I love this time of year

After watching the General Relief Society Broadcast last Saturday, I have some great thoughts for a few blogs. Real deep insightful stuff. The problem is I just haven't felt in the mood to write. Who wants to dedicate that much brain power when there are so many other things calling for your attention and you don't even know if anyone will read your literary masterpiece? Hence the laziness. One day I'll get focused and motivated. Ha!

So now to be lazy I will just write some random things, like how I am so glad it is officially Fall. Not that this actually means anything in reality since we are still having days over 100 degrees. Seriously? I am not happy here. I tolerate this type of weather in the summer because I have to, but when the calendar says "First day of Autumn", I expect this type of hot madness to end. And yet it hasn't. I am not pleased. October better behave itself and get cooled off. No more heat allowed!

I also love this time of year because it means General Conference time! I have so many fun memories of General Conference in Indiana. Trying to corral the kids while we listened at church to the sessions. Okay, that was not the fun part. What was fun was the potlucks we'd have as a ward in between sessions. I loved it! Why drive all the way home when you'd have to come back in an hour for the next session? It was a chance to socialize with everyone and talk about the sessions. Good times! Now I love being able to snuggle with the kids and watch conference in the comfort of our home. Not to mention our conference trip to "the breakfast store", a.k.a. Golden Corral, a fun tradition everyone looks forward to!

Plus we get to hear the Prophet and Apostles speak. There are always a few talks that are there just for me. I love to learn and be uplifted from these inspired men and women. I always end General Conference feeling happy and ready to take down any thing that comes my way because I am a Daughter of God. Bring it!

It is such a fun time of year! All the Fall and Halloween decorations and food. Pumpkin rolls, cookies, and bread. Apple pies. Yum!!!!! Now if the weather would just get it's act together, my Fall would be complete! Enjoy General Conference!

My Little Girl is Growing Up!

Now that Anna is 8 she gets to go to Activity Days and she LOVES it! I cannot believe she is growing up so fast! This past week the girls made headbands with pretty ribbon flowers on them. Sweet thoughtful Anna made matching headbands for me and her to wear. We both wore them on Saturday and looked awesome! Before I know it she'll be in Young Womens. Ahhh!

Menstruating Monsters of Madness

- Sometimes I wish I could shoot fire out of my mouth or laser beams from my eyes so my kids knew I was serious when I told them, "Go to bed" or "Stop fighting". That would get through to them.

- If I got as much sleep as Jacob did then perhaps I too could run around like a wild maniac, screeching with glee and destroying everything in my path. If only we could use his powers for good. At least he is a happy monster.

- We decorated for Halloween today. You all know how much I LOVE Halloween. Jimmy declared that our house looked like The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. I wish! I would go crazy all out if my hubby let me. I am sure I will come up with a few more outdoor decorations to make this year. I've got a jigsaw so watch out!

- Women who suffer from anxiety should not have husbands who go away, ever, on business trips. My hubby has been gone for the past two days and it has made for interesting sleep. Me and my pillow fortress of solitude. You know, because all those pillows will deter an axe murderer or something. Too much work to find me, right?

- Menstruating Monsters of Madness. I love it and feel like one. My hubby is probably glad he is gone for a few days! Why does one have to go insane every month when such things happen? Is it really necessary? I always think of the BYUish version of "Pride and Prejudice" when I have to buy a box of tampons. Best scene with the two sweat pant clad depressed girls stocking up on mondo buckets of ice cream and huge cases of maxi-pads. Don't all women just feel like that sometimes?

- I love my down comforter. I love to snuggle down under it. It makes getting up on cold mornings very hard.

- Home owning is exciting, paying for all things entailed in said ownership is not. But sometimes I'd rather pay someone who knows what they are doing than try to do it myself.

- According to Jimmy, I am old because I am 31. According to Anna I am not because I do not have wrinkles (bless her) or white hair. When that happens, then I will not be as pretty, she says. So much to look forward to with old age!

Dixie Rodeo Round-up Parade 2010

Rodeo Queens! Rachel thought it was cool because she saw one of their horses poop. Oh, the excitement!

Rachel and Jimmy waiting for more free handouts, like balloons and tons of candy!

Jacob helping himself to a stranger's van. He made fast friends with the very nice and patient old couple behind us. That boy!

Marching bands galore! Anna's favorite was Dixie High, her dad's school. Go Dixie!

The Meadow Gold cow. Pretty sweet!

The Bat-mobile! Rachel was in heaven!!!!

Our very hot, but happy family after the parade

Spray on Clothes

I found the following article, brought to us by the Gadget Lab, fascinating. Read on:

Tight-fitting T-shirts and hipster jeans would get even snugger if you could just spray them on.

That idea just got a little less far-fetched. A liquid mixture developed by Imperial College London and a company called Fabrican lets you spray clothes directly onto your body, using aerosol technology.

After the spray dries, it creates a thin layer of fabric that can be peeled off, washed and reworn.

The spray-on fabric consists of short fibers that are combined with polymers to bind them together and a solvent that delivers the fabric in liquid form. The solvent evaporates when the spray touches the surface.

The fabric is formed by cross-linking fibers, which cling to one another to create the garment, says Fabrican.

The spray-on fabric is pretty versatile. It can be created in many colors and and use different types of fibers ranging from natural to the synthetic, says the company.

The spray can be applied using a high-pressure spray gun or an aerosol can. The texture of the fabric changes according to the type of material — such as wool, linen or acrylic — and how the spray is layered on the body.

Fabrican says the technology is not just for fashion but can have some innovative use in medicine to layer bandages on the skin without disturbing the wound.

The technology is still in prototype stage, and some kinks still need to be worked out, such as the strong smell of solvent around the fabric. The researchers estimate that it will be at least a few years before it can be ready for commercial use.

Another challenge is to find a way to use the spray to create clothes that aren’t very snug. After all, with all the obesity in America, the sprayed-on look for clothes might not work for everyone.

What an amazing scientific breakthrough! It's all so intriguing. I think this technology could benefit the medical field greatly with the ability to do spray on bandages or even casts. How cool would that be?

But with all things there exists both a positive and a negative. I am glad the developers of this invention realize spray on clothes can be a big problem for Fat America. Or shall I say a small problem? Of course, there is still no way of keeping less than dainty people from buying the tight fitting Fabrican clothes, even if a looser alternative is developed. Goodness, there aren't any current laws to keep people from buying tight clothes and looking like sausages in assorted colorful casings!

I think the concept of Fabrican could be very beneficial in some regards, but also very scary. Fat or thin, I don't want to see the detail on every one's bodies. No thank you. It'll be interesting to see if this really takes off or not. I'll be anxiously awaiting, with my barf bag in hand.

"Bye Mom!"

Today was Jimmy's first day of preschool classes. We had orientation, where I was with him, on Thursday. He was so excited all morning to go and kept jumping up and down while I was trying to take his picture before school. He was so excited to go and learn about the letter "L" today. I was worried how dropping him off would go, but as soon as we dropped off his backpack and checked him in, he turned to me and said "Bye Mom!" Wow. My baby is growing up! Now I only have Jacob at home and preschool is during his naptime. Whatever shall I do with myself?! Bwhahahaha!

Never Forget

I am so glad my girls came home from school today asking and telling me about September 11th, 2001. Thank you to the school for talking about that and showing a video to remind and teach what happened on that terrible day. We spent a good hour talking about the events of the day and watching videos about all that occurred. It was still unsettling nine years later to see that second airplane hit the south tower. It gave me goosebumps. I will never forget that day. I remember wanting to leave work, find my husband, and have him hold me because it seemed as if the world was falling apart.

The world is still here and America is still strong. We do have our problems a many and economic troubles, but the American Spirit can still be found among many of her citizens. I am proud to be an American. I will never forget the men and women who lost their lives that day. I am proud of the soldiers who fight to keep our freedom alive. I will remember. God bless America!

Preschool?!

I love all my children and all that is unique to their personalities. I admit that my boys have me wrapped around their little fingers. That's why I cannot believe Jimmy starts preschool tomorrow. What? Where has the time gone? It'll be so odd to just have Jacob for a few hours. Jimmy is so excited and ready for school. I know I am more nervous about how it all goes than he is. We shall see what tomorrow brings! Another baby growing up!

An Oldie, but Goodie

Totally random, but I love this book and movie. Seriosuly good stuff. I love the book. It's one of those books that sucks you in and somehow you worry the plot has changed and things won't work out. Action, suspense, and romance all during the French Revolution, one of those curious periods of history that seems almost surreal.

The movie, although dated, is true to the book and so much fun. Anthony Andrews does a fabulous job as the ever cocky and brainless Sir Percy Blakeney and also as th ever witty and sly Scarlett Pimpernel. Jane Seymour also plays her role as leading lady, Marguerite St. Just, with style. Every time I see that movie, I worry the Pimpernell with be caught and despair when Sir Percy shuns his wife. Such a good story!

I am not one who likes to read the same books over and over, but "The Scarlett Pimpernel" is one of those treaured few that I savor reading multiple times. If you've never read it, check it out. If it's an old favorite, read it again. You won't be let down!

Happy Labor Day!

I've always wondered how Labor Day got started. I know it's to celebrate the labor in our country, but where and how did all this begin? So I looked it up and this is what I found. Pretty interesting stuff.

The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. It became a federal holiday in 1894, when, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with the labor movement as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. The September date was chosen as Cleveland was concerned that aligning an American labor holiday with existing international May Day celebrations would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair. All 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.

The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civil significance of the holiday.

God bless America and all the hard working laborer who have built and made it what it is. Happy Labor Day!

What Abby Should Have Said

Here's another "Dear Abby" gem I found in the newspaper yesterday:

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I generally agree on most major issues. We agree to disagree on the minor ones. But there is one issue I think is major and he thinks is minor -- strip clubs. He sees nothing wrong with having women give him lap dances. He compares it to seeing a movie -- it's "entertainment."
Abby, I'm not a prude. I wouldn't care if he went to a strip club for a bachelor party, and I don't object about his extensive porn collection. But it makes me feel he isn't getting what he needs from me when he goes to a strip club by himself. I expect my husband to understand and respect my feelings. Is that too much to ask, or am I being unreasonable? -- THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT? IN SALT LAKE CITY

Abby responded about how this woman needs to talk to her hubby about her feelings. If he still wants to go to a strip club, then Abby suggests the wife join him. I so completely disagree and am just amazed at these women's, both Abby's and the writer's, stupidity. This is what I would have written if I were Abby, but she's not smart and moral enough to be me.

Dear That's Entertainment,
Sorry sweetheart, but you already stepped in this one. You never should have allowed your husband to have his "extensive" porn collection. Most women have a problem with their man looking at porn and see it as a threat. I cannot believe you don't see his looking at porn as trying to fulfill something he isn't getting from you. How could you not? If he was happy with you he would not be looking at porn. By allowing him to have his dirty magazine library, you've opened the door to a world of hurt. Now it's not enough to just look at the porn, he wants it in real life. Sure, it'll start with just a trip to the strip club or a lap dance, but it'll lead further down the road to him acting on his fantasies and having an affair. You cannot open that door to infidelity, even a crack, without the flood eventually bursting through.

Here's what you need to do. You need to realize your mistake in allowing his porn collection. You need to realize there is a connection to his looking at porn and his level of satisfaction with your sex life. How could you be so blind? And then you need to have a talk with him. Ask him why he "needs" his porn and why he now wants to go to a strip club. Tell him how this hurts you and your self esteem. Talk about your sex life and what you both can do to make it better so that your hubby won't be looking somewhere else for fun. And then bag up and toss out all that porn. Don't allow infidelity to creep into thoughts, which is what porn does. If he loves you and truly cares about your relationship, he will get rid of it.

This is going to be a long hard process to break the habit, but one that will be well worth it. And honey, you kind of brought this on yourself by allowing such trash to be in your home. Time to kick it to the curb!--- Sue

Let Me Get My List Ready

I found this listing on Craig's List. I can think of some folks who could use this!


Swift Kick in the Butt (S.Utah)
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Date: 2010-09-01, 6:50PM MDT
Reply to: sale-tqvta-1931989788@craigslist.org
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Come on, we all know someone who needs it.

Send me a name and address and I will deliver one for you.