eureka, CA. Eureka is on the ocean, so it felt like I was going home. We went through part of the redwoods. We ate at a bagel shop for lunch, I had an organic salad, and mom had a yummy looking bagel san. We split a very good scone. Carin has 8 kids, one is on a mission. To blow your mind even more, 7 of them are BOYS! I can't even begin to imagine that. They were so cute and sweet and spiritual and fun. Mom and I had a great time. We stayed way later than we planned. Drove to the motel and crashed. The next morning we met Carin at a restaurant for breakfast, just us girls. It was delicious and great to be with Carin and kind of catch up. Carin is like Lynette Lewis for those of you who know her. She's here for her kids, she's next to perfect.

After that we drove to Eugene, went to Costco, Trader Joes and then said our good byes. It was a great, fun and relaxing trip. It was good to visit and just be together. I loved every minute of it!!!

Cool thoughts

I love the Conference issue. It always makes me think, comforts me and guides me. I love the cover this time, isn't it great!!

Anyway, this week I was reading Sis Becks talk and something jumped out at me, "A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence." I am always trying to find a way to have more leisure. People try to tell me all the time that I need to say no to my kids more often. I thought about how when I have been out of town and serving someone, I am constantly thanking Heavenly Father for the energy and strength I have. Then I get home, and of course am tired. My gratitude stops and I want "leisure" time. So I will waste a whole afternoon watching stupid TV shows or some movie I don't really need to watch. Now I truly believe that we need rest and recreation, but "leisure"? I really thought about that. Good rest or hobbies, or recreation is fulfilling, and makes us feel buoyed up and invigorated. The scriptures talk about not being a sloth, about being diligent, not running faster than we have strength, but being diligent. I realized I have been looking at life all wrong. I always want to help my kids and I am going to turn a deaf ear to those that would make me think I should do more for myself. I am a mom, I love it, and I love helping my kids!! If I quit thinking in terms of leisure, but start thinking about being productive, I will get more done, feel better about my life, and I will quit feeling cheated. Again, I truly believe in rest, recreation and hobbies. I know I won't change over night, but I am sure going to work on it!

Today we had a RS Visiting meeting for all the sisters during RS time. It was fabulous. I was reminded of how important it is to be a visiting teacher. Quote after quote was about how being a VT was the most important calling we will ever have at church. Today I truly believed that more than I have in the past. I have always had a testimony of it, but because of coming to this ward, and because of one of the ladies I have been assigned to I really believe it in the core of my being. I want to strive to be a better VT. I made a cool little book for the sisters, I will post it later. I am tired right now.

The sheet rock work is done! Yea!!, Next is paint and tile, then cleaning!!! then the elevator. Love you all!!

Tired of Chaos

I was reading Megan's blog and she said it was so nice to have things be normal. I thought, maybe it is possible. I have felt total upside down for a year now. I keep wondering if life will ever be like it used to be... get up exercise, eat and read scriptures with Steve, family prayer, read my own scriptures, pick up the house, do a little laundry, then whatever for that day. It literally has been more than a year since that has happened on a consistent basis. I have wondered if it is my imagination that it ever was that way, but I know it must have been because Steve and I read the whole Book of Mormon together, and almost all of the Doctrine and Covenants. We have been in the same spot in the Doctrine and Covenants for about 6 or 8 months now. Between family stuff, moving and remodeling, life has been crazy.

Remodeling is the most chaotic crazy thing on earth. We have had a hole starting at the garage floor up to the top of our ceiling in the kitchen for about 4-5 weeks or more now. We have had no back door from the house to the garage now for two days, it will be a week by the time we get a door. We have had men running around our house for the last 5 weeks. It seems pointless to vacuum, dust or sweep. There is sawdust, sheet rock dust and etc. everywhere. I could go on, but that is enough. It is making me crazy. For the last 8 weeks I have eaten really healthy and lost all the weight I had gained over the last 8 months. Over the last 3 days I think I gained at least a few pounds of that back. I just have lost it. I did almost nothing today but eat crap to put it bluntly.

I know it will be great when it is done, its just that we started moving in the first of November and the house has been a mess since we started moving in. I am ready for some order. One thing it has done for me is that I am so ready to get rid of excess stuff! I haven't been able to back my car up and even find the stuff because there is construction stuff in the way or trucks in the way. Oh well, I know waaa, waaa, poor me. I know I have TONS to be grateful for, its just getting to me.

love you all!!!

If Heaven was a store....

I used to always think that if Heaven was a store it would be the Container Store. The other day after working at Jakes's for 5 days, I was exhausted and decided to treat myself to a visit at Bob's Red Mill. I needed some Kamut berries. I walked in and was immediately surrounded by this feeling of warmth. I felt like I was in heaven. I walked around the store picking up the occasional cooking gadget that I didn't need but wanted. I found a cool cookbook, then went on to get my wonderful grains. All the while feeling this incredible feeling of peace. I then decided to order a wonderful sandwich from their bakery to eat on my way home. As I stood there and called Jake to tell him that I had now decided if Heaven was a store, it would be Bob's Red Mill. He laughed and said, "you're preaching to the choir mom". I have decided everyone should go there sometime. It was a wonderful moment!