Table for Eight

Today marks my 1,000th blog post! WOW! I began the blog in March of 2006. How can that be? ( This feels like kind of a big milestone to me: I don't know that I've done anything 1,000 times--anything that I didn't HAVE to do, yanno? Seriously, MOST of the things I begin as hobbies, I quickly abandon. Well, minus the bread-making. But this blog/journal has been an exception.) It's the best feeling ever. And you know what's an even better feeling? Knowing that the blog is stored on another company's server--because if we were counting on ME to save this for posterity, we'd be toast. I've easily crashed 12 hard drives since 2006. And each time I've lost everything. Every photo. Every Word document. The whole enchilada. So, thank you Blogger for the best archiver a gal can have! And now, for the 1,000th Blogpost Giveaway , answer the following question via email before midnight 8/2/2010: What is your favorite blog? (click link for email OR s

Okay, that's the funniest blurb I've ever seen. ( And the use of the word ES YOU SEE QUE ES makes me laugh out loud.) First of all, today's blogpost is number 999! That means tomorrow is the 1000th Blogpost Giveaway, so be sure to check back! ******** Okay, mind you, I really do try not to complain--BUT, if I had a "Free Pass" to complain for one day, here are some things I've observed this summer that I would like to complain about: Things I'd Like to Complain About (If I Had a Free Pass to Complain): Summer Edition 2010 1. Kids with short term memory loss. It's not the times tables that have me worried. I'm talking about the normal day-to-day routines that make family life worth living. Here's a sampling of the things my kids have forgotten over the summer: a) If you leave milk out after eating cereal, it will go bad. b) Syrup is sticky. (Especially on countertops. Walls. Light switches. The cat.) c) Empty orange juice c

I was thinking about the "We Can Do Hard" blog post yesterday when I went to the gym. (Yes. Me --at the gym. I'm on Day 30 or something. Crazy . I know. But that's another post.) Truth be told, I was feeling kind of motivated by the whole "We Can Do Hard" statement. I was thinking how the statement applies in life--generally--but that it also applied to my lifting weights and facing real-life physical obstacles. I was ready to push the limit and just take on the world! Bring on the 45 lb. dumbells! And then I sat down to do my first exercise . . . and I felt SO WEAK! My body was so dang sore (from the previous 30 days of working out). And I don't mean achey--I mean sore. (Like, I think the last time I was this sore, I had run a 5K with Dave, Jeff and Jody--without any prep. I just woke up and ran that race. Forty pounds heavier than I am now. Oh, and in KEDS. Anyone remember those shoes? They are white like Chicklets gum? They have 

About a year ago I was watching Larry King when he interviewed the Chapman family (Christian singer Steven Curtis-Chapman's family). The family was on to talk about their struggle to keep moving forward after the death of 5 year-old daughter. She had passed away as a result of a car accident on their property just a few short months before the interview (with the car being driven by their 16/17 year old son). It was a heartbreaking interview, so hard to hear and watch. Talk about pain. Talk about struggle. Talk about injustice. Talk about loss. Talk about grief. Talk about devastation . . . And yet, something Mary Beth Chapman (wife/mom) said during that interview has stuck with me all this time. At one point Larry King said to her, "How do you go on [after a loss like this]?" And she looked at Larry King and said, "I've told our family, this is going to be hard. This will most likely be THE hardest thing we face. BUT Chapman's can do hard."

When I was getting ready to write today's blog post, I noticed that today is blog entry number 995! That's 5 away from 1000! HOLY COW! (Check out the Cooking link to see why I'm all over the Indian expressions. PS: Is Holy Cow an Indian expression?) Anyway, my point! I'm going to do a special giveaway for the 1000th post, so check back Friday--for THE 1000th post! In the meantime, here's a collage of this weekend's FUN activities. (I've left off the NOT FUN ones. Who wants to remember those ?) (PS: I don't have any photos of Jonah for the past 3 days because he was helping someone move AND mowing lawns when he wasn't doing that. Thanks, Jonah. I'm going to feature you for a whole week on the blog . . . as soon as you stay put long enough for me to snap a few photos of you.) Paige and LuLu taking a water-break after a bike ride with Dave. PS: I cannot imagine what it would be like if LuLu hadn't come into our lives. P and she h

Coconut was never a friend of mine. Until this summer when I put on some Coconut sunscreen and had an aromatherapy experience that made me consider using the sunscreen everyday of my life for the foreseeable future--RAIN or SHINE. I never knew what a good friend the Coconut could be. She's funny. What other nut can you both WEAR as a bra AND use as a cup or bowl? She's functional. You can eat the inside, drink the milk, and cook with the oil. (The possibilities are endless . . . cakes, coconut battered shrimp, Mounds bars!) She's helpful. You can use her as a light moisturizer! She's a world traveler. Coconut comes from the most amazingly beautiful places--I feel beautiful just thinking about it! Coconut is my new best friend, I tell ya.

Yesterday was probably the most "close to perfect day" I've had. What I mean is, the whole day was filled with this kind of happy-joy for me. And I think the reason I appreciate that SO much is that I know from re-reading my past blog entries, there are definitely days that are LESS THAN PERFECT. Sometimes lots of them. In a row. (LOL!) So, I'm thinking that today's blog post is going to be my "In Case of Emergency" post. You know how most public buildings have those glass boxes with fire alarms inside--so when all heck breaks loose you can signal for help? Well, today's memory/blog entry/photos are that for me. It sounds dramatic (which is totally me, BTW)--I know LESS THAN PERFECT days are hardly "emergencies," but sometimes they do feel like THE END of the WORLD. No? So, my point! Today's entry is what I'm putting in my metaphorical " fire alarm glass case ." If I'm ever down and out, this is what I need t

Well, I've decided to keed today's post short and sweet; I'll save the "You're Stronger Than You Know Post" for another day. Here's my thought for today, I was reading Eat, Pray, Love --which comes out in theatres soon--and I came across a whole section where Gilbert says Americans just don't know how to find pleasure. She says we are all about To Do lists and work. Even when we don't work, work is on our minds. I think I agree--at least speaking for myself. I definitely am uncomfortable doing things that are not "outcome-based." Gilbert suggests that she even had trouble finding pleasure while on a kind of sabbatical in Italy. Anyway, there's a lot more detail, but she ends that discussion by resolving to answer this one question each day she is in Italy: What would you enjoy doing today? So I'm going to try and follow that lead today. What would I enjoy doing? Hmmm . . . How about you? PS: I cannot begin to

Coming soon. I just spent 30 minutes writing and for some reason my whole post saved as "empty." Awesome. Is that the universe's way of telling me not to post today OR is it just a lesson in "save drafts knucklehead"?

1. I love how long the days are--I feel like we can pack three days of activity into one! 2. I love how Jonah takes Ray fishing. 3. I love that we can swim everyday if we want. (And for those of you that see us at the pool, YES we swim everyday.) 4. I love that it's HOT--and I never have to log on to weather.com to see what kind of clothes to wear. 5. I love NOT wearing socks, tights, leggings . . .  or shoes! 6. I love eating fruit--that's in season. 7. I love losing the routine of school--early-rising, packing lunches, homework, and the likes. 8. I love spending time outside--at all hours of the day (last night I was weeding at 8pm.). 9. I love using the BBQ. 10. I love filling up the kiddie pool and watching Harriet-Dog go in it when no one is looking. 11. I love street parties with neighbors. 12. I love seeing our lawn GREEN (okay, greener). 13. I love the smell of suntan lotion. 14. I love NOT WEARING as much make-up. (I really am wearing less

On Sundays we try to have dinner with anyone who will come . . . and this Sunday we ate with the missionaries serving in our area. They were a lot of fun to host. (Though they didn't get the memo about bringing a potluck item for 10. LOL! Just kidding.) PS: The one on the right had only been on his mission 5 days! Talk about brand new.

A few months ago, I made the decision to push myself in areas I don't usually push. Not so much mentally, but physically. You see, I haven't been a super athletic person these first 40 years of my life. Oh sure--I played soccer and softball as a kid. Ran track in High School. (Which, my mom swears I loved; my memory is slightly different than hers. I remember the kids calling me "cabbage patch knees" on the bus trip to regionals. Anyhow.) Then of course, there were the months leading up to my wedding when I worked out hap-hazardly. And the years leading up to my 30th bday--when I was so worried about being "old," I did the Bill Phillips' "Body for Life Challenge." (Which, I LOVE to this day.) But overall, my life has been a life of NOT really pushing myself physically. I think it's kind of interesting. What makes one person push themselves in an area, but another person NOT push in that area? Why are we so different? (Or are we no

Cam's been at Camp all week . . . and BOY have we missed her! I can't believe how different home-life is when just one nino is absent. And poor Ozzy, Camry's faithful dog-servant. That guy has been sleeping outside her bedroom door every night waiting for her to walk out. It's pitiful. By Wednesday Jr. and I felt so bad for him--sitting there pining for her--that we opened the door and showed him, "Hey little guy, she's gone right now." I think that made him feel worse--here he was, holding onto some hope that she was just doing some character analysis for a role in a local production of Sleeping Beauty. (Note to self: How DO pets perceive time?) Anyway, my point! Camry's one special kid. And we are so glad she's home!

So, I've made the marvelous mistake of choosing to do my "Great Brain Project" on cake . . . the very same month I've decided to limit my sugar intake. That's so ME : choose to do two things that are in such opposition to one another that it will be impossible to succeed at either one. You know what I mean? I can't be a Great Brain on the subject of cakes and not taste a lot some cakes! And I can't taste a lot of cakes if I'm limiting my sugar intake. Hello! Earth to Dawn? Anyway, I'm still debating over  how to reconcile my dilema. Which side "wins"? The "limit the sugar intake" side or the "have your cake and eat it too" side? Maybe today's article in the Wall Street Journal on "cake-eaters" will help me decide? Stay tuned. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704288204575363072381955744.html

Okay, I know this pix looks like a giant Q-Tip, but it's not. (Note to self: must get camera fixed--relying on existing photos has it's limits.) This is a photo of a giant batch of fluffy, yummy cotton candy. Oh, I love cotton candy. I love how light it is. I love how it dissolves in your mouth. I love that it's like 99 cents for 2.5 pounds of it. And I love how sticky it is. (I do!) But my point! I am trying to limit my sugar intake. (Now, I'm talking about refined/processed stuff. I'm still eating fruit, which--I KNOW--has natural sugars.) It's only been a few days. And you know what? I'm ready to punch a baby. Not really, but kind of. Holy cow--THIS IS HARD! It's making me cranky. It's giving me headaches. It's making me rethink all of western civization's "contributions" to the world. I had NO IDEA how much sugar I ate in any given day. Do YOU have any idea how much sugar you eat in a day? You're probably all

I've been trying to shake up my routine a little--and not write in the morning. Not sure I like it, but it's okay to try something new. Funny how much more I have to say at 5am than 5pm. Hope you're having a great day wherever you are! Me? I'm sitting outside a "kiddie pool" watching Harriet the Dog fetch one of three tennis balls. For fun. And it actually is. PS: The kids saw Despicable Me (not me--the movie), and loved it.

I had a horrible weekend. Horrible . Not in an "oh, I got my arm caught in a meat-grinder" kind of horrible. But a horrible weekend nonetheless. (I have eyewitnesses that can confirm this; seven them.) You see, my mind was just heck-bent on finding faults with everything . And guess what? If you're looking for problems, and I mean REALLY looking . . . YOU WILL FIND THEM! You'll find them everywhere--at work, at home, with your family, your friends, the news, the World Cup, in toothpaste, in PlayDoh, cat litter, marshmallows, satellite radio, your air conditioning, the size of your can, your dog's groomer . . . yourself--EVERYWHERE! And the real kicker? Most of my crabby thinking had to do with things that had already happened . You know things that were over. Done. In the past. Is that the very definition of insanity--keeping problems alive? Letting the past torment you over and over and over by replaying it in your mind. Anyway, my poi

Our local elementary school has a project the first graders complete called "The Great Brain Project." The idea behind it is that the kids choose a subject, become an expert on that subject, and then share their expertise with their classmates. In LuLu's class, kids became GBs--Great Brains--on countries, insects, games, etc. Pretty cool, no? But you know what's cooler? My friend Janae telling me she was doing her own GBP (Great Brain Project) on gelato. (Her son's was on hawks.) I thought she was joking at first. She wasn't. And isn't. Janae's setting out to learn about gelato AND find the best gelato around (our city, on vacations, etc.). I think everyone should have a Great Brain Project. I'm picking "cake" for mine. What about you? What subject do you want to become an expert in?

This morning I woke up early to write on the computer. It's a daily routine for me: wake up a few hours before everyone, do some reading, do some writing, get ready, do a few loads of laundry, pay bills if needed, etc. Most of these things I do on the computer. My new computer. The one that's all mine. (PS: I just got my own laptop for the first time. Until now, I've been sharing a computer with the kids. Our 6 kids. Not super easy, I might add.) Only this morning my computer wouldn't connect/identify the wireless router. I can't stand computer problems. But you know what's worse than having computer problems? Having someone else use your computer and then having computer problems . You see, Dave was the last one to use my computer. (Did I mention it's MY computer? Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine!!!!!!!!) So somewhere between Dave's use and this morning, my computer decided to stop connecting to our wireless router, aka THE WORLD WIDE WEB. In other

A photo-essay in today's NY Times has me thinking. It's entitled, "To Those With Nothing, Soccer Is Everything." I guess since I was young, I have had this sense of how fortunate my life is/has been. I'm not saying my life is free from pain, but it's definitely so so so different than the lives of many people around the world. (My basic needs--clothing, shelter, food, water--have always been met.  That makes me among the world's fortunate. And, it also makes for a pretty good life.) You see, for some unspecified reason, here I am FILLING my cupboards to overflowing in the Utah, wondering if I should pay retail price for Toy Story 3's new Wii game, while literally a "world away," a boy is making a soccer ball from plastic bags and playing the game without shoes or proper clothing. That's heavy to me. And what's "heavier"? (And yes, I grew up in the 70s and have a free-pass to using "heavy" as an adjective

I'm reading a book (well, maybe it's more like a workbook, but anyhow) that asks you to really be purposeful about your life. The author challenges you to think about subjects you might not normally think about. And the goal? Well, I think the author's goal is to help you realize that you're in charge of the life you live. Ya hear me? You're in charge of the feelings you have. You're the one that defines what kind of life you live. It's all in your court, relatively speaking. In other words, I can't choose what happens to me in life, but I can choose how I respond . So, my point! I really liked this one exercise: Describe your perfect day. Would your perfect day center around food, family, fun? Solitude? Travel? Entertainment? Think about it. Write it down. Revise it. And then . . . try to live that "perfect day." Now, remember the point of the exercise is to realize that you are in charge of your life.  And while "je