Ketchup

Zu and Bam--on Bam's 16th bday this month.

Before Survivor Caramoan (the game vs. show), I was able to blog almost every day consistently.

But I'm telling you, Survivor has been was one MAJOR life-changing experience for me (and our family).

And since returning, my whole life has been different.

And I don't mean that in a bad way, I'm just saying that I'm a completely different version of myself after playing Survivor two times in 12 months.

Completely.

If you're a Survivor fan, then you know that Malcolm played two seasons back to back--with only 3 weeks in between seasons. Brandon, Cochran, and I however, were the next "most recent" returning players, having played Survivor Caramoan exactly 12 months after our first season, Survivor South Pacific.

And if you're watching this season, I have to just share this--because it blows my mind ...

at this stage in the game (Day 28) Cochran and I have spent 56 days together on a deserted island playing Survivor (with Jeff Probst, PS).

Is that amazing?

(c) Favorites Tribe, Survivor Caramoan, CBS, 2012. (Monty Brinton)

Anyway, my point! 

I haven't been blogging as much as I like to. And I am looking forward to the time when life resumes some more normalcy--hahahaha.

In the meantime, here are some photos from "A Month In The Life of The Meehans." Thanks to Jay for taking them (I think he took 95% of them).


First Sidenote:
After losing my teeth on national TV, I'm pretty much an open book about our lives ... so please forgive the dirty dishes, carpets that need shampooing, etc. (I'm doing my best. Promise.)

Second Sidenote:  
This makes me laugh out loud ... but a lot of people email or tweet me, "Do you cry this much in real life?"

That's pretty funny, right?

But, I probably should answer that.

No. I don't cry daily in my real life.

But, I do wear my heart on my sleeve, so when I'm 28 or more days without a lot food, and there are sea monkeys in my water, and I've had diarrhea for 12 days, and I'm sleeping in wet clothes on wet sand, and I am voting out people I've met and cared about on an island 1000s of miles away from my family, with Jeff Probst and cameras, and no shampoo, toothbrush, toliet or razor ... then yes, I cry!

It's cleansing.

Some people get cranky out in the game (VERY). Some sleep through the tough times (A LOT). 

And me, well, I cry! So, there. I'm not a robot! (Please tell me you watch Modern Family?)

Anyway, it's a valid question. And funnier now that I'm home, sleeping in a soft bed and drinking bottled water.

But please know, if the crying is hard to watch, I get it. It's hard for me to watch. Heck, it was hard for me to handle in the game (I knew it was wonky, I just couldn't stop it.).

Either way, love me or love to hate me, thank you for your support/friendship/laughter during this whole experience. Survivor has been a dream come true for me. And I'm just thankful for all of my family/friends who helped make it a reality.
  
***** 

Now, onto the fam!

Jr. doing some flips on the trampoline.
After Survivor South Pacific, all of the kids enrolled in gymnastics--to challenge themselves to learn something HARD.
(It's one of the best side-effects of me being able to play: the kids now see CHALLENGES as good things.)

Papaya.
She has a perfect smile--and I'd like to thank her birthparents for that! No braces. Woo hoo!

Harriet the Dog.
(Who's had a rough year. Her dog BF, Ozzy, passed away a few months ago.)
PS: This was taken in APRIL. Utah "winters and springs"!

Lu at Bam's Sweet 16 sleepover.

Bam and Dave (aka Dr. Who), doing "I have no idea what."

Jay's nature shots.

Dave and I.
(PS: THIS is why I cry so much in the game. I miss my best friend. A lot.)

Jr. at  a church luncheon. (We're on a bow-tie thing over here.)

Jay and his Prom date, sweet Aub.

Prom.

 

Dying Easter Eggs. Bam, Lu, and Zu.

Papaya and Jr.--who are the same age, but have different biological parents.
(Adoptive twins!)

Isn't April fun in Utah?

Sundance (Robert Redford's resort in Provo.)

Prom. This is us pretending Aub pinned on the flower.

There was an exothermic science project somewhere during the month.

Provo Canyon. Again, April!

Bam's cat, Whitney (yes, Whitney--she's a country cat).

View from our home.

Sundance.

Oh, look! An April sky that's clear. Yay!

Prom at the State Capitol.

Aub.

More Aub.

Aub with her friends.

State Capitol.

 Before Prom.
(See the treemail in the background? Me either. Hush.)

Prom.

Prom.

Prom.

Our second family: E--Janae's son. At Bam's bday cake party.

There was a lot of MineCrafting this month for some reason. I blame the snow.

C and Lu--Janae's (my BFF) sweet daughter with our sweet daughter.

Jay and Dave--this past Sunday.
Jonah's getting ready for his mission, so he had a special blessing this Sunday. Woo hoo!

Bam's Sweet 16 flowers.

Lu. Too bad she doesn't share a lot of emotion like her mom. Ha!

Jay goes out with our local missionaries to do some service.

Jr--again with the lack of emotion!
PS: There may or may not be a Filipino flag, chicken, and some treemail there on the bookcase.

Bam's flowers (Jay is into photography.)

 *****


And here are some of this week's Survivor photos. There's a food auction (A dream come true if you are a Survivor fan. I love the food auctions--and we didn't have one in S23, so this was awesome.)

Food Auction: Survivor Caramoan, Ep 11.
(c) CBS, 2012, Monty Brinton.

Erik painted our tribe flag with each of our faces. Isn't that incredible? (You can buy his art on Etsy.com, PS)
(c) CBS, Monty Brinton, 2012.

Me with Dre Dre (she does this hand massagy-thing that is SO funny).
(c) CBS, Monty Brinton, 2012.

This week's immunity challenge is one of my favorites.
(Thx SurvivorFever.net for the VC of the promo.)
(c) CBS, 2012.

Me and Andrea in the Immunity Challenge.
(c) CBS, 2012.
PS: It's like 110 degrees plus (my guess).

Immunity Challenge.
(c) CBS, 2012.
PS: That's paint on my suit--from the swap-eggs we cracked.
I was not thinking and cracked my egg on my suit. And it never went away!
PS: I'm having a diarrhea fest during this challenge. True.

PS: What did you all think of last week's tribal council? Nuts, huh? I was so excited to be part of that--though nervous about what that would mean for my alliance, obviously. (It was the only time I've been to tribal where we had to potentially change our voting plan THERE!)