also in July

Many moons ago I lived at the Riviera Apartments in Provo when I went to BYU and I met Linda, Leslie, and Linsee. We have been getting together for dinner dates through the years when we happen to all be in town. Linsee is the one who basically drives these dinners because after we all graduated, she and her family moved first to Detroit and then they've been in Mexico City for several years. We get together when they come to Utah for Christmas or Thanksgiving. 

This visit was thanks to the month they had in Utah before relocating from Mexico to China! She has quite the adventurous life with a husband who does expat work for OnBase. China would certainly be an adventure. I'm not sure that I would like to live overseas. I admire people like her and like Tom and April who seem to love and thrive in those circumstances. I for one like eating what I like and shopping at the stores I like and using the US measuring systems and paying in dollars. 

Our traditional meeting place is at The Mandarin, a Chinese restaurant in Bountiful. Linsee orders for us because she used to work there and knows all the good dishes. We sit around and catch up on what everyone has been doing, how our kids are, what our husbands are up to... The often drift around to talking about people from their mission (I forgot to mention they all served in the same mission, which is how they knew each other) and in those moments I simply eat and listen and enjoy watching my friends.

Great to still be friends and to catch up even after all these years.

In addition to seeing great theater like "The Minions" with Maddy, I also was given some tickets from a member of the Tab choir to go to the Pioneer Concert featuring Laura Osnes. I have read a blog for years called "Mormon in Manhatten" written by an Orem girl named Natalie Hill who moved to New York for school and then stayed to work as an actress. Through her blog I was introduced to Laura Osnes who played Cinderella in the Broadway revival.

When I found out she was coming to sing I was so excited to also be gifted some tickets! Mom and dad were also gifted tickets (we got them from Bonita at Day Murray Music when we were at a choral reading. Bonita is in the Tab choir and mentioned this lovely young lady who was featured and I was thrilled is was Laura Osnes and jumped when she said she had some free tickets for anyone who wanted them). (Phew that was a long aside!)

Mom and Dad and I got to sit on something like the 9th row but a little off to the side. We were interested to see that the choir and all the singers have a huge screen back at the back of the main floor just below the first tier balcony with the words to each song scrolling. What cheats! We spent a lot of time watching the words - kind of like when you have closed caption on the TV and can't help but read along even if they are speaking English.

Sarah and Julianne also had some tickets but they were up in the balcony so we didn't even see them. Sarah and I talked with each other on the phone and tried to pick one another out of the crowd but the conference center is simply too big. It was a wonderful concert with mostly show tunes. Laura Osnes is a lovely woman with a beautiful voice. And she's so darn cute. I found myself many times when the sopranos hit their lovely high notes thinking that I wish I could be one of those high note singers! Maybe some day. Bucket list item to be in the choir some day.

We got a call from Melinda saying that Zoe was flying to Utah to spend a week with her Krantz grandparent and would we mind meeting her and taking her to Payson for Sunday afternoon to visit her Bishop grandparents. Dad didn't know that she was coming so he was thrilled when we showed up and we had her in tow. As is usual, Cody and Hayley and Harper came also and we had a great afternoon having dinner and visiting and sitting in the hot tub before we delivered her back to her other grandparents.

Maddy mentioned that she had a piece of her gums sticking up in the back of her mouth so we took a look and lo and behold - new teeth! When I looked online and read about six year old molars it sounded vaguely familiar but I certainly didn't remember that molars would be coming in at this age. She still has no loose baby teeth but officially has two permanent teeth! Gotta get those sealants in and probably have to be better about getting her to brush twice daily.

Saturday the 24th of July we headed back to Payson to celebrate dad's birthday. We brought Italian soda flavors and had an Italian soda bar (thank you (or darn you) Katie for introducing us to this wonderful treat). We barbecued hamburgers and had corn on the cob from the garden and topped it all off with a cookie monster pinata filled with little toys and magic tricks and chocolate.

Friday of the 24th since I didn't have to work and since Maddy had a play date with her kindergarten friend Ava, I spent the day pulling sheet rock and  insulation from the basement walls. I was hoping that if I could get all that out then there would be no reason to keep us from starting to work on it. I'm hoping that once we get started it will move quickly. I've been very anxious to have it finished and to live in 2600 square feet instead of the 1300 we currently occupy. It will make our home feel positively spacious by comparison I just know it!

Maddy didn't mind my working because while I did, she got to swim at Ava's house and not only did she swim, she got to wear a mermaid tail. Where were these when I was a kid?!

We also found a day in July when Maddy could join me at the office. She has been begging all summer so I gave in and we were so excited to see that, without any coordinating, Yoko had also brought her six year old Leah that day and they were able to play together. These little girls have become good friends over the past few years as we've brought them in on bank holidays. When school and day cares require a day off but business is still going on.

They spent a lot of time writing in my windows with dry erase markers and coloring and then quite a while in the lobby making up plays and performances that I was required to watch and video tape. The lyrics to their songs were almost as hilarious as the actions that went with them. These girls are both creative and funny and it is always fun to watch them interact.

Maddy at one point rushed to the bathroom but unfortunately didn't make it and had an accident in the bathroom stall. Good thing was it was in the stall. Bad thing was she was now wet and far from home and spare clothing. What we learned is that the infinity scarf worn by mom (basically a big tube of fabric) can double as a skirt with a little help from a pony tail holder to keep it all up and tight around a little girl's waist.

And last but not least, I was recognized for my 10 years of service at XANGO. I can't believe I've worked in the same place since May 2005. It has been a pleasure and I wouldn't mind in the slightest if this is the last job I ever have. I'd be quite content to retire from XANGO 25 years from now. I hope they will be quite content to keep me until then.

Brad Belnap, TJ Schiess, Dave Webb, Yoko Little, Leslie Gallacher, Joe Morton, Mel, Aaron Garrity, Kent Wood, Beverly Hollister

March in review

March is a big month for this girl. Particularly this March since her birthday was celebrated while we were vacationing at Disney World.

But, that post will take more time and be many more photos than you ever wanted to see. So I'll tell you about the rest of March . . .

Once a year the Young Men and Young Women have a Chili Cook-Off and Auction as a fundraiser for the coming year's activities. The Youth auction off services and baked goods. Other members of the ward donate services (last will and testament, dance lessons, weekend boating excursion) and elaborate cakes and chili and soup for judging.

They decorate the cultural hall and bring activities for the kids. They set up a photo area and encourage everyone to come in western wear. It is one of the best activities we have all year.

This year, Scott made a chili that was VERY hot and bean-less. His "No Beans About It" chile took first place in the competition!! There is a panel of judges that taste each submission and vote. There is also one crowd favorite. I think next year I need to submit my (well, Sarah's) can-opener chili and also Aunt Dawn's white bean chicken chili because with one of those I think I could maybe win the crowd favorite.

March was also a big month for the kitchen. In the past two months I've spent many weekends taking my turn. Scott does the big construction stuff with the drills, and nail guns, and skill saws - and then I come in with the caulk, and putty, and paint brushes, and do the finish work. In March I finally painted out the built in coat nook. 

We've turned that old laundry closet had no doors into a walk in pantry and a coat area. I love the way it looks and actually hate actually hanging anything up on the hooks. That of course defeats the purpose so, up the coats and shoes and purses and bags go. A much more functional space for sure.

From the week we moved in

The Great Kitchen Remodel



The Kitchen when we moved in in 2006

Well, it has begun – The Great Kitchen Remodel. Over the past week I’ve been cleaning out and boxing up the kitchen, making piles for DI, throwing out junk, and generally getting ready for Scott to tear out the old 1970’s kitchen. While I will miss having a usable kitchen for an undetermined amount of time, I will not miss the yellow sink, the fake butcher block laminate counter tops or the cabinets that are mysteriously pulling away from the wall (are they sinking?).

We've done some work in the kitchen. As you may remember, we turned the laundry closet into a walk-in pantry and "mud room". We also built a bump out into the garage to house the refrigerator.

Yesterday I came home to no upper cabinets. I’m getting a bit excited. We’ve had the double ovens for about 5 years now, the new gas stove for 4, a new refrigerator for about a year, the dishwasher for a week and base cabinets arrive today. Scott’s got to lay some tile soon so the fun, yet difficult, task of choosing paint, tile, backsplash and the basic design-scheme begins.

a little bit dim

We have six can lights in our front room. I love the light that they put out but when you are sitting on the couch watching TV, they are a bit glaring on the eye. After one of my bloggy buddies wrote a post and mentioned how many of her light switches she has replaced with dimmers I decided that I would do just the same. I turned off the power -of course it turned out to be like the 29th of 30 breakers that I tried - and no one could help me so I would flip the breaker, run up the stairs, see the light on, run back down, try the next breaker, run up the stairs, see the light on, run back down . . . you get the picture. I took the old switch off, rewired the new one, flipped the power back on and Voila! What do you know, it actually works! I liked this kind of switch because you could use it with your existing plate. I feel very proud of my self and my new, dimmable can lights.