These cute married kids came early and made me happy just by being there. There was a lot of yummy food and they ate it.
These same two want two of my chairs painted cute for their cute little apartment. What fun!
This little dog didn't bark much when Britni had her on a leash and walked with her.
This cute little cat wanted part of the action.
When I looked up in the sky and saw this sight, I gasped loudly with delight. I am glad I had my camera in my hands! Perfect!
I have two older sisters and two younger sisters (and one younger brother). One of my cute younger sisters and her husband (and two girls and a boy fetus) is moving away from Utah and back to Tuscon, Arizona. So, today we had Sunday dinner in their honor to say good bye.
My parents came (they live just a few miles away).
My husband had grill duty. He also helped me clean the house and set up tables, chairs and a canopy (if you say that fast it sounds like... can of pea or pee).
These little cousins had fun together (well one is my niece and the rest are actual cousins (daughters and a son of two of MY nieces). Adorable.
This little one is quite the mama's girl. Very cute.
This one wasn't smiling but I got a hint of a smile and a great shot of a cute little girl.
This one likes to pose.
Most of us ate outside and some of us ate inside.
This one is a darling baby (third girl) of one of my nieces.
Chris and Amanda are cute and adorable.
We moved this cute little dresser into Sheyla's room. We have been playing musical beds and furniture, much to Jeff's chagrin. Remember this here?
I'm done with the shelf. Here is the before.
Here is the after.
I'm still in the process of finishing the room. I've only spent money on paint and about $20 for Britni to fix the frame and glass of a large picture (she did an amazing job). Everything else we already had and/or I've just re-purposed it. I'm going to try my hand at abstract art to get some color in here. It will be an experiment. Davis seems pleased with his room so far, although he hasn't said anything. Occasionally, he will just smile when I show him something new in his room. That's enough for me.
Yesterday, I went to lunch with Jeff. We don't get to go together very often so it really was a treat! Jeff was craving Pizzeria 712. So, we went and it was good!
I have been listening to and loving Billy Joel lately. I love the beautiful and sweet song "And So It Goes". I could sing that song to Jeff, if I could sing. But if I were to choose an anthem for me today, it would be "This Is The Time" because I have been thinking much lately about how fast the time has gone by already. We have been married nearly 24 years, the kids are growing up so fast and it nearly takes my breath away by the speed of things. I want to savor every precious moment!
These are from Saturday. It's easy to be grateful with views like this. I AM grateful to live in such a beautiful place.
The car that Chris uses, broke down Sunday night and was left on the side of a road twenty minutes away. I had to pick him up at his girlfriends house. I let him use my car after I had a meeting during the day that I had to cut short, and later, I took him to work 35 minutes away. Jeff picked him up after work.
Davis painted one cuff on Friday. I painted many (too many).
Davis did help get some things ready for Saturday.
It was a very hot but beautiful day. It was our city's celebration day that just happened to have a craft faire. We only sold five cuffs. Luckily the booth was free.
It made Davis happy for part of the day. It was a long hot day.
Davis comes up with ideas of new inventions or new money making plans nearly everyday and usually it's about 20 new ideas each day. So, it was with some excitement when he saw Christopher's girlfriend sell some leather cuffs at a farmer's market. But this time I thought there was some possibility for Davis to sell something he could make (it is very cost prohibitive and technically impossible to sell solar panel cars or backpacks or tents when you don't have cheap access to the supplies nor the knowledge to make such items).
So he has been practicing putting snaps on pieces of cut, vintage leather belts. Our town is having a craft faire tomorrow and the booths are FREE so I thought that would also be the perfect reason for Davis to try his hand in selling something. But he has had some frustration with the snaps. We ordered some on line from the Tandy Leather Company but it's not so easy for this 15 year old kid to get the hang of putting on these snaps. So, yesterday I drove all the way up to Salt Lake City to the Tandy Leather Company to buy some more snaps and see if I could learn how to do it myself (Davis was in school). I went up there and the people at the store were very nice and super helpful. I got a great lesson in putting on the snaps and stamping raw leather and now, I feel I can help Davis with the cuffs.
We only have a few pre-made cuffs because if you wait till the fair then you can custom make them for the individual and they can pick the piece they want. It's quite brilliant, but it's not our idea.
Here is the letter I sent to the coaches of the High School Football team:
Davis has wanted to play football for a long time. We thought it was too late for him to sign up for school football. We went to the school to register yesterday and Davis told someone that he wanted to play football. Well, she was the right one to tell because she then got him the paperwork and told us he'd have to get a sports physical to practice today. She also took him to meet with the coach.
We went to the InstaCare yesterday but they said insurance won't cover sports physicals. But the front desk got Davis an appointment with his primary care physician for 8:15 this morning. He was to be at the school by 9:30. We were there by 9:00. Davis took the paperwork to the coach, by himself, who told him he needed to take it to the office and get a receipt. So we did. Davis then took the receipt to the coach, by himself, and then about 10 minutes later he came out a side door dressed in a uniform and walked out to the field. For Davis, this is a huge task. We talked to him about how hard it's going to be and that he may only get to play in practice. He said he didn't care and that he really wanted to play football. Today on the way to the school, he said, "I will be so happy if I can play football."
We are going to encourage and help Davis play football as much as we can. The rest is up to him and he's already come a long way just by walking across the field and sitting with the team.
Yesterday I noticed on the mountains, very small areas where the leaves are starting to turn colors. I have noticed in the nine years we have lived here, that mid-August is when the first signs of fall begin to appear. It always makes me a little sad. I do love fall but I love summer more and it means that it's getting closer till it snows.
I am done with two of the four chairs. I originally got the chairs for Britni. She said she wanted to help me with the redo but was always very busy (understandably). Just a week before they got married and days before they moved their stuff in their apartment she told me they needed a small square table because their kitchen is so small (it is very, very cute). Instead of redoing these chairs for Britni, we got them a small square table from Ikea with two cool chairs. I thought I'd put these two chairs in Davis's room in case he has a friend over that needs a chair too. So far for Davis's new room, I have only spent money on paint.
I do like how the chairs turned out. I even used left over material from Ikea from years ago.
My boys leave things lying around all the time and it nearly drives me nuts! Yesterday when I first saw the guitar I was thinking, "Can't they put anything away?" Then, I looked at it more closely and it struck me how beautiful it was sitting there against the white painted chest. I thought it looked like a piece of art right there in my entryway. I also thought about when Jeff plays the guitar and how happy it makes me to hear him play. I thought of Chris and how he makes up the cutest songs that really could be played on the radio. I thought of Davis who has struggled with the guitar and has taken lessons for the last two years. He is playing better and trying to make up his own songs. All that within just seconds and it made me smile.
On Monday (my birthday) I finished painting Davis's new room (Britni's old room). It's tan, I know (it was purple, so I HAD to paint it for Davis), but it is more grown up and neutral. I also finished painting this desk on Wednesday night. I got it from DI for $15 years ago (it was in Britni's closet) and I'm just getting around to painting it. I should have taken a before picture because this is a transformation, I assure you.
These shelves I have yet to paint for his room. This IS the before picture. These shelves (which were originally dark stained) are the first furniture purchase we made together as a young married couple. Not the best but it went well with our hand-me-down plaid sofa and orange recliner. It's true. I painted these shelves for Davis when his room was blue with a touch of orange. At the time I thought it was cute. Now I think it is atrocious!
For now we have a twin bed in the room because our Nephew is staying with us for several days before he moves into his new apartment. He is using the full bed, in Sheyla's room. He is about 6 feet 5 inches. So even the full bed is too small for him but not as small as a twin bed. The twin bed is too small for Davis who is 6 feet 1 inches but he's shorter than his cousin. I have many creative plans for this room. Now, I just need to work on them! School starts on Wednesday!
We have many yummy tomatoes and only a few cucumbers from our garden! Yum!
Sheyla is sounding much better. She is getting pretty feisty and I think that is a good thing. Boy, do I really miss that girl.
There was wildlife everywhere in Yellowstone. We didn't get to see a moose, however, and that makes me a little sad.
That is an American Bald Eagle.
This is just a lovely shot after a nice day. There is some sort of bird in that bare tree.
