whatever

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com
Dan came off his shift tonight around 9PM- and brought these pictures home for me.  At one point the fire was so large, that  they were told over the radio- to go to a safety zone immediately.  The term they use is "Burned Out." They use that term when they are surrounded by fire.  He is fine- came home dirty and tired.

My Hair is not me....

I really don’t like doing my hair. {Do you?}  Have you ever thought what it would be like to have the hair of your dreams? {or better yet, have a husband that is a fabulous stylist and have him do it every morning- I have a friend that does, so not fair}  I was supposed to get perfect hair, you know the kind that you could easily wash let it air dry, and it would look like you just stepped from a salon. {I know women like that-  even more, so not fair.}

 Instead I got hair that I have to wash with a certain shampoo and conditioner or it goes wild.  Then I have to blow-dry, straighten, tease, poof, spray- and hope that I don’t come in contact with any moisture/humidity- or the process would have been in vain, and have to start all over again.

  Going to the beach is total havoc on my hair; it frizzes up and changes color, usually a horrible shade of orange.  I’ve had hair nightmare going back as far as I can remember- bad perms, bad cuts, every color know to man {and that was before I started coloring it.} yes, I started a blonde, went brown, then red, [to go along with my freckles} a funny shade of orange, brown, and then black . {Is it natural for a child’s hairs to change that much?} That was all before I turned 21.  Now, well, it’s the color of the month.

I guess it could be worse, my hair is thick, thank heaven for that, I think?  They say as you get older to change your hair back to the color of your youth- which one? 

What’s with all this hair talk you say?

I’m just having a really bad hair month- Have any ideas?

“Even a single hair casts its shadow.”

Publilius Syrus {roman author, 1^st century B.C.}

Almost a great weekend.....

I got a big surprise when Dan was at the LA airport to pick me up, I was expecting Sam.  I had Sam lined up to get me, because I thought for sure Dan would be at a fire. But yeah, he was at the airport and told me he had a little special weekend planned for us. Yippee!  It's been forever since we could do anything together. We headed over to the Marriott Hotel, an older one, but it had just gone through a major renovation.   We got to our room, and wow, perfect, the bed was to die for. Looked like something from a fairytale. I jump on the bed and got swallowed up in the softness, heaven! Dan headed for the shower to freshen up, and I just chilled on the bed. 
Our plans were to head over to Venice Beach, have a great lunch, and maybe do some shopping. Fun!
Well almost.  We did try to go to Venice Beach, but I swear every street in that town was packed and we couldn't find a spot to park. So we headed over to the next closest beach.


Can you image owning this? Fabulous!

It was just about right around here, when Dan got his first call- Yes, he was needed at a fire.  So we had a fast lunch,{really terrible fish and chips} then headed back to the hotel to gather up our stuff- Good bye heavenly bed, sad.   We made reservations at another hotel a little closer to home, and then headed out.
Had dinner at I Hop, not exactly what we had planned on earlier.
Showed up in Bakersfield around 9pm. That hotel was fine, but I sure was thinking about the "Heaven Bed" back in LA.  Dan had to leave early in the morning, so I stayed and spent a little time with the kids the next morning.
Not exactly the weekend he had planned for us, but it was nice to spend a couple hours with Dan. Like I said it was almost a great weekend.....maybe someday.

Carlee came home with me, so her parents could get ready for Preston's surgery on Tuesday. She slept for about an hour of the trip home, but the rest of the time she talked, and talked and talked, stopping every once in awhile to say- "Grammer, talk me"  I had to make sure I made some kind of noise to everything she said.... totally cute.

We were basically stuck in the house because of the horrible smoke, but we did slip our garden shoes on for a quick trip to the garden and to see Pepsi.  Carlee is a hoot! Never a dull moment!

 

For the last couple of hours- it has sounded like a war zone here-  with the noise of all the water carrying planes flying around. The wind came up a little this afternoon, helped to move some of the smoke away, but I'm sure the wind is not a welcome thing for the firefighters.

It could be worse, some of our Branch members have had to leave their homes. {that's got to be hard, not knowing from one moment to the next if your home is still standing.}  I pray that this doesn't go on for a long time.  As of today the fire is 0% contained.

Shades of Inspiration

Black and White

 

 

 

 

 

End of the World

Not really- but it sure is weird. I'm about 20 miles from the big fire. We are safe but the smoke is horrible! Dan was called away this weekend to help.

Everything in Place

The Last few days/weeks have been all about putting everything in its place- Denver finding his place at school, Mason finding a place to work. Spending time with my Dad at his place. Danny  being home alone and trying to make sure everything gets put back in the right place.  This week many new exciting and trying things has happen-  This quote pretty much helped me through this week.

If we listen and obey, we will be guided by His Spirit and do His will in our daily endeavors. Elder Robert Hales.

Our trip started out pretty routine- nothing too exciting, that is until we got to the Baker Grade and found out that our car was over heating.  So I reached inside my head to retrieve some of that vast knowledge I have of cars- which amounts to just about nothing. But I do know some tricks- we rolled down the windows and turned on the heater- WA- la,  it worked. Other than melting like a candle on a hot day, we were fine- it was only 110 outside and we had the heater on.  Could be worse. We continued to drive on and only had problems when we climbed a steep hill.  Which was becoming somewhat of a problem seeing as pretty much after Vegas we would be climbing.
 So Mason said a little prayer {because I was driving and there wasn't really a good place to pull over} asking for some direction as to what to do and to find the right help. We continued on for just a little while longer- when a thought came to me to stop in the next town and try to find someone who could help. So we took the first exit and headed into town.  Just hoping to get an impression as to where to stop.  That's when we saw the Midas Station and pulled in.  I explained what was happening to the guys there, and they were so helpful- they took the time to look over the car {even though they were suppose to close in 10 min.} They were able to do enough to the car to get us safely where we needed to go. And on top of all that, they did it for free!  I'm taking my business to Midas from now on- and I've got a nice letter drafted to send to the head guys at Midas.

I always bring a storm with me when I visit my Dad, it's tradition. {Usually it's snow in June, but this time I just brought a good lightening storm.}  Dad keeps his place spotless- and pampers me the whole time I'm there. 

Part of the reason for the trip was to help Mason move into his new place. So we spent a day moving him in and looking around for a job.  By the third day- he had a job. All is good. I left him there and spent the rest of my time at my Dads.

He spent the rest of the week getting settled in, he when to his FHE group on Monday, participated in a ward service project,signed up for a couple classes, and had a fun Ward activity. I would say he had a pretty good week so far. Oh, and he starts work on Monday. {Interesting to note- Denver and Mason both got jobs on the same day and start on the same day- just in different states. All is good}  Something else that is truly a blessing, Mason's work is less than a mile from his apartment, which will be helpful when the weather is bad.


I took the opportunity to visit with a couple of my sister in laws-  Marilyn, shown in the first picture with her son Mark, who will be leaving for a Mission in a couple of months, and her sweet little granddaughter Julia.  So fun to see them.  I also got to go on a little shopping trip with Margaret Ann, okay so I had a blast, That place was amazing!  Plus I always enjoy my talks with Margaret Ann.

If you haven't celebrated Pioneer day in a little town in Utah, well you are missing out. So cute all the primary children lined up for the parade, they walk up the street, then turn around and come back.  Along with the parade we enjoyed a community lunch and dinner, and fireworks. Fun day.






The kids were super fun to be around, and Hollie made sure we had lots of great cookies to eat. Yum. Seriously, she makes the best sugar cookies I've ever had!


Dad's flowers were beautiful, the weather was very warm, the food was good,  and everything got put in it's place, Oh, and I almost finished reading Twilight- {thanks Shannon, now I need the other books :} I learned something during my visits- Keep the spirit and your family close by, oh, and some wisdom from Twilight.

Be safe.

More on my return trip later.

Lesson from a child

I thought I would share with you today a conversation I overheard between two little girls.  I actually heard it about three years ago {In Nauvoo, while waiting for the pageant to start}, but I will never forget it.  The conversation went something like this-

   "Hi, do you live here?"

"No."

"Do you go to primary, and are you a Mormon?"

"Yes"

"How come you don't have sleeves on your shirt?"

The girls looked to be around 8 or 9 years old.  Can you guess which little girl has a Mother who knows?

I learned three things that day.

1. That even in our youth- we can teach a great lesson by our example.
2. That it's never too early to teach modesty.
3. That what I teach as a Mother really does make a difference.

I know there's no hard and fast rules set down on how to dress our very young daughters- We are taught correct principles and then are to govern ourselves.

I just love this talk by sister Beck- Mothers who Know.  I so believe that to be true. After over 21 years of serving in the Young women's program, you start to see a pattern of success and failure- and most of it starts with how we dress our daughters.

That's why, when I see a little girl with sleeves, I know she has a Mother who knows. 

Aster Blossom

My new favorite "scent" Aster Blossom by Illume, purchased at Anthropologie.  Perfect for the bedroom, except for the fact that I find that I want to linger in the room and daydream.

While I'm in the daydreaming mood- just thought this outfitt {pictures from Anthropologie} should be on my list of things to dream about too.

Enjoy your weekend; maybe plan to do a little daydreaming yourself.

geochallenge

I was reading my AAA travel magazine and came across this little quiz.  Test your knowledge of facts behind some famous U.S. destinations.

1- How long did it take to carve this landmark in South Dakota?

• a. 14 months
• b. 30 months
• c. 14 years
• d. 30 years
• e. 75 years

2. When it was completed for 1962 World's Fair, this Seattle building was the tallest west of the Mississippi. How many lightning rods are on the structure's roof?

a.14          

b.3

c. 30

d. 25

 

3. This iconic item was brought to America from England in 1752. What note sounds when it is struck?

   

• a. E flat
• b. C sharp
• C. A
• d. B flat
• e. G

4. How Much did Elvis Presley pay when he decided to purchase this estate in 1957?

• a. $1 million
• b. $50,000
• c. $100,000
• d. $500,000
• e. none of the above

5. Who was the first person to receive a star?

a. Charlie Chaplin

b. Bette Davis

c. Gene Kelly

d. Katherine Hepburn

 e. Joanne Woodward

Now you may be wondering why you should take the time to answer these-  Well, the first one with the most right answers gets a prize.{some cute thing from Tai Pan}  Since I'm out traveling around- thought this would be the perfect quiz to give you.

One last question "Where in the world I'm?" on July 24, at 6:37 am.

Happy Pioneer Day!

Contest will end last day of July.

What kind of food do you feel like?

I think I get asked this question at least a couple times every week, "What kind of food do you feel like tonight?" Of course I never answer the question literally. I usually respond with the kind of food I would like to eat- but today I thought I would respond to the question appropriately.  

I feel like a marshmallow today. My hair is puffed up and I am having trouble concentrating, could be because I have a headache, or I'm just an air head.} yet I still manage to be sweet and nice to everyone around me.

What kind of food do you feel like?

{post on "what kind of food you feel like", come back here and click on Mr. Linky, add your Name and link to that post and Ta..da your done.}  

come join the fun-

Tag your it.