Manic Monday

Hola, amigos! We survived a very busy weekend and another week is under way. Is anybody besides me freaking out that its already MAY???? Where does the time go?

Last Thursday night I had Auxiliary Training meeting in Bozo, so I made a date of it with my friend, Jenn. The Girl Who Has/ Can Make Anything (Jenn) is hard to get "things" for, so I decided a dinner date would be a great way to celebrate her bday (which was March 18th, but she was traveling & we've been sick, alternately). We went to dinner at Johnny Carino's, then to our meeting at the Stake Center, then to Famous Dave's for a "nightcap"--bread pudding! It was lots of fun, although I ended up driving home in a blizzard and felt like I was driving through space a la Star Wars (I hate driving in snow at night--it totally freaks me out). It was almost 11pm by the time we got home because I drove about 40mph...but it was a lovely evening out.

Friday James and I had full-blown colds, so Rich had to take the girls to the Winans School Carnival. They had a blast, James and I had some rest, and we were graced with a visit from Matt & Amie on their way to the Billings Temple (HOORAY!!!!) That really made my day. So even though I felt like poo, I got all the laundry done and the kitchen clean in preparation for Super-Spring-Cleaning -Saturday, and Friday was a Good day.

Saturday morning we got up and started gutting our home office (aka "junk pile with computers") and picking up all the carpeted rooms so we could shampoo while the kids went to the Primary Activity day. Rich finished up in the nick of time, and we spent the rest of the day sorting through stuff (I threw away three garbage bags of papers and junk). I took a nap with the girls and then we got ready for Sunday.

Sunday was a truly warm and sunny day! Hallelujah (altough the snow is supposed to be back this week)! After church we ate some gourmet veggie pizza and we all took naps. Then out hometeachers came at 4:30 and we went across the street to the Gray's to celebrate Uncle Davey's 27th birthday. We had a yummy barbecued dinner with family and enjoyed the sunshine and our cousins. Rich had to leave for an Elders Quorum fireside called "Grow Your Own Gorceries," and Rosalie came and help me put the kids to bed around 7pm. They were so wound up they didn't fall asleep til 8:30 or 9pm, and Rich's fireside ran way-late. So we just put off any evening projects we had, snuggled up and watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition (a really great episode that inspired me to be a better example of service to my kids).

So this morning I feel like I have a pachyderm sitting on my face (gnarly sinus pressure), but I am carrying on with Spring cleaning and preparing for the Great Bedroom Swap of 2008. I have to work at the hotel tonight, so I need a nap and some drugs, so I better get my stuff done. I just wanted to say howdy and let you know we're alive and kicking!

PS: I found this CD single of The Innocence Mission's "Bright As Yellow" in my cleaning and I wanted to share the video with you because I LOOOOOOOVE this song. I was living in North Carolina in 1995 when my friend Lisa sent me that CD single with a note saying "This song reminds me of you." After learning (and loving) the song, I feel that's one of the best compliments I have ever received. Enjoy...



And you live your life with your arms reached out.
Eye to eye when speaking.
Enter rooms with great joy shouts,
happy to be meeting.

And bright, bright,
bright as yellow,
warm as yellow.

And I do not want to be a rose.
I do not wish to be pale pink,
but flower scarlet, flower gold.
And have no thorns to distance me,

but be bright, bright,
bright as yellow,
warm as yellow.

Even if I'm shining, even if I'm shouting here
inside.
Even if I'm shining, do you see that I'm wanting,
that I want to be so
bright, bright,
bright as yellow?
Warm as yellow.