Probably I'm the last to know!!

We have been doing ALOT of painting lately. Between home and at my office....good colorful fun. Actually it starts to get a little old after awhile. I swear I go to home depot at least once a day and am on like a first name base with the guy at the paint counter! Not really but he probably thinks I'm nuts spending so much time picking out colors and painting supplies. Maybe I should get a part time job there so I can get an employee discount or something:)

Anyways after...."oooh oooh learning the hard way!" here's a few tips I picked up along the way.

-Spend the extra couple of bucks to get the nicer gadgets...i.e. paint brushes, power rollers, etc! Well worth the extra $$ (probably because you go back and end up buying them anyway)

-Corner tools and edgers are awesome! Instead of making due with a paint brush...cut right to the chase!

-Laugh! Especially when say a gallon of primer falls off the counter and busts open on the kitchen floor! (good thing it's in the works to replace that one...and good thing it wasn't already replaced!!)

-And my personal favorite...which everyone probably already knows, but if you don't this is awesome!! When you're finished for the day but not finished with the project, wrap your rollers and other tools in plastic wrap/plastic grocery bags so they are air tight. No need to clean them out for the day. Unwrap next time and keep truckin'...beautiful!

My Dad is AWESOME!

We've been doing some home remodeling...or pretending like we are anyway. We cut the enterance to the kitchen in half and put a pantry on the kitchen side. In all the works were some electrical modifications....i.e. moving outlets and switches etc. We sort of forgot to move one of them that was on our living room side before we put the sheetrock up. So it had been that way for a few weeks. Yeah we can be kind of SLOW on some projects (especially intimidating ones that we know nothing about!). So my dad and Rory stoped on their way through to Moses Lake this week and they asked what they could do to help. I said we needed to move the light switch to the end of the wall and within like an hour or two DONE! And this was not just ANY light switch. It turned on the living rrom light if and only if the switch all the way across the dining room was off....and if you wanted them both on at the same time, well you had to have one of the dining room switches off the other on and the living room on. Who wired up this place anyway? So I guess it's a pretty simple three way switch...if you are an electrician that is! So he got it all fixed up! The living room turns on by it self now! How exciting for us! You would think being the daughter of an electrician, I would know all of this...but no! You know what they say about dentist's kids? They always have the worst teeth! I would like to say that I know enough not to stick my finger in an electric socket...but upon examining an outlet that we wired up the other night...I electricuted myself! How did it feel might you ask? It was well...shocking! Not that bad really...just a little zap! But needless to say, I did learn a little about this whole electric business...at least not to put myself between the hot and neutral wires:)

Dad sporting his Intermountain Electric hat!

Oh Boy!

We found out Tuesday that we're having a boy! I was thinking for awhile it might be a girl so I was a little surprised. I'm excited though! All my friends tell me their little guys are a lot of fun. This one is kind of naughty though...he was totally flipping us off in the ultrasound! I guess we need to teach him how to use his fingers...or maybe he already knows!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. We are spending some time in Wyoming. It's a crazy blizzard outside!! Hopefully we'll be able to get back sometime! Good thing there isn't any hurry. Travel safe if you are on the roads!

2 weeks to vote ya'll!

So it's down to two weeks till we find out if we are having a boy or girl. Get your votes in now (poll on the right)! Stay tuned for the results!

Thanksgiving Fun

We spent Thanksgiving weekend in E-town this year. The whole family was there so it was great....and crowded....but not nearly as much as after Rory spoke in church and my mom had a little gathering of sorts at their place. Little as in over 70 people cramed into a few rooms. We did the traditional stuff like turkey dinner and family photos and such (accompanied by our new moose friend!). Matt and I taught the gang how to play pirates dice and all the gals went out to a movie one night. Our fart machine wasn't nearly as funny this year since everyone already knew about it, but still fun to play some jokes on Rory. Fun times!

It's always fun to play with food!

.....and do a cheesy pose by the finished product!

Grandpa and Parker

The fab fam photo! (couldn't convince Papa and Grandma to join in :( )

Look at the moose! (Yeah Mom was freaking out!)

The newest addition to the family!! haha! Couldn't convince mom to go strike a pose with it!

We sorta match!

The Jackson 5 haha:)

Rory's new ride!

Delightfulness

Here's a few delights (somewhat random) I've been enjoying over the past few weeks....

1. Rory's home! It was so exciting to go meet him at the airport and spend a few days with him and the family.

2. Bodyworlds - While in Salt Lake Mel and I got to go to the bodyworlds exhibit. Absoultly fantastic. It's simply amazing what is under our skin and what you can do with a dead body. I know it sounds yuck, but some of the bodies were strangly beautiful.

3. Fall running - Just in the last two weeks or so most of the leaves here in Boise have come down. I've so enjoyed the last month and a half of delightful colors and leaves crunching under my feet. No this isn't me (i wish!) but running along the greenbelt in all the trees and colors makes me feel like I could go forever....until I'm done and then well...I'm glad to be done!

4. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches - Cold school lunches rediscovered. My friend mentioned them a few weeks ago and I've made several since then. Great snack at work! **Tip from a peanut butter lover....natural peanut butter is the way to go. Once you finish up a jar of that stuff, Jif does NOT taste like peanut butter:) Adams is my favorite (stir it and put it in the fridge and it won't seperate).

5. Ono Hawaiian Cafe - We decided to try this place out with some friends a couple of weeks ago. So yummy! It so made me want to go back to Hawaii! So before we picked a place for dinner, we thought we should make a rule that we couldn't go out to eat at the same place twice until we had tried every place in Boise (which would take FOREVER by the way). Anyhow....after eating here, that rule went right out the window! If ever you can...try it. You'll love it!

6. Thanksgiving time - It's an awesome time to realize how very blessed I am. I wish I were more practiced in the art of gratitude and always realizing that I have everything I need and more. Reflecting on everyting I have is great. Try it sometime...It's a delight!

7. Lauging so hard it hurts! - I can think of a few times over the last few weeks....dinner at Ono's, being with my silly sisters, etc. Hey did you know that splenda has fiber now?!?! Forget crunches and ab workouts. Just have a good laugh!

8. Being crafty - Normally I'm not so much a crafty person...unless I'm with people that are doing crafts (I know, I'f you can't beat em join em!) So I've been making some cool stuff at Friday Madness (aka Super Saturday on friday night). Photo cubes, wire star ornaments, block letters. Sorry no pics. Don't want to spoil any Christmas presents (which might mean that some of them might actually look decent enough to give away!) Oh- and I've made some cool paper box lights....all by myself....which I will probably post some pics at a later time!

and.....

9. Last but certainly not least!!

Yes that's right:) Simply delightful. Oh and the part about not being sick a lick, and the part about seeing pictures of little white blobs that don't look like like little white blobs to me!, and the part about enjoying still enjoying #3 while being #9, and the part about just thinking about what life is going to be like come May....etc.

All Delightful!

Happy Black November!

Black November

A Turkey's Lament

When I was a young turkey, new to the coop, My big brother Mike took me out on the stoop,

Then he sat me down, and he spoke real slow, And he told me there was something that I had to know;

His look and his tone I will always remember, When he told me of the horrors of ..... Black November;

"Come about August, now listen to me, Each day you'll be thick, where once you were thin, And you'll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin.

"And then one morning, when you're warm in your bed, In'll burst the farmer's wife, and hack off your head;

"Then she'll pluck out all your feathers so you're bald'n pink, And scoop out all your insides and leave ya lyin' in the sink,

"And then comes the worst part" he said not bluffing, "She'll spread your cheeks and pack your rear with stuffing".

Well, the rest of his words were too grim to repeat, I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat,

And decided on the spot that to avoid being cooked, I'd have to lay low and remain overlooked;

I began a new diet of nuts and granola, High-roughage salads, juice and diet cola,

And as they ate pastries, chocolates and crepes, I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes,

I maintained my weight of two pounds and a half, And tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed;

But 'twas I who was laughing, under my breath, As they chomped and they chewed, ever closer to death;

And sure enough when Black November rolled around, I was the last turkey left in the entire compound;

So now I'm a pet in the farmer's wife's lap; I haven't a worry, so I eat and I nap,

She held me today, while sewing and humming, And smiled at me and said "Christmas is coming........"