Thursday, July 22, 2010



{Move over Elvis!!
There's a new King of
Rock N Roll in town}


Our looooooong awaited
Kings Of Leon concert finally came Monday night.


It was at the outdoor Usana Amphitheater with perfect weather and beautiful tasty iced cold beer!
The two opening acts were "The Features" and "Built to Spill".
Both were more than enjoyable to listen to.
The crowd was a very laid back, free love, cool groovin kind of crowd.




Amongst the cool groovers was my good buddy Derek!!!
He was lost and lonely with Lisa and the girls left in California.
His neighbors and myself made sure to fill the void with friendship and beer :)



Look who was in the free lovin crowd!!!!
The dude from the Hangover!!!!!!



Isn't there at least one of these in every crowd????
Dweeb ALERT!


The people watching was superb and of course we had to have our usual photo shoot!
We are camera whores...what can I say?

And then like an angel came down and took me to the rock n roll gates of heaven.......

They took the stage.
KOL was baptismal, called upon my spirit, and made me yell Hallelujah thank you baby Jesus!!!


After a few songs,  we just HAD to get closer to the stage!!!!
KOL delirium took over and I had a WTF attitude
(could have been the three Full Suspension Pale Ales too)
so we boldly asked this security guard if he could look at our tickets and pretend that they have a seat number instead of "LAWN SEATS" designated.

He's like, "Yah sure!"

WAHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!


Use Somebody,  SEX ON FIRE.........
OH MY GAWHHHHHHHHH!!!!
I was transformed.  His voice, their music collages, and their great looks had me weak in the knees and begging for more!!!


This review in the Tribune says it all:
And the band's most notable instrument is Caleb's voice, a grizzled, sexy, soulful, whiskey-soaked dagger that snakes through your heart and shakes your hips. On record and on stage, he is one of the most distinctive and believable singers across rock's horizon.

Snakes through your heart and shakes your hips!!!!!



In my top 5 concerts of all time!
I'm officially a KOL bandaid!






Wednesday, July 21, 2010

{Just a voyeur}



Jax has been begging me to drop him off at the local "skate park".
Ya know, the kind of cement park that was made specifically for those who enjoy casts, stitches, oozing abrasions, cracked tail bones, etc.
I promised to take him, but only if I could stay and watch.
He agreed, but with the condition that we act as if we don't know each other.
OK, fine......we shook on it.
I took Miss Kitty, a sun visor, and aviator glasses as my decoys......
I didn't look like a mother worried about her little boy being alone in a big park with all kinds of strange people flying off of stairs and grinding wood on rails!!!!
Hell NO!
My incognito was working!
I looked like a middle aged lady, that loves to walk her cute old lady dog and pick up dog shit with a baggie three times because her old lady senile dog gets the excited poops when she is in new territory!

Jax was feeling anxious about the amount of people and the thoughts that these kids are PRO'S and would totally cream him!  I watched as he held his board in one hand and his helmet in the other, standing by the entrance, hoping for a personal invitation to attend.

I walked around the baseball field a couple times and headed back to check on Jax.
MY HEART STOPPED!!! 
WHERE IS HE?!?!  
WHERE COULD HE HAVE GONE? 
 I WAS ONLY AWAY FOR MAYBE FIVE MINUTES!
OMG!!!! 
I'M GOING BLIND, DEAF, AND READY TO PEE MY PANTS FROM FEAR!!!!!!!!!! 

"JAX!!!!!!
JAX!!!!!!
JAX!!!!!!
PLEASE BE INSIDE THE GATES!!!"

I'm yelling internally to myself.



Just as I am about to ditch my disguise and yell
"CODE  ADAM!!!",
I see Jax at the top of a ramp mustering the courage to roller-fly down it.
There are others whizzing by him showing off their tricks.  It seems that the more Jax see's his competition, the more courageous he gets.
He doesn't know that I am watching.
I have perched Miss Kitty and myself behind a tree sitting Indian style in the grass.
"uh, uh there he goes!!!!"
I excitedly say in a quiet breath.
HE DID IT!  OMG!  HE DID IT!
For the next hour and a half I watched as he mastered a smaller ramp and worked on defeating the larger.  I was thrilled by his way of soaking in moves and technique from seasoned boarders.
He so badly wants to be good at this sport.
"Baby steps", I tell him.....
but I know to myself that Jax doesn't do anything in baby steps. 
It's either do or die
 I always pray it will be the "do".

I watch in amazement of  Jax's driven focus and total lack of concern if people like him or not.
I used to think these were negative traits that would be to his demise.

I am re-thinking this now.......
I envy his power of self-security.

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Hopefully there will not be an emergency room addition to this story :)




Sunday, July 18, 2010


{The power of a new shower}



I have waited almost 5 years to remodel my master shower.
I hated this mold infested glass crap house from the minute we moved in.
It's taken me so long to commit to spending the money because I felt that a new shower would be spoiled luxury on my part.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before: top picture is from our bedroom looking into the bathroom.  There was glass separating the two rooms. 
Tacky and outdated look!


Before: the fugly glass surround shower


Before:  The doorway


We had the door moved over a few feet to make way for a larger shower!!!


Apparently, my "spoiled want" for a new shower became an obvious NECESSITY!
The entire underneath was MOLDY!!!
I swear!! 
 It's no wonder I could never get that sucker clean!!


We had everything covered, but it didn't stop 1" of dust from landing on every surface, corner, level, and crevice of my home!!!



Glass taken out and sheet rock put in it's place.....
OMG!! it's starting to look like a full wall!




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~After pictures.....


We had the mosaic floor start from the doorway as an invitation to the shower.
It feels so spa like!



A ton of shelving with foot shelves on each side for shaving my legs!!!
Oh Yah!!!  I thought that one through!




A 7' shower head.
Randy finally has a shower that he doesn't have to duck under!
That was his only request.


And the final look of the completed wall from inside my bedroom.
I can't wait to decorate with some kind of iron hanging.

We absolutely love how this whole endeavor turned out.  Taking a shower is pure luxury for us, and worth every penny.
Our contractor, Beesley Construction was meticulous, professional, and fair priced.
Keep them in mind for any remodel projects you may have.......

hmmmmmmm
I liked their work so much,
that I think I'm seeing a new pantry in my future.....

Randy, you DID NOT hear that!


Saturday, July 17, 2010

{It aint NO dry heat!!!}


Setting:  Arizona
in July....we are NOT smart people!

The festives started at Chelises ranch o' fun.
River set off for his good buddy Bram's house, and the younger three made the BIGGESTHUGESTGIGANTICEST blanket fort the West has ever seen!
They played in it for days.

Arizona is definitely living up to it's summer reputation of being HOT and miserable.....add a bunch of monsoon humidity and you've got me sweating like a whore in church.
I don't adapt well to heat......the fever blisters on my lips prove my frageeeleeness to the high temps.
NOT pretty....SO not pretty.


There is an amazing area about 10 miles from Chelise that has a natural pool with red rock diving platforms. 
A mile from there are 1600 year old petroglyphs.
Standing four feet away from these ancient stories is breathtaking and almost incomprehensible.


They really aren't sure what the Natives were trying to say through most of their drawings because none of them are in sequence.  They are able to make out the summer calendar, wind storms, birds, and young girls in puberty.



Cash brought his own pictures with him.....
the shark tattoo on the forehead created much talk about how cute he is.
He recanted the comments by picking his nose.....
which is his new 3 year old favorite past time :)
DON'T get him mad, he uses his boogers as a weapon!

OK......
Is this really happening?
Lyrik is already ONE???
It was awesome that we were in town to be able to celebrate his birthday party with everyone.

Just let me prepare you for what you are about to see.........
This is the most angelic, cupid doll face you will ever witness.....
BRACE YOURSELVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Don't say I didn't warn you.



Parker and Sam love this baby, love each other, and are creating a positive wonderful life as a family.
Having our Parker back and seeing his growth and humor and zest for life is miraculous.
I drank up all the time I could with the three of them.


(Lexi and Shelby)

The cutest lil' gals this side of the Mississippi!



Katie's boyfriend, Country (nickname) really is from Mississippi, and has the twang that lives up to his name.




There was swimmin'....and eatin'


dancin' and laughin'



cake smudgin' and present openin'.
ummmmm hmmmmmm! 
That lil' guy sure knows how to throw a partayyyy!

P.S. Cash has his own language,
he calls Lyrik......Lick it :)



Grandma Carol came by for a nice visit.
Her and Ralph are doing well and Carol looks FABulous!
Healthy, happy and in love :)
River is looking forward to spending a couple days with her before his flight home.
(BTW:  River is still in AZ.  Yes, I'm missing him so bad that Bud Light doesn't even mask the pain!  I know he's in great arms and being spoiled rotten, and he is very happy.  Almost too busy to talk to me half the time!  This will be his very first plane ride, and he's going solo!
I will be fine
I will be fine
I will be fine
I have to chant positive words to myself to get through his absence.....
I just can't help it....I love my kid!)




Jax used his camera skills.......



I used my collaging skills :)



The night before we left, we celebrated Chelise's 32nd birthday with cake and ice cream.  The kids were so excited to surprise her.....of course, you know me....Ms. cry baby titty mouse.......I got teared up watching how happy the kiddos were giving Chelise their hand made cards and singing happy birthday.


This was a perfect trip....
kayaking
family time
coffee talk
girl time

I just needed a week to come home and get some good sleep.......we've got round 2 coming next weekend!
The Largent's will be here to celebrate Pioneer Day with us!!!!
I'm gonna show them floats, fireworks and Mormon history like they've NEVER seen!
It's gonna be goooood!




Tuesday, July 13, 2010


{And let the party begin!}


Happy 32nd Birthday
Chelise!

You are strong, beautiful, witty, hilarious, genuine and my soul sister.

I love you

xoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

(I get to spend her birthday with her!!!!  YAY!!! 
 Good times are a comin' I'll tell ya up there in the Verd!)