Defeated

I hate piano.
I hate school.
I hate recess.
I hate home.
I don't want to play.
Why don't my friends want to play?
I won't eat that.
I changed my mind.
I do it!
I can't do it!
I don't want to listen!
I don't want to talk!
I don't want to do anything!

Me neither guys...
Kids 0: Mom -3

2018.09.24 Day #15 The Boys

Last weekend Brett and Calvin went on a Father Son's Campout. Brett told me that Calvin would pick up sticks and whack pretend adversaries. The missionaries there told him that picking up sticks and whacking adversaries is a pretty common activity for all the little boys they see.

2018.09.20 Day #14 Driving Face

Yesterday, I was driving out of my mom's neighborhood to take Calvin on a mommy/son date. While I was heading out I noticed someone driving in the opposite direction into the neighborhood. I could tell the person inside was a girl and she had the biggest smile on her face! I thought... Wow! She is just doing her driving and has the best attitude about it! For the next couple of minutes I thought, you know who that reminds me of... Mikayla. My oldest niece has a seriously infectious smile and zest for living life in a happy way. I rarely see her "down"...

Anywho this person driving with a big smile on her face made me think of Mikayla and her optimistic attitude and made me wonder what my face looks like when I'm driving. Do I have a giant grin? Am I telling the kids to knock it off? Am I air drumming like my Dad? Do I just look bored?

What's my driving face going to be like today?

***Turns out the girl driving was Mikayla, but I honestly didn't know it at the time!

2018.09.19 Day#13 - Insomnia, Insomnia

Title: 4:28 AM

Insomnia, insomnia my dear old friend.
Here we are together.
To be frank I'd rather we parted ways.
But I think our bond is forever.

Insomnia, insomnia we meet again.
During those hours where all is dark.
I wish I could say it was good to see you.
But I'm so tired I can't think of anything that rhymes with dark...

2018.09.12 Day #12 Hair Dos and Hair Don'ts

So I've never had any large attachment to my hair, which means that I have no idea what hairstyle(s) look good on me. I've had a lot of different styles, and today on a whim I decided to do an impulse-perm... kind of like impulse shopping at the store. One was available for free, so I did it.

Here are some photos of the hair evolution through the decades... any thoughts on what looks best are welcomed!

High school - long hair - perm

Senior Pic - Pretty sure this was my first of many big hair chop-off.s 

I kind of bounce between long and this A-line bob a lot...

Of course, the one I cannot find is one that I'd be tempted to try again... I apparently lost all picture proof of it... The inspiration was Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail... Something like, but not quite as cute as this:

I suddenly turned into Meg Ryan! Yes!!!

First short haired perm - I loved it!

2008 - Somewhere in the middle of being engaged for a looooong time.

2011 First significantly short haircut with baby Lindy

2015 Most Recent big chop-off... Before...

After

Same as previous but more "funky"

2016 Most "Boyish" haircut just before Jane

2018 Just now!

2018.09.11 Day #11 - September 11th

I know there are more eloquent people than myself who have written about their memories of 9/11, but it occurred to me that I may not have written much about what I remember and what I experienced for my posterity to read. In efforts to "never forget" and to "bring to remembrance" this tragedy for my kids and grandkids someday, I'll make my short record.

I remember coming in from marching band at Lone Peak High School (we practiced early in the morning). I was putting my mellophone away and getting ready for whatever first period was... more band I think), and someone told me something about airplanes crashing. I remember at the time thinking, "Oh, that's sad..." But I didn't understand at all what was going on. Unfortunately, our band director didn't understand either and had us continue rehearsing while the rest of the school was watching the news.

I don't remember what we did in most of the other classes, but I do remember going to Latin which was only offered at American Fork High School down the street and Ms. Shelley had us watching the news the entire period. I remember that she was frantic because she had friends or family in Washington D.C. and she was trying to contact them, but couldn't get through. I remember all of us having unbelieving faces and just shock. I don't remember anyone crying, but I honestly think we didn't really internalize it yet.

This is what our TV screens looked like at school all day.

I get confused about the timeline of what I witnessed on live television versus what I saw later as rebroadcasts, but I think we may have seen the towers tumble down during that Latin class. And still, it didn't really sink in for me that so many people had just died.

I remember we were hiking Timpanogos Cave for our Young Women's activity that afternoon. I remember my parents were gone for some reason, so I didn't really have adults to talk to until after the activity. I remember thinking it seemed so odd to not see or hear anything in the air. When my parents got home I remember being in our bathroom just sitting looking in the 3-way mirror they have (I don't know why I was doing that... just taking "reflection" a little too literally, I guess). And when they came home, that's when I burst into tears. I was certain that World War III was going to begin. I didn't have any family members in the military, but I still had an irrational thought that my family would be directly affected by this terrorist attack. It worked... I was afraid.

While watching the aftermath though, I remember being so proud of those who helped, those who sacrificed, and those who would go on to serve their country. I remember feeling like this horrible event, really did draw our nation together. I don't feel like that unity has lasted as long as I thought it would. We seem more divided now than we were before 9/11.

And that is why I think it's important to remember and to never forget. Terror drives us apart. Peace, tolerance, service to others, and empathy... that will bring us together - "One nation, under God."

2018.09.10 Day #10 - I can't remember...

I had a thing I was going to write about today...

I thought to myself...

"You should write that down.

That's a good one!"

But I didn't...

So...

...