100 holes

In this new life I'm getting used to new things, Costco being one of them.....I've never been a regular Costco shopper so when Jim "goes to the grocery store" and comes home with something somewhat random, I am still a little surprised.

As I am writing this I am reminded of the day Jim called me a work to ask, "what size pants do you wear?“ my immediate thought was that we ran out of milk and Costco had a killer deal on clothing, and you know what?, the plum capries waiting for me when I got home proved my theory to be correct.

Several weeks ago Jim came home with two bags of tulip bulbs he bought because we were out of pineapple and because they were purple (the tulips) we decided to place them in the basement until the weather cooled enough to plant, which turned out to be today.

After trimming the shrubs and cleaning the flower beds we began digging holes. I had a garden trowel and tulip planter but quickly realized that with small tools this would be no simple task. Jim wanted no part of the garden trowel and retrieve a big boy shovel from the garage. Soon we had as system down where he would pierce the soil and open a small crevice where I would put the bulb in, then he replace the dirt.

After a few minutes of aggressively planting, Jim paused to ask me how many bulbs needed planting,  I told him that each bag of bulbs contained 2 smaller bags of 25 bulbs each, so in total he bought a total of 100 bulbs so we would need to dig 100 holes!

I'm pretty sure this was the first time I had planted bulbs and I am really glad Jim did not buy three bags of bulbs. I'm already excited for spring and for the opportunity of seeing our hard work translated into a carpet of purple tulips.

Are you interested in golfing Saturday?

I am beginning to learn that having a new man in my life involves a reexamination of my skill set. I've learned that in some activities a particular level of mastery is not important, say throwing a load of whites in the washer or picking up a gallon of milk on the way home, for instances, these things are easily accomplished regardless of the aptitude of either person.  It makes no difference whether Jim or I unload the dishes, make the bed, or pick up the living room, the result is the same.

In some things I rock....the wreath I made for the front door is amazing, and it was my idea to take sterno and marshmallows for a s'mores dessert at Friday nights reunion dinner.  I came up with a real neat wall arrangement for some family photographs and artwork, but when it comes to coordinated physical activity (sports) I really suck! And Jim is really quite good.

It wasn't until I was about an hour into getting my trash kicked in ping pong that I learned that Jim was the champion of his school while in the sixth grade, and has owned a ping pong table most of his life.  He plays racquetball three mornings a week so you can imagine the damage he did to me the morning we went down to the park to play tennis.  He hardly broke a sweat the last time we decided to run a timed 5K, while I was panting like a dog, then today he tells me that there will be a group of Gillman's golfing at the family reunion this weekend and asks me if I am interested in going, my response was not only NO, it was HECK NO!

Marrying an athletic man has really illuminated just how poor I am in this area, something I really did not expect to find out about myself, and I know it is not a competition, but how can it not be? I am me.

Paint by Number

A couple of weeks ago when Lacie was visiting she mentioned that I should paint one of the kitchen walls red, reconsider my cabinet hardware, update my kitchen faucet, find a new home for my newly purchased (antique) china hutch, and restyle the island. All of this in a relatively newly built home I have live in just eight weeks (since marrying Jim)! I was a little overwhelmed and decided to grab some paint samples while at the home improvement store this weekend.

After looking at the samples for a few days, I have definitely come up with a favorite, and then I had a thought, "what is the perfect color ISN'T among the four samples I have chosen?" I need to find a color that will work well with the existing kitchen walls, in fact, I need a color that will actually compliment the existing walls, what if I haven't given myself the right colors to choose from?

Then somewhere in my search for the perfect red I remembered that my Math Professor told me that calculus is used in every day life and I remembered that each color had its hex code based on the amount of primary red/green/blue it contains. In order to find the perfect kitchen red, I would need to find the hex code of the existing walls (Sand Trap 187/167/149), run those values though a color wheel program and mathematically determine what color would analogically accented.

The results? Sherwin Williams 7585, Sundried Tomatoes, which isn't even close to the four samples I started with!

Sunday Breakfast

Last last night I found out Mike and Lacie (and baby Lillie) were planning on dropping by this morning......I decided to break out the waffle maker and extended a last minute invitation to Nicolas and Ashelyn (and baby Addy).

What resulted was a home full of family, a kitchen full of food and some great Sunday memories. Pictured below are some of my favorite people.

Post It

I'm still a little surprised when alone in the house I find a a Post It note attached to the bathroom mirror, fridge, car, or dryer. This subtle reminder helps to reinforce to me that I am in a healthy relationship with an amazing guy (the notes are always positive) who cares deeply for me.

Forty Weeks

Last Tuesday prior to a Logan road trip I had to BEG Lacie to let me take a photo of her, let me explain....I wanted Aunt Judy to have the opportunity to see the Little Princess in utero but Lacie was so paranoid about going into labor two hours from home that she was reluctant to commit to the trip.  Up until the time that I pulled in front of the house I wasn't sure she would really get in the car. I packed my camera with a second agenda, I wanted a photograph of my daughter on one of the very last days she would spend being without a child because somehow as the days move forward and she becomes Lillie's mother, it feels like she is less my child.

Fast forward seven days and today I got my camera out (again) to record the very last days she would spend without a child (again).  As Lacie and I were running errands I asked her if it bothered her that people look at her and mentally think, 'Wow, that lady looks like she is going to pop!' Lacie said no, not really, but if she had it to do over again she would have worn a shirt that says, 'induction scheduled.' This is what amazing looks like at 40 weeks.

Murdock Canal bike ride

Jim and I have been walking the recently completed Murdock Canal trail each morning before going to work. I believe the trail begins (or ends, depending on your direction of travel) at the mouth of Provo Canyon and extends north to Cabelas then eventually ties into the Jordan River Parkway near the county line.

Today we decided expand our view by breaking out the bicycles and riding south. The trail if relatively flat (it is built above the canal) and meanders through some very pristine land on the east bench of Utah County. I am not exaggerating when I say that the ride was amazing! The view was outstanding! And the company superb! I hope to spend many more mornings on this trail.

Mexican Cemetery at Xcaret

One of the highlights in our day at Xcaret, an eco-archaeological theme park located on the Mexican Riviera, was a visit to the Mayan village including a church and cemetery.  I appreciated the effort to locate the church on the highest point of the park which felt a little reminiscent of the saints building their temples on the hill when ever possible.  The Mexicans have a playful attitude towards death as evident in the Day of the Dead celebration October 30 to November 2nd. This cemetery is also located on a hill with a circular path leading to the top.  The over 350 tombstones are both creative and whimsical and Jim and I enjoyed choosing out our favorites among the many delightful plots.

Wedding photos preview

Cross your fingers, I hope this thing works....this is a snippet of the amazing wedding photos taken by Becky Leonard.  Please take a moment to read this blog post, she is an amazing photographer and in less than 45 minutes she captured some beautiful images of this important day for us.


http://beckyleonardphotography.blogspot.com/2013/07/jim-and-lauana.html

Grabbing the brass ring

Well, my wedding merry-go-round gained steam with a letter from the First Presidency and a phone call to the Mount Timpanogos Temple on June 2nd to schedule our sealing.  Jim and I had gave up trying to find a date that would be memorable (like 6-7-13 or the anniversary of our first date).....we had exactly 3 days in June that would work for all involved, and the sinking feeling that we may have to delay this event until late July.

Fortunately, our first choice was available (after all who gets married at 7pm?) and with a date finalized, we set out to find a wedding dinner venue, schedule a wedding photographer, have wedding invitations printed (are they really suppose to me mailed out 6 weeks prior?, take an engagement photo (for the announcement), etc.

If putting a wedding together in three weeks wasn't work enough, my company transferred me to a store in Utah County which was to begin June 9th.  As the department manager my first task is to be ready for an inventory that is schedule two days prior to the wedding.  In order to understand what product I would be accounting for, I spent the first several days moving archived files to long term storage and throwing out the out of date items, now I can get a clear view of the merchandise. It seriously took me three full days to find the results of last quarters inventory and in the two shifts remaining until inventory I will attempt to be ready for this count.  Inventory day is also the day I have my final wedding dress fitting and the movers will move me to my new home.

Moving! Man this is a lot of work. Today I am either feeling my age or the effects of the three days I spent cleaning at work.  I just finished packing up the kitchen with commits me to fast food for the next nine days, but the upside is that I won't have to worry about washing dishes. The rest of the weeks schedule is so tight that I truly just have today to get the house packed, move stuff to storage, and to the DI, and get packed for the honeymoon, and in all this flurry of activity I keep reminding myself that this is the best part of the ride. All I really need to do now is reach out a little bit and grab onto that brass ring. There isn't any other place I would rather be right now.

Cable woes, et al

I've begin making those dreaded correspondences to ensure that the utilities and such here in Salt Lake are terminated and that any of the business' I am associated with will know I am living in Cedar Hills.

The worst phone call by far was the one to Comcast.  To begin with, even when successfully navigating the phone tree, it is difficult to get someone on the phone to take this request.  When I finally was able to tell Shaniqua that I wanted my service disconnected her response was, "If you don't mind me asking, why would you want your service shut off?" I told her I was moving and her response was, "won't you need the service in your new place?" to which I firmly stated, "I'm moving out of the area" to which she replied, "to somewhere without cable????" When I said yes, she asked, "do you know of anyone who will be living at unit #312 who will want this service?" No, No, No, please just turn it off. And yes, you can email me a copy of my final bill and no, I am not providing you my new address.

Ok, one down. Next Questar, then Rocky Mountain Power, the post office and my church.  On June fifth I informed my landlord that I would not be renewing my lease which is due to expired on July 31st. I explained to him that I would be out sometime early July and suggested he begin showing the unit as quickly as possible to secure new renters. I received from him a stern email reminding me that July's rent was due in full July first regardless of the day I choose to move out and that although I paid first and last months rent upon moving in and a $1250.00 security deposit I was in no way allowed to use any of those monies for the rent in July.  All of which I was already aware of, I too have a copy of the contract.

I wonder if it occurred to my landlord that I could have paid July's rent as planned, moved out when convenient, allowed the contract to expire and let him find out for himself the unit was vacant sometime after August 5th when the new rent became past due.  And here I was just trying to be nice.

Welcome to Happy Valley!

It seems a bit surreal to be returning to Provo to work after the twenty (plus some more) years that had lapsed since I first lived in Utah County. I can definitely say that some things are much the same as I remember them.  For instance: the adult to minor ratio is the same, the jokes about BYU coeds haven't changed at all and everyone seems to be......happy. I do find it a little of that mobs of people swarm the snow shack for crushed ice treats in Utah County while no one in Salt Lake County has ever been seen standing in front of these buildings.
Right now I'm not sure what to make of the 40 minute commute to work but luckily that will change in a few short weeks and my migration to Happy Valley will be complete.  So here's to my transfer, yippee!

Engagement Photos

A night of Thriller at Kingsbury Hall 

Awaiting a helicopter ride at the Grand Canyon

For the last several months I have been trying to take photos of Jim and I in hopes of having a record of the months we have spent dating, engaged and finally waiting for temple clearance to get married. I also reasoned that when we got around to sending out wedding announcements it would be nice to have one good shot of the two of us. In the last 10 months I have determined that one or both of us are not very photogenic......here are some of the photos that are NOT going in the announcements.

On our way to a Christmas concert at the conference center in Salt Lake

The Roof at the Joseph Smith Building January 26, 2013

Unfortunately, it looks like a good photograph of the two of us will need some professional intervention. 

Door Code #5412

I wanted all those blog followers and internet stalkers to know that I am out of town for the weekend. Everything of value Ashelyn moved out when Nicolas got home and my refrigerator is still an empty box I pay to chill. So if you think there is anything in my apartment you think you need, by all mean please stop by and take it.

Jim bought tickets to Mary Poppins at the Tuachan so our mini vacation is in Saint George this weekend.  We are spending the afternoon at the temple, then onto dinner and a movie. Tomorrow we are biking through Zions Canyon, swimming and going to the play and Sunday we are at odds as to if we will be planning something for the morning hours or just heading home for some much needed rest.

The gem I've discovered thus far is the quilt store located next to our hotel. Jim's back at the room changing his clothes so I'm sure I don't have time to fully investigate the store at this time, but I can guarantee that I will find time in the next two days to do some shopping. BTW: I'm giving that fiancee of mine two bonus points for his choice of hotels especially considering the proximity of the quilt store.

A Soldiers Homecoming

I realize that I am a little late in this information but I wanted

 to include on my blog, a video that Nicolas' father-in-law made within the very first moments of his return to Utah after his deployment to Kuwait. 

In the last year plus that I have gotten to know Ashelyn, she has spoke warmly of both of her parents and I have enjoyed the time we have spent first counting the days, then celebrating this common milestone together.  This video was produced by Dave Braun and posted on his web site www.seekingoohla.tv (don't try to click on the link, I'm pretty sure it doesn't work), his comments accurately capture the feeling of that day.

How To: Play Station 2

I was cleaning closets today, maybe just one closer, and maybe just one shelf in the one closet and I found some of the letters Nicolas sent to me while he was away on his mission, in basic training, and while deployed. The particular letter (with color illustrations) is the instructions on how to play station 2 by N Arthur Downs.

1. Turn off TV and PS2 (switch on back)
2. Make sure plus are in right spot!
3. Turn on TV FIRST! Then PS2
4. Flip though 'input's till yo find a different screen!
5. Use the 'X' Burton as an enter, select, or play button. Use (diagram of star shaped buttons) as arrows
*parental pass code* 0000 I dunno why I have that!
Get popcorn, flipz, blanket and enjoy!

I don't remember when watching TV became do complicated, I think I was having problems watching a movie on DVD (I don't have a DVD player), so Nicolas was tutoring me though the process. Since that play station 2 lesson I have learned how to watch Netflix on playstation and I learned how to hook my laptop to the television to watch internet content on the big screen.

Thank you soon son for the comprehensive tutorial, having you is like having tech support on speed dial.

An empty nest

Sometime last week Ashelyn showed up at my house with a stack of boxes and proceeded to pack my son into cardboard cubicles. As painful as it was to watch, I'm not holding this against her....in fact, I realize that my pain is her joy and I guess deep down inside it is my joy as well.

In 'The Poisonwood Bible' the author notes that 'a Mother will always mother their youngest child' which may be why a part of me wants to resist my son moving out. A far more acceptable reason is that I know that my ability to mother Nicolas ended about the same time Nicolas realized his Mother needed mothering. It will be hard for me to live in that world where my son isn't constantly worrying about his mother.

Yet, Ashelyn has proved to be a wonderful companion to my son, and tonight as she began moving the boxes to the truck I couldn't help but feel a little jealous of her. And as I thought of my son returning from a year long military deployment to a home that Ashelyn has so carefully prepared, I couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Nicolas, as well.

An empty nest might refer to the bedroom your child leaves behind, but it in no way describes how your heart feels when you see your child step into their new and wonderful life.  Somewhere admits all these tears I am happy for the two (three) of them.  Ashelyn needs the support of her husband and Addalyn needs her father at home.

Your grandmothers bed

Last weeks visit to Eurotreasures put me in a mood to shop....so I thought I would look online for a gently used Dyson or something I couldn't live without and ended up finding the headboard/footboard that matches the dresser and nightstands I purchased in 1991.

So the solid oak bedroom set I own was manufactured by Lexington Furniture Company and was called Victorian Mansion, at the time I did not have the money for the complete set and over the last 20+ years I have used several rod iron or brass beds to complete the room.  With the advent of the internet I have tried to find the matching bed but have mostly found pieces here and there across the country with no one interested in shipping the furniture to Utah, and how cost effective is a drive to Wisconsin anyways?

Earlier this week I found an ebay listing too good to be true, a reasonably priced queen size bed, owned by a firm willing to crate and ship the product.  And then my anxiety kicked in.  What if Jim didn't want to sleep in a victorian mansion? Maybe my furniture was going in the basement, and what is wrong with the current metal bed frame I am using?

I called Jim to ask him what the money threshold was for individual purchases without first consulting a spouse and he assured me that so long as I kept my purchases below $10,000.00 I was free to purchase whatever I felt was necessary, WHEW! what a relief that was, the bed would certain stay below my spending limit :-) and then Jim talked about how the furniture would be distributed when I moved in and set my mind at ease about me making this purchase. Then I hung up the phone, went online and hit BUY.  And with a click of a button I made our first purchase as a couple. I love ebay, and I love you Jim.

Finally, antique season

There is something very promising in the longer days of spring, and the reawakening of nature in our gardens.
I welcome spring in the chance it gives me to evaluate the clutter I've accumulated throughout winter and to let go of those material possessions I felt I just 'had to have' just a few months ago.

Of course with spring comes the chance to head out to all my favorite shoppes in hopes of finding a special treasure to make a part of my life. Today I made a stop at Eurotreasures, a place that will become a second home as I make my new residence in Cedar Hills.

A sneak peek

Here is a sneak peek at the wedding band Jim will be wearing at some undisclosed time in what I hope to be the not do distant future.  We opted for a 24 carat white gold band with minor decorative etchings and I only hope he is as thrilled with his ring as I am with mine.

What not to wear on your wedding day

In an attempt to scream out to the universe that I want to be married....sometime soon.....I decided to get a wedding dress selected so that when the determined day arrived, I would be prepared.  I was grateful to have a camera readily available because these dresses did not look the same in the mirror as it did on film.

 At the time, I thought I liked this dress, the bling at the waist complimented my silver wedding shoes and the lace at the hem really seemed to capture my personality, I also realized that this dress was much too predictable and somewhat deary. 

I really liked the square neckline of this dress and the silver trim on the waist lace was a plus, unfortunately I hated the drop waist and and I the diagonal thing across skirt made me feel like I was wearing a marshmallow.

Obviously, I will not be wearing either of these dresses at the wedding! but that doesn't mean I went home empty handed, you will need to come to the ceremony to see what dress I selected.

Meeting Grandma with Gillman

Several weeks ago at the Gillman Family Dinner, Grandma Gillman (Jim's Mother, my soon to be Mother-in-law) mentioned that she had made Addelyn a baby quilt she intended on sending home with me.

I immediately knew that I wanted my new family to meet my other new family and in stealth I arranged to have a girls day road trip with Ashelyn and Baby A, so the two could meet the other two of them. Without the help of GPS (no small feat) I drove straight to the Gillman Manor and watched as the two new great grandparents gave hugs and love to their new great grand daughter.  I also got to see Ashelyn receive a beautiful handmade quilt from an extraordinary woman who's life, our lives have recently intersected.

I marvel at the quality of women in my life and treasure the opportunity I have to be in their company. Thank you Grandma Gillman for providing the catalyst that put us together this day.

A poem to start my day

I don't want to embarrass the new man in my life, and I hope this does not do so, but this morning Jim sent me a text that brought a smile to my face and I thought that documenting it here in my blog would give it the credence it deserves.

THE INVERSION IS BACK. THE DAY LOOKS A BIT MUSTY.

I'M DUSTING OFF MY POETRY...SO IT DOESN'T GET RUSTY.

I WOKE UP THIS MORNING WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE.

BUT ONE MORE DAY CLOSER TILL YOU'LL BE MY BRIDE.

SO HOLD ONTO THAT THOUGHT CAUSE IT MAKES ME FEEL HAPPY.

AND SILLY ENOUGH TO WRITE POEMS THAT ARE A BIT SAPPY.

SO I HOPE THAT THIS MORNING YOU'RE THINKING OF ME.

AND YOU LOOK FORWARD TO A DAY WHEN MY WIFE YOU'LL BE. 

I hope this poem also put a smile on your face.

The left hand ring

I woke up in the middle of the night with my left hand all twisted up in the sheets and pillow and after a few minutes remembered that the foreign object of concern causing me grief was my new engagement ring. When the bedding was  finally squared away, I was thankfully able to quickly fall back to sleep.

When Jim proposed marriage, I wasn't too keen on the idea of wearing the ring prior to the ceremony, my reasoning being that Jim would not be wearing his...but Jim is a traditional sort of gentleman and assured me that while he would wait, I should not! I am glad I decided to start wearing this ring now, because when I look down I am reminded that someone very amazing loves me enough to spend the rest of their life with me.

My Happiness

I was recently reminded of the amazing future that lies before me and the promise of endless possibilities yet to be realized. I feel as if I have accomplished so much in my life thus far and I sometimes I am in awe of what still lies ahead of me, certainly this life continues to give and give and give me wonderful experiences.

Here's to another chapter in my fairy take.

My Part-time Job

It has been decades ago since I was asked to babysit, I'm pretty sure it was the 70'a when the going rate was a dollar an hour (not per child, just per hour).  Some of the families I babysat for would pay me a little extra to straighten the house, or clean the kitchen, although I quickly learned that in most cases if housekeeping was mentioned, the house was probably filthy beyond acceptable health standards.

I was thrilled and somewhat nervous when Ashelyn asked if I would be willing to babysit grandbaby Addalyn for a few hours each week as she embarks on her new adventure. Ashelyn takes care of her daughter with such a patient and kind touch that I was worried that if Addalyn became agitated I would not be able to soothe.

With the first hour gone, Addalyn asleep on the floor in front of the fire and me reading in my comfy chair, it looks like I have this babysitting thing all figured out.

Mother Knows Best

Several months ago in discussing life events and world peace, Lacie and I found ourselves on different sides of an issue close to our hearts. We each took our turn making a case for why we thought our views were correct and regardless of what I said, Lacie would not back down in her opinion.  

Which is exactly what I love about my daughter, she is not afraid to voice her opinion and will provide evidence in support of her thoughts. On this particular issue she was so sure of her opinion that she was willing to make a wager to prove to me that she was right.

Unfortunately for Lacie, in this case Mother knows best, and now I've got a 

Franklin living in MY wallet, instead of hers.