march madness

The flooded house caused more damage than at first thought... and being an older home other problems were uncovered as we peeled away the layers of wet soggy home. We have been living in a hotel for a month now. The excitement is wearing off. Darren said to think of it as Eloise at the Plaza. I thought of Coach Majerus speaking about the best thing about living in a hotel: "There's clean towels, my bed's turned down every night and there's a mint on my pillow, no matter what psychological or emotional crisis the maid's going through." It's not too bad. It is just exhausting. An onslaught of decisions to make each day. It is weird to be without "home." It feels lonely... no visitors, no family around.

I list the positives:
We are all safe and healthy.
We don't have to sleep in the dust and chaos.
The insurance pays for the accommodations.
I pretend I am living in a high rise in a big city, the desk manager my doorman.
I have breakfast everyday.
I can sit in the hot tub every night.
Room service is cool.

What I am really missing is a home-cooked meal. I can't wait for my new range with a 24" griddle. My mouth is watering waiting in anticipation.

What makes me happiest is talking to my two year old nephew 2-3 times a week. This makes no sense but the conversation goes like this.

me: hi mango (he loves this nick-name, go figure)
him: no, you are mango.
me: no, you are mango.
him: no, you are mango.
me: no, you are mango.
him: no, you are mango.
...continue for five or more minutes...
me: I am going to eat you up mango.
him: no, I am going to eat mango.
...continue...
me: I love you mango.
him: I love you mango. Where is you?
me: I am in Utah at my house/hotel.
him: can I go there?
me: anytime mango.
him: I miss you mango.
me: I miss you too mango.
him: no, you are mango.
...and so it goes...

...and I love it...

this song suits the conversation...



happy spring... pics from st. john coming soon.

what goes around comes around

We have been in St. John, "where every day is different and every day is perfect." I came up with that motto all by myself. We went on another beach vacation with our friends the Anderson's. I'll post more about it later. I love the water and the moist air. We got home at 1:00am last night. A pipe had broke in our upstairs bathroom and ran for two days. A waterfall into the kitchen, and dining room, and sitting room. Arrrrghhh! As a pirate would say. Chase took care of moving the furniture and getting someone in to tear out the sheetrock and carpets. I'm left with the moist air and water. Isn't that what I wanted?

time since...21 months

Darren's Hobble Creek Restoration: new life

I measure time by the day it happened. I say to myself, she has three months left. Did I smile with her that time? Did she run her fingers through my hair? Did she look at my children with that awe that was hers alone? Was I angry that day? I get stuck. I wrap my heart gently in brightly colored cloth. Protection. A happy outside image. Some days I let the rawness peak out from that gentle cover. Emotion. I feel you. It is tender. I ponder what the dialogue is for dad. Wrap it up tight. How could it possibly happen? Accident. It is a slicing word. Go back. How are you physically present one moment and then gone? Where did you go? I still hear your voice. You are so close. Stay. While I figure it out one more time, and then another, and yet another.

everyday blah blah blog

My friend's beautiful daughter is theirs!!! She always has been, but the adoption is signed sealed and official. It has been nearly four years of agonizing court cases and character assassinations and... ahhh forget it. It's OVER. What an emotional few hours in the court room. The right thing finally happened. We all had faith that it would, however wavering at times.
I love you guys!

See this movie {above} if you have young adult men in your house and you can never agree on a movie to watch together. Doesn't sound like it would be interesting but it is very clever and it keeps their attention: a sort of afterlife tale much like the one below but DO NOT see this movie.
It is actually the closest I have come to vomiting during a movie. I have read Alice Sebold's Lucky and related to her story, but this movie version of her words was tiresome and sickening. It really made me hate her for writing it. Strong words, but it provoked strong emotions.

Yes, the Saints won the Super Bowl! Oh YES THEY DID! I love New Orleans... Bourbon Street and all. {Jazz at Maison Bourbon is the best} To quote my favorite New Orleans native, Harry Connick Jr. "It will be the best thing she ever saw, take her to the Mardi Gras."

...but did anyone else notice a repulsive theme to several of the Super Bowl commercials... such as whiny weak men in their underwear. Who wears underwear like that? I actually was missing the male chauvenist stereotype stereotypically objectifying women. Can you believe I just said that. The scene captured at the end with Drew Brees and his tiny son made up for it. That was a real man, father, son moment.

Land posted this on his facebook and it makes me laugh.

I miss when they {Land, Colton, Logan at 12} would sing the Andy Milonakis theme song at skate comps. Yeah, I'm shallow most of the time, but deep when I need to be.

And of course I must put the clip of the "winning team, losing team" chant at the Aggie game last Saturday when they played Nevada. Season tickets this year are the best deal in town. It's awesome at the Spectrum!



And another thing, it's almost Valentine's so I must post Bill the super Aggie fan posing as cupid, causing missed foul shots. I tell you - the student's at USU are brutal. It is a trip.



And have a good one!

super size

This guy had a birthday and I tried the freezer paper stencils to create him a personalized shirt. That is Darth Vader in the star. It's so obvious.