Showing posts with label Pictures from the shoebox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pictures from the shoebox. Show all posts

Thursday, January 11, 2018

A Happy List

Here are four things that are making me happy right now.

My aerobics class. It’s been years since I’ve been able to go to an aerobics class on a regular basis. I’ve finally been able to again and it’s my favorite. It’s certainly one of the silver linings of my kids getting older (Marlee is a kindergartner now, say WHAT?!). I love working out with these ladies.




3:05. That time when the big yellow B-U-S pulls up in front of my house. (Side note: Marlee is learning to spell all sorts of 3 letter words. She throws it out there all the time. “Did you see the C-A-T?” “M-O-M where’s D-A-D?” "Is the S-U-N up today?” It makes me smile.) Anyway, B-U-S time is my favorite part of the day.  I love watching my kids run into the house after a long day at school. I love hearing their stories from the day, looking through their backpacks and having them home again. They sorta make my world go ‘round. And they also drive me crazy…because, well, kids. D-U-H.


My eye covers. I have always had a horrible time falling asleep at night. And then when we moved into a hotel for 42 days (2 ½ years ago…I can’t believe it’s already been that long!) I invested in some sweet eye covers to block out the all night light of city dwelling. I haven’t slept a night without them since. They don’t cure insomnia, but they definitely reduce the symptoms. Plus, added bonus, they're sexy. Ha!

My husband. The older we get and the more life we live, the more and more I realize just how very lucky I am that he chose me to be his best friend. I’m pretty lucky, and he’s pretty dang amazing!


Wednesday, January 8, 2014

While I took down Christmas...

these three punks broke out their moves:


Wanna know where they learned it? Watch this little gem from a few years back:

*We were watching old camcorder videos, and I recorded the video on my phone while the t.v. played the original.  So the original sound is kinda muted and the laughter you hear is Brynlee and Jace witnessing Grandpa’s killer moves. At their request we watched it no less than a hundred billion times. Almost as many times as we watched mom's Christmas supermodel strut video. That one is a goody too.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

{nine years}

happy anniversary spencer.
you are pretty much the best thing that ever happened to me in all of my whole entire history of ever.

lovebirds in 2001

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The Post-it Notes: To my Old Man

*****
On March 19th my dad turned one year older. Happy {Belated} Birthday, Dad.
I love you.

*****


Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The Post-it Notes: Heaven Sent Birthday Wishes


She called me Kimee. And although she had over forty grandchildren she always had a way of making each one of us feel special. She was just strict enough that you dare not disobey, but loving enough that you longed to be around her. She sang like an angel and cooked like one too. She was my spiritual example. She never seemed to get old, to me. Always the same. Always grandma. Always caring for everybody else. Always running the show. Until one day she wasn’t anymore. Her body appeared yellow and fragile and weak. And then suddenly - just like that - she was gone.
Cancer may have taken her life,
but it will never be able to take her memory.
Happy Birthday Grandma.
I miss you.

Grandma - in her last days
Dad
and Marie, wearing Grandma's head scarf

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Disgust

Edna is now the keeper of all our old digital photo folders. Which means our TV screen is now an instant walk down memory lane.  And last night when this picture popped up onto our oversized rotating photo frame I snort laughed, because it deserved it.

...obviously not the flowers she would have picked out for herself.
Katie’s Junior Prom
03-2006

Thursday, April 14, 2011

The Birthday Month Confessional [6,7,8,9 of 29]

Picture from the shoebox:
Me and Marie as Rockstars way back in the beauty school days
We all have talents.  Right?  Me included.  And I believe I’ve found the one thing that I am totally, completely, 100% incredibly and amazingly good at.

Embarrassing myself in public!  I really have a knack for it.  Oh yes I do.

Take for example the time that I received an email from everybody that was anybody {read: bigwigs} at the insurance company I was working for informing me that I would be receiving a promotion.  I immediately sent the cheesiest of girlfriend love notes to Spencer reporting that I deserved a massive amount of hugs & kisses.  Only to learn that I had hit reply instead of forward.

Or the time that I showed up to work at the Real Estate agency wearing my dress suit, nylons and my fuzzy purple house slippers.

Or what about the time that I engaged in a 15 minute conversation with a man in Fred Meyers only to learn that he wasn’t the man I thought he was.  The man was either drunk or very kind, because he went along with the conversation.

Or the time on a family trip to Canada when we stopped for a bathroom break at McDonalds.  I walked into the restroom, said “Hi” to my little brother, {who was washing his hands, oh my thank goodness and sing praises to the good Lord), and turned to enter the stall before I realized that the door I had entered was not the one with the little girl in a dress plastered to the front of it.

I am one of a kind I tell you.  One.  Of.  A.  Kind.

Do confess:  Have you ever had an embarrassing email mix-up?  What about a bathroom stall mix-up?

*The Birthday Month Confessional is in honor of my 29th birthday. 
Twenty-nine confessions posted during the month of April.  Booyah.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

The Birthday Month Confessional [2,3,4,5 of 29]

Me and my high school vball team.  I'm #4 in the back.  The chic with the funky bangs!
+ I cannot - for the life of me - swallow a prenatal pill.  In fact, when I’m pregnant just the sight of the pill bottle makes me gag.  Even just the words parental pill makes me queasy.  A pregnant me once decided that maybe the whole can’t take prenatal vitamins without throwing-up phenomenon was all in my head.  So I sat on the side of the bed in our bedroom, had Spencer open the prenatal vitamins in the bathroom where I couldn’t see, deliver me a glass of water and put the pills in my hand.  Yup, definitely not all in my head.  My hand is as far as the pills made it.  We cleaned carpets that very day.  My solution?  Gummy vitamins.
+ My high school volleyball coach joked that I’d inherited my chest from my dad.  Phsaw!  I just needed a few extra years, a freshman twenty {err. . . umm. . . twenty-ish) and a few pregnancies.
+ Sometimes I warm up cheese to melting point and eat it with a spoon.  Pepperjack is my fav.  And warmed up is the best way to eat string cheese, even ask my kids.
+ I like gas station hot dogs.  Especially when it’s covered in relish - the amount of relish that will without a doubt drip down your shirt and onto your jeans {and a little on your chin} while you’re driving in the car.

Do confess:  What is your gas station guilty pleasure?  How are you at taking your vitamins?

*The Birthday Month Confessional is in honor of my 29th birthday. 
Twenty-nine confessions posted during the month of April.  Hip Hip Hooray.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Overnight.

Observing Spring out our window.  March 20th.
Yesterday spring was in the air. I could feel it.  It was windy, but still springish.  Brynlee and I wore flip-flops, our little way of celebrating the official start of spring.  We played outside and opted for sweatshirts instead of warmer coats.
Observing winter out our window.  March 22nd.
Then today we woke to a snow storm.  Windy, blistery, snow covered.  We put on snow boots and Spence shoveled mounds of wet snow to expose sidewalks.  Jace requested gloves to keep his fingers warm and we kept the fire stoked.  And by evening alot of the snow was gone. 
Tonight we will sleep once more and who knows what tomorrow will bring.  Spring again - I hope.  But the truth is, before we know it, spring will be here.  Then gone.  Followed by summer.  Then that too will quickly fade away. 
Time it never slows. 
And also, just yesterday, I became a mother.  We named her Brynlee.  They placed her in my arms and I was head over heels in love with her.  Truly, madly, deeply.  She was a perfect little thing, my perfect little thing.  I thought she should stay tiny forever.
New mom and baby Brynlee - three months old.
Then today we woke up and she was five.  FIVE!  She’s learning to read, and can ride a bike and do flips.  She speaks of Kindergarten and can whistle and pour her own milk.  She’s getting taller, smarter, and OLDER!  She’s five. 
I just can't get over how fast time goes.  Always changing, never stopping.  Like the weather, or a season that seems to change overnight, as is life.
Brynlee was the cutest little baby.  She melted our hearts. 
But do you wanna know what?  That precious little baby makes a dang cute five-year-old too. 
Happy 5th Birthday baby girl.  Now would you quit growing up already?
My five year old birthday girl.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Look-a-like

With a couple of dad's old mission pictures as proof, I would like to make it known that Conan O'Brien and my dad were once mission companions. 


Wouldn't you agree?

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The Trip


Hello, my dears. We're back. And it's March!! March 3rd.

{Anybody mind telling me what happened to the second half of February?}

We've returned from a little vacay in Las Vegas.
We had a great time…thanks for asking.

This is our second trip to Las Vegas.

The first time there were two of us.
Spence and I. We were freshly married. As in very freshly married. As in only been married for twenty-four hours kind of freshly married. Thanks to Spencer's sister, Liz, we stayed in the Excalibur in a honeymooner's suite. She had the hook-up. We were there in the middle of July. It was hot. And humid. One day we walked the entire strip. From the Excalibur to Circus Circus and back to the Excalibur. And then we cranked up the AC and slept the rest of the day. It was SO HOT. Times were different back then. There were two of us. We slept when we wanted and ate when we were hungry. If we longed to spend the afternoon wandering aimlessly around the Strip, we did. If, at 2:00am, we were craving ice-cream we'd go out in search of ice-cream. We were poor college students at the time. Our trip was funded exclusively on monetary wedding gift. Every time we spent money in Vegas it meant we would have less money for groceries when we returned home. We picked the shows that we attended solely on ticket price. Spencer wanted to see the "Blue Man Group". I told him we couldn't afford it. We instead saw the "Tournament of Kings Dinner Show." We had a buy one get one free coupon. We would eat one meal a day. At an all-you-can-eat buffet. Our sole souvenir was a little jackpot toy from M&M World. We never took a single shuttle or taxi. We walked everywhere.  We were younger then. Spencer got ID'd in the Casino. He was 23. Spencer would call me his wife. I would smile. It seemed so strange. Strange, yet exciting. Spence and I spent a lot of our down time making life plans. We dreamt big. We discussed what we wanted, what we expected, what we hoped for. In Las Vegas. It was just the two of us. A lover's retreat. A poor-man's vacation. A celebratory get-a-way in honor of us. Our new life. Together.


::Spence and I in Las Vegas.  With eyes shut!  July 2003 on our Honeymoon::

This time it was different.

There were more of us. Spence, me, Brynlee, Jace and my little sister Katie. We stayed at The Trump International Hotel. Because there's no casino. And no smoking. Plus it had a kitchenette…perfect for warming sippy cups and some Easy Mac when needed. We requested a baby crib. And would pull it into the oversized bathroom every afternoon for Jace's naptime. Brynlee went swimming in the Jacuzzi tub with swimming suit and Dora floaty. We brought princess movies and Barney to watch during down time. We Built-a-Bear, went to M&M world, ate at Rainforest Café and spent an evening at Circus Circus. We'd spend our days pushing baby strollers down the strip and comforting exhausted kids. Our daily itinerary was planned around lunchtime and naptime. When kids (and adults) were tired we'd opt for a taxi instead of walking. And we would take the long route to bypass the Casino. We'd be sure to have the kids tucked safely into their beds before Las Vegas would wake-up for the night. Then at night we'd rotate. One night Katie and I went to the "Phantom of the Opera". One night Spence and I went to the "Blue Man Group". And one night Spence and I walked the entire strip. This time I wore a jacket. It wasn't anything near as hot as it gets in July. We held hands and walked from one hotel to another. Sometimes in silence. Enjoying the quietness. The escape. Other times in conversation. Conversations that would always, somehow, end up about our kids. How perfect they are. How much we love them. How happy they make us.

Oh, how time changes things.
Isn't life funny?
Isn't life perfect!?!

The gang in Las Vegas.  Feburary 2010.

Monday, November 16, 2009

a (eleventh) confession

When Spence and I first started “hanging-out” I was over at his apartment and asked for a drink of water. He grabbed a saucepan, filled it to the brim with water, and delivered it to me.

Have you ever tried to drink out of a saucepan?

It’s hard! You will undeniably get more on your shirt than you will in your mouth.

Promise.


::Picture from the shoebox::
::Spence and I, 2001::

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Day 8 of 30: Kali Jo

I didn’t take any pictures today.

I did take a TWO HOUR nap, though. It was lovely. And rejuvenating.

I dreamt that Kali Jo and I were skiing. She forgot her coat, gloves and her shoes, but somehow managed to pack fifty pairs of socks. Weird. I know.

That girl really is obsessed with socks though. Thick, clean, white socks. She buys them by the truckload.

But in honor of skiing, Kali Jo and her abundance of socks, here’s a picture from the shoebox {because that's how I scrapbook}.

Also Kali, long time no see. Let’s fix that.


:::Roomates: Kali Jo and I:::
:::May 27, 2001:::
:::And by the way Kali…why the good HECK were we dressed like this:::

Monday, October 12, 2009

This here family I married into

You might be a {insert my last name here} if…

…you believe that “Cherry Cheese Cream Cake” is one of the basic food groups.

…if, at last calculation, one plus one equals fourteen!

…if it takes two twenty pound turkeys and a eighteen pound ham to feed your family Thanksgiving dinner.

…if quality family time and an episode of the Simpson's are synonyms.

…if I refer to myself as Jill and you don’t even bat an eye.

…if you think fart is pronounced flatus.

…if you’ve watched The Christmas Story more than eight-seven times.

…if your immediate family is made up of 5 Canadians, 7 Americans and 2 honorary Germans.

…if your idea of a relaxing weekend is knocking down two walls, tiling the master bathroom and refinishing the dining room table all in time to be showered and ready for church Sunday morning.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Ya’ll!Hope you celebrated by making a “Cherry Cheese Cream Cake”.

::a few members of the gang Thanksgiving 2007::
::a few more members of the gang Thanksgiving 2005::
::and a few more members of the gang Canadian Thanksgiving 2007::
P.S. Andrew likes yellow!

Monday, May 19, 2008

Announcing Mr. & Mrs. Gray

This last weekend my BFF, Breah, tied the knot. Spencer, Brynlee and I traveled to Rexburg for the wedding and then to Idaho Falls for the reception. Breah looked absolutely gorgeous and the wedding and reception turned out wonderful.
As Breah starts a new chapter in her life, I couldn’t help but take a look back at some of the old chapters that we have spent together.

Breah and I were often mistaken as twins. On our high school senior trip a group of guys asked if we were twins. Without thinking twice, we both answered that we were and that our names were Breah and Leah. I think the guys might have had a few to many Budweiser’s and probably would have mistaken Beyonce and me as twins, but that’s beside the point.

I will never forget all the times at Summer Volleyball Camps and Competitions with Breah’s dad as our couch. Breah and I might not have been the best volleyball players, but we sure did have fun.

Then there was the time that we almost died on our roomate trip to Washington. But it was worth it, because it sure makes for a funny story and even funnier pictures.

There’s our trip to Redfish Lake with Breah’s family, the times that we went dancing in Twin Falls, the many shopping trips that left blisters on my feet (I am sure there are more of those to come), the four hour long phone conversations, the times that we both went for the same FHS boys, the slumber parties at each others house in high school and all of the great memories that we made as college roommates.

Congratulations Eric and Breah, best wishes on your happily ever after!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...