Kershisnik

It was a weekend for making friends with the snowbirds. While I was running errands after work Friday I met a couple who were having a print framed and I asked who the artist was since it was a really fun piece and I wanted to see more of his work. They both immediately started raving about him and told me about an exhibit at the college starting that night.
I met up with them there again and they told me about following his career and collecting his work. It's hard not to catch their enthusiasm so I checked out his website and I really like his work too. He has that ability I totally covet where he can make his paintings come to life somehow.
Check out more of Brian Kershishnik's work here.
I picked this image to borrow because the title made me laugh. 'Would you just walk' made me think of Devin since his favorite way to get somewhere is more like an acrobatic wall climbing venture than walking a straight line like the rest of us. I'm guessing he is probably outgrown this? I hope not.

Fire Drill

My stay at the condo seemed like it was going to end a couple of days sooner than planned. I woke up very early this morning to the fire alarm going off and before you all start scrolling down to find out how I burned the place down, I didn't.

The alarm stopped its blaring after a couple of minutes so I decided it needed new batteries and went back to sleep. It went off again a few minutes later. Fabulous, I love being up at 6 am fighting with things I don't know anything about. I got up to take the battery out of the offending alarm since it seemed to be the one triggering the other three to go off. (I did check the bedroom door before I opened it, I've seen Back Draft) Battery removed and now it just beeped at me every 5 minutes to let me know the battery was missing. Yes, I know. Thank you.

I bought a battery and put it in thinking I'd solved the problem then went running. When I got home it was going off again so I removed the remaining batteries and went back to the store for replacements. New batteries in, problem solved.

Not so fast. It is still going off! I talked to Nick about it (they are in Rome today) and he suggests taking the batteries out and if that doesn't stop it to unplug the things completely. Here's to really living on the edge. Hope pretty kitty doesn't play with matches when I'm not around.

Singles vs Seniors

Two Sundays ago I picked a 9 o'clock singles ward at random so I would be home early to spend the rest of the day Jackie and Jeff. It was F & T meeting and everyone who spoke talked how weird they felt being out in the world for the first time on their own, having just moving out of mom and dads minutes ago. I was having a hard time relating.

Not wanting a repeat of that I decided to go to the church closest to the condo and have fun being the visitor in a family ward. I love being the visitor. It is fun to see who approaches me and everyone is always so friendly. I found a seat and an older couple sat down next to me. It wasn't long before she asked if I was visiting and then added that of course I was, I didn't have gray hair. Haha, cute. Then the meeting begins and the man conducting welcomes any visitors and mentions that this is a senior branch. Of course it is! I have done this once before, St. George is riddled with them and I hadn't noticed many kids. Actually, I could only see two a couple benches in front of me, sitting with their grandparents. I stopped fidgeting and decided to suck it up.

So what right? I figured I could leave after the first hour and go find another ward if I still felt like I was sticking out like the young blood I am. The meeting was exceptional. The woman who spoke absolutely blew my socks off. Before I could escape I had a few invites to the next meeting. I knew G.D. would rock in this ward because, lets face, these people have been around forever so they know lots of great things!

Visitors were welcomed and everyone was turning in their seats to get a good look at me. 'One of these things is not like the others' came to mind. When I introduced myself I told them I was visiting Pretty Kitty and had picked the church building nearest and they all had a good chuckle with me and the fact that I had been so misplaced and not doing anything about it. (I'm the first to laugh at myself, my dad taught me well.) The meeting was as great as I thought it would be so when the ladies ushered me to RS I didn't even think about trying to get out of it. I took a seat in front of a whole row of women in lavender who immediately started shooting off a gamut of questions.

Again they welcomed visitors and again everyone had a chuckle with me and told me to come back whenever I wanted. One lady turned around and asked if I had been introduced yet to any of the eligible men in the ward and this really got them going!

You will never guess the subject of the lesson either. Chastity. I am laughing again now as I think about how I nearly died when the woman teaching started in on her subject. Can you imagine having a chastity lesson with a room full of 65+ women??

Never a dull moment. Ever.

ELEVEN

Happy, happy birthday Cari dear, if I had one wish, then it would be, a happy happy birthday to your from me. (Be so glad you couldn't hear me singing that to you!)

September is a big month for celebrations in this family and Cari turning 11 is HUGE news!! I know it is something of a cliche to say, but where did the time go???
Maybe seeing Ben's kids only once a year - twice, if I'm lucky - is to blame for my lack of being able to comprehend that Cari is already 11! She should still be the 8 year old I lived with in Seoul only yesterday... at the most 9 since I've seen her an accumulated month or two since then so I'll give her a year, but ELEVEN?! Wow, Cari, I am impressed with you. I only wish I knew what you were in to these days. If I know you at all you are being the creative super genius girl you always have been, drawing, writing and growing up faster than any of us thought you would. Slow down!
I wish I could see you more Cari! I owe you a few Girls Only days. Write your aunt an email once in awhile huh?

more to your legacy than peanut butter alone

Dear Momsy and Popsicle, (Wicked reference, SEE IT!)

Happy 38th! Since you already celebrated your anniversary over the weekend I didn't think you'd mind if I threw together a little themed party for you this year? Who doesn't love a party with a theme right? Right. This is how it would go:

Of course this party would be in a central location for all who love you to be there.
This place will work.

You will be chauffeured in this sweet ride.

Superman will stop in to hang at the kids table with Devin, Dillon and Cari (The boys have obviously started to resemble their dad's side more and more.)

There will be Captain Crunch for Ben.

Mom, getting into the spirit of things, will bring some of her fabulous cookies to her own party.


And I would invite this guy along to keep you guessing and make you wonder if I had really lost it completely. But hey, he does seem to like his peanut butter so what is there to lose right?

I love you both!!!!

"A nation will rise no higher than the strength of it's families." Pres. Hinckley.

PS I really need access to my pictures, this combing of the internet for visual aid is really starting to get tough! What I wouldn't give for my photos of the two of you for a good old montage. But then we wouldn't have had that awesome party huh? Man! You two are party animals!

PPS Thank you Heather for the great pic I stole from your site. How do you have a picture from that trip? I am impressed! Happy Anniversary to you and Miles too!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

I LOVE YOU MOM!!!

You are an extraordinary woman who I am lucky to call my mom and my friend. I won't even try to tell you here what you mean to me. I know it wasn't just luck how I ended up in this family. I would not be the person I am today without your example.
I love how upbeat and happy you are and your strength and wisdom. I love how you've made home a place where I want to be. I love all the fun times we have had, all the trips to the ocean and beyond. Exploring with you is always fun and you back me up when I want dad to toss the map and get lost somewhere so we can stumble on the really fun adventures. I love how you let me drag you around for hours shopping, you are the only person I can shop with properly! I love how you love dad and the examples you two have been to me of what I hope to find someday. I love your cookies and pies and cinnamon roles. I love that you celebrated your birthday in a tent watching for lions and impalas and cheetahs. You really know how to live to the fullest!
Love you forever.

surprise delivery

I went by Signe's on the way to the studio this morning to feed the kitties, grabbing the mail and this guy on the way inside. Really. I grabbed him and held him in my hand for a good long while as I checked out a magazine before realizing he was grabbing me back! I 'calmly' put the the mail and him back in the box, did a little shake off dance in the road ridding myself of any lasting spiderness, then grabbed my camera.
He was in no hurry to vacate his luxury condo in the sky (aka mail box) so I wasn't too skittish about getting a close up. Maybe he was actually a she and wanted a peak at what was in the envelope from Tiffany's? I don't blame her!

I thought it was fitting that there were a few ads in the mail for exterminators. If they only knew! Had there been a bug man handy I would have easily bought the mongo package saying 'Gas the place!'

Spiders really only freak me out with their element of surprise and amount of legs... I could easily coexist with them if they weren't always showing up unexpectedly and showing off their unfair advantage of speed with 6 more legs than me.