I don't wanna grow up!

Hey there everyone! It's time for another round of absolutely nothing! I really don't lead a very exciting life, but that's okay! I've been busy today trying to get some church work done. I figure if I spend Sunday the way it's supposed to be spent, actually doing church-type things, then I don't need to feel stressed out during the week trying to fit in my regular work/day to day life and the church stuff. Of course you can't always avoid that, but if I get the bulk of the work done, then I don't feel too stressed.

I helped out at a funeral yesterday, an older lady who used to live in our ward. There wasn't a real great turnout for the funeral, but I think that everyone that mattered to this lady was there and that's what's important. I helped out because I'm in the Relief Society presidency now and that is part of what we do. So, after about 4 hours of helping out, including setting things up for the luncheon, attending the funeral, serving the luncheon, and then cleaning everything up, my poor feet hurt!!! Then, being a glutton for punishment I took my poor tootsies out to the mall looking for a few new pieces of clothes because I realized that with spring coming up very quickly, I have NO SPRING clothes to wear, they are all TOO BIG - yeah, I know, poor baby! So, anyway, I traipsed (sp?) all over and found a few things. Have you noticed that you can't find ANYTHING out there that isn't loud and geometrical, and jersey, and babydoll-pregnant looking! What is the freakin' deal with that! I thought for sure they would be "out" this year, but apparently they are still "in." I think what has happened is that people are just tired of not being comfortable, and what is more comfortable than a jersey stretchy blouse which pooches out in the front, so you can let your guts hang out all you want! I don't get it. In my day (yes, I know, the stone ages), women sucked in their guts, actually combed their hair and styled it, hardly ever wore jeans, and wore nylons to "hold everything together!" I always tell my girls that's why I still have a waist at 50, all those years of wearing control top pantyhose and belted pants.

But, I digress. Hmm, what was my point with all of that, I can't recall! Oh yeah, I was trying to find some stuff that would pack without wrinkling for my first official "business trip" on Tuesday. I'm flying down to Boise for municipal clerk training and will be gone until Friday. WAAAHHHHH! I don't wanna go! When did I become a career woman? Yikes, I never wanted it, and I still don't. I am perfectly happy being a secretary, oh, I guess the P.C. term is "Executive Assistant" now. But, I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place because my boss is retiring in about 5 years and she is supposed to be training her replacement and there really is no one else to train but me! So, I just try not to think about it and figure that maybe in five years I will be ready for something new.

Hmm, what else, still missing my little Jace, like always. I can't wait to see him again. My little Jordan and Jayden are so awesome, though, that they make me happy, even though there is an empty place in my heart for the Jacemeister! I need to be taking more pictures, though, because I realized that I haven't been doing that lately and they are growing up so fast. Every minute is precious!

The Big Randoon is sick today. He went out riding his motorcycle yesterday and thinks that maybe he didn't clean out his water pack thingie as well as he should have, and his tummy has been bothering him since last night. I'm not so sure it's that as it is that he hasn't been riding in awhile and it maybe took a lot more out of him that he thought. Time to hit the gym again big time!! :-D

I talked to Joshie today, he sounds really good. He and Stephanie went to the Black Forest this weekend. I am so glad that Stephanie is making him get out and see some sights! They are scheduled to deploy soon. They are all packed up and living out of their "ready boxes" I think is what he said. He can't tell me when they will be deploying, or where, though. Nothing over the phone or the internet! But, he does sound happy. He and Stephanie have been together for I think 9 months now!

Hmm, what else. The world is getting pretty scary, I think. I heard today at church that in the last 10 months the price of wheat has tripled. The long-term effect of that will be, according to the news article that was quoted, that it will affect the cost of over 80% of the things that we buy in the grocery store. That and the gas prices have me feeling just a little nervous. AND, our stupid 401k account has consistently lost money for I don't know how long. We were just this close to 100,000, and then it started losing money, even though we put it 10% of our gross income every month, it is somewhere around 87,000 and has remained in the 80,000's for it seems like the last two years!!!! ARRRRRGGGGHHHH! I know that we are supposed to just leave it alone, but it is sickening to think that the money we are contributing to the account is just disappearing, we aren't even staying steady, we are losing! Where is the almost 10,000 we put in every year going? It makes me ill to even thing about it. I don't know what to do!!! I wish I had a crystal ball that I could look into that would tell me what to do with our money. I want to be smart and everyone says to ride this out, but I'm just so afraid of losing everything!

Whelp, that's about it for me. As I said, alot of nothing! I have pretty much quit on working on the family room for now. I do this every time. I start spending some money on a project and before I know it, the cheap part of me takes over and I start feeling absolutely sick about the money I'm spending and I stop!!! At least the family room looks tons better than it did, and maybe someday when my ship comes in I will have tons of money and not worry about overspending, but for now, I can't take it any more and have reverted back to my penny pincher miserly self for awhile! :-)

Okay, I'm done!

Ooooo, I got new rugs!

Ooo, I'm so excited. I picked up a large area rug and two smaller rugs to scatter about my family room. They are such an EXCELLENT match if I do say so myself! The large rug really anchors the furniture and even though I have putrid blue carpeting, you can at least see where I'm going now! I also have my valances up and I finished painting last night - tonight all I have to do is some touching up of the taupe color here and there, and then put all the paint stuff away for now (I still need to do the doors, but it's too cold to do the garage door because we need to let it stand open for a few days, so the Big Randy said just wait and do them all at once). I did do the trim around them so they just look a little weird, but not horrible. So, today we are probably going to hang some pictures and get things cleaned up a bit. Next is to get another floor lamp, and a cheapo end table and lamp base, and something to put our shoes into, and some silk plants, and etc. etc.!!! It's definitely a work in progress, but you figure I started with nothing, so I've had to get a lot of stuff! We figure if we ever do decide to move and have to pare down, we'll just keep the newer stuff!

But, anyway, I got a LONG email from Josh today and it made me so happy. Although Josh is very bummed about having to deploy again. He said all of the equipment and cars are all packed up and they are just waiting for orders to pack up their rooms. He said Stephanie is even more bummed that he is - she REALLY hates the Army. So, I'm sure it is kind of a sad time for Josh, but I am just looking forward to when he comes back, because then he will be DONE and can get on with his life!

Hmm, what else. Work has been good lately - very busy every day, which is how I llike it! I figure if you have to work, you might as well stay busy and have the day go by faster! I was so happy today, I got to talk to little Jacie and he said, Hi Grammy!!! He is talking so well, it is amazing to me! And Shan said that when he was watching the video of him wrestling with his Papa, that without Shan saying anything about who it was, Jace remembered Randy and said, all excited, "Papa!!" It made Randy feel really good when I told him that!

Can you believe the gas prices! Yikeamolies! I feel so bad for people that are really struggling with their money already. I know I am sure thinking twice about running into town! We went to the Do It Center this evening and I forgot to pick up one of those dark crayons for the scratch on my coffee table, and Randy said why don't you just run back and get it, but I couldn't make myself go, it is such a waste of gas!

Anyway, I've gone on and on about a lot of nothing, so I'll close. When I get the family room picked up and prettified, I'll post some pictures!!

Hmm . . .

Well, I thought I should post another blog, but I can't really think of anything new. Of course, that's the point of a blog - there doesn't have to necessarily be anything new, it's just a bunchof random thoughts and other stuff! Busy day at work today - one of those days that you carry home with you so you come home mentally exhausted. Then the little nubbins were here when I got home because Kelbs was working on a car in our garage, so I got to spend time with them. They are so awesome! I always think of that quote that I heard once that to me totally describes what it is like to be a grandparent - "Grandchildren bring a touch of color to a life that had gone a little gray." Man, that's exactly how it feels! Their little smiles bring sheer joy into your heart. The Big Randy get the biggest kick out of spoiling them too. It's funny, even when they're being bratty they know their Grammy and Papa will let them have whatever they want! And little baby kisses are the greatest. Jayden even gives kisses, although today when I leaned in for a kiss he shoved me away! He just wasn't in the mood I guess! That little boy can sure eat, but just stays so dinky. It's hard to believe he will be 1 year old the end of this month. He looks about 9 months old to me!

The Big Randy hung my curtains today, so now all I need to do to get "caught up" on the family room is finish painting. Then I will kind of move into the "slow acquisition" phase - acquiring accessories, rugs, smaller furniture pieces, etc until the room looks just right. It's not there, yet, but it's coming along! It's kind of cool how the Big Randoon and I have finally fallen into a pattern, I think, of give and take and I feel like we've really been a team lately. I don't know what happened. I used to complain all the time about feeling like I had to do everything around the house, and then I don't know, it's like it finally clicked between us and I do my thing and Randy does his, and we work together. Like Randy does the laundry, and has been folding it also. He washes my car, he cleans up the kitchen occasionally. He sometimes helps with dinner. I just don't feel like I'm doing it all myself - it's like we're working together for the common good. I really appreciate it!

I had an anniversary of my own just about a week ago. Thirty-one years as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints! Wow, a long time ago. And I was thinking to myself the other day that I'm glad I'm still here. Many, many, converts start out strong, and then they peter out, or something happens, or they get offended, or just plain tired. And I have been all of those things, but somehow managed to keep on going, and it is very gratifying to say that I'm still here. I made a commitment to myself when I joined the church that I would stay put, and so far so good. I can honestly say that all of the wonderful blessings that I have in my life I owe to my membership in the church. I have had many opportunities to grow and to stretch my capabilities in areas such as leading and teaching, and organizing, and public speaking, etc., and they have helped me not only in my church service, but also in my life. I have overcome my shyness, well at least partially (do you ever REALLY overcome shyness, I don't think so!), but I have learned to manage and to suck it up and do what needs to be done. It has been a really good thing. So, yay for me, and happy 31st anniversary! :-) I hope and pray that all of my children can say the same thing someday - that they are still here and still strong in the church!