It's like this...

Some have asked me to post pictures of our new home. Some don't care. I understand. How often have you been forced to watch someone's home movies---or in this era of oversharing---home videos of a birthday party or a party in which people do some purdy weird stuff or videos taken in a birthing suite at your local hospital. In my defense--I have not posted videos of me dancing on tables with lampshades on my head, nor do I plan on doing so as no such videos of me exist. Yes, I managed to erase them all before they fell into the wrong hands. No, I didn't keep copies. Yes, I am kidding. So here are some indoor pictures of our lovely new abode. We are loving it here. This is our upstairs living room. The wood floors are wonderful. Large windows with no curtains because no one is anywhere near us to be able to look in. Just lovely trees, squirrels and birds. Peaceful! And the stockings were hung on the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nick, soon would ...

There are so many things that I do not understand. Like, how does a radio work? Or a television? Why can't we breathe under water or fly like the birds? Why does peanut butter and chocolate taste so darn good together? Why do some people make the same mistake over and over and over and over and over and.....well, you get the picture. I. Do. Not. Understand. It makes no sense to me. I figuratively scratch my head. I shake my head. I bang my head against the wall, but all that does is give me a headache and does not solve the problem of the person DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESULT!! It's just a teensy weensy bit frustrating for me, as you may have guessed. I'm a fairly easy going, patient person. I am thankful that everyone has choices in life to make. Your choices determine where you're going. Choices are good. You can always choose what to do---you cannot always choose the consequences of your choosing. Sometimes...

Turn on the tube, whadda I see, a whole lotta people crying don't blame me...." I need to stop reading/watching the news. It's depressing. I find myself worrying about people I don't know, in places I've never been and wondering how I can live with myself in such a beautiful home, with enough food to eat when there are people out there suffering. It doesn't make for restful sleep at night. I have an overactive sense of guilt---even for things I haven't done. Ever have a police car come up behind you and follow you for a bit? Does your adrenaline kick in? Even if you haven't done anything wrong? Yeah, me too. I don't know why. I would make a terrific Catholic, or so I hear. Suicide bombers randomly murdering innocent civilians due to some misguided religious fervor and the promise of nubile young women on the other side of that explosion, babies suffocating accidentally as they slept in their parents' bed" , A drunk driver ...

Yes, yes we is. The rooms here are full of boxes and crates and bags and I want to know why all those nice young men brought all this stuff inside but didn't stick around to unpack them? I even fed them pizza!! Yeah, I know. I am VERY thankful for all the help we received on Saturday. It was a Herculean effort, to be sure. Now our cat lives under our bed. He refuses to come out. Not eating, not drinking and of course if nothing is going in then nothing is coming out. It's not like he's sick. He's simply terrified. I don't blame him. This place looks nothing at all like the one he's been living in for the past three years. We do hope he comes out soon. Our doggie is much less frightened. She's anxious. Follows me everywhere. Lays on my feet. I've uprooted her from her home and she's not quite sure what's going on but as long as her humans are with her, she's just fine. I cannot find the box with my shoes in it so I a...

I spent it in bed. Mostly. I tried to go to work but alas, I was feeling seriously rotten so stayed an hour and then went home. I slept most of the time. I'm sure I needed it. Everyone wanted to take me to lunch, and when I say 'everyone', I can't include Johnny Depp because he didn't call. I mean family and/or friends. Then they wanted to do dinner and a cake. No, no, no, cough, hack, choke wheeze thank you. So we're going to celebrate Sunday evening after we've moved into our new place. OH! I almost forgot! I told hubby not to get me anything but he did anyway. I have new cookware!!! SO excited!!!!!! Happy Birthday to me!

OHMYGOODNESS I AM STRESSED. I was telling hubby just that the other day. I know that there are a couple of things that peg the stress meter in life---LIKE MOVING. Yeah, you know, that THING we're doing soon. ::: looks around the room that is NOT packed :::: Yeah. STRESSED. And it's manifesting itself in some very odd ways. I go upstairs and suddenly I have jazz hands as I climb. I change the channel constantly --not just when there are commercials on. I can't seem to keep my brain focused on one thing at a time. And the number one WORST thing about this---I'm not hungry and I'm EATING. Or THINKING ABOUT EATING. It's nearly 11 pm and my mind keeps talking to me. Are there chips upstairs? No...I don't think there are...mmmm...nachos sound good. No, there's no chips. Yes, there is cheese. Hmmm...no chips. Chili? Sure, got some chili. Wait--it's almost 11. If I eat chili I will be up all night and in pain. No, can't have ...

I WANT SOME That is all.....

I packed five boxes today. It may have been four. The big news is that I packed boxes! . I've not been good at doing that lately. I'm not sure if I'm in denial or what. I know we're moving. We talk about it all the time, it's that invisible hammer hanging over my head with a date attached to it.... I'm not a fan of moving. Today my youngest daughter said, "Hey mom. The last time we moved it was the most awful, hot weather EVER here. Now we're going to move in the middle of rain and wind and storms. Why do we pick such awful times?" I don't know. Honestly, I don't. I attempted Costco today. And when I say 'attempted', I mean I drove around looking for an open parking spot with rain pelting my suburban hard enough to leave dents and with wind gusts worthy of the beach. After pondering the following facts, a. I didn't have a coat b. I was sans umbrella c. I wasn't feeling that great It became quite c...

No, not the one you're thinking of. Yes, the ballot measure to take state government out of liquor sales did pass. Yes, I live in WA state. No, I don't drink. Which brings me to my topic today. Messing With Their Minds And by 'them', I mean my beautiful, gullible, thirteen year old daughter. We are in the process of packing up our stuff to move. In order to do so, we require boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. One place you can get free boxes is from the liquor store. So on Wednesday after school, I pulled into the liquor store parking lot. The look on my daughter's face was priceless. Ashley: What are we doing here? Me: Well, you know I've been under a lot of stress lately... Ashley: Yeah, so? Me: Well, I've decided I just want to cut loose for a while. You know. Ashley: WHAT? Me: I just need to blow off some steam. So Daddy and I thought we'd get drunk. Ashley: (unbuckling her seatbelt and leaning up close to the front) WHAT...

We're getting ready to move. Again. This will make ::counts on fingers and toes:::: the 12th kitchen that I've had since I was 21. No, wait. 13. This will be my 13th kitchen. I had two different kitchens in college, though I probably ought not to count those as they weren't entirely mine . I had to share them. Then the five kitchens I had when I lived in Venezuela as a missionary might not count as mine either, as I shared them with other missionaries or the families we resided with. Wait--there was one place in Barquisimeto that was our kitchen and ours alone. So that one counts. Then five kitchens since we've been married---and now for the next, and hopefully last, kitchen. Number 6. This is my oldest daughter's first kitchen as well. There are two kitchens in the home we're getting. She will have one downstairs in her area and we will have ours upstairs. She's so thrilled! And so am I. She's already purchased one thing for h...

Wow....... Bigotry and hatred is alive and well in America. I was just reading over on CNN About the Mormon Church and how diverse it is. The comments from people reading this story were--ugly. For the most part. Those who were posting things against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were ill informed, rude and downright mean. It's amazing to me that it's open season on one faith here in this country---and it's sad to me that except for a few outside the church who take it upon themselves to speak up--it's accepted. We are taught to live the ten commandments. You know, that whole be honest, don't kill, don't steal, stuff that is often taken as more of a list suggestions rather than commandments from our God? Yeah, that one. We are taught to be honest in our dealings, to love one another, to cherish and nurture our families. The church has a welfare system that is second to none. It's all done through donations. We take...

Mmmm....Halloween candy. I think I'll have some. No I won't. Oh yes I will. No....I WON'T. mmmm....chocolate.... Sigh. As you can see, I'm conflicted today. I started work at 7 this morning. I went home around 10 because I have to go BACK to work this evening at 5. So I thought....ok, I'll go home and clean the basement. And I did. Well, ok, I started. I brought down three garbage bags. I found FOUR glasses, five forks and a bunch of crap by the TV. I cleaned that area. Then my phone rings. Apparently I had to BE AT SHOREWOOD HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT THAT VERY SECOND OR LIFE AS WE KNEW IT WAS ABOUT TO END AND SHE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET HER IPAD UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY AND YOU KNOW THAT IT'S IMPORTANT AND YOU MUST COME NOWWWWWW. So I went. And was she waiting for me in front of the school as I'd asked her to do? No. Was she waiting in the office for me, because this was such a HUGE FREAKING EMERGENCY? The answer to that would be...

After church today (which was FANTASTIC and wonderful since it was the Primary Program) we had lunch then took all three of our gorgeous girls for a drive to spend time adoring the beautiful fall colors. We went out by Snoqualmie Falls and then to the little town of Carnation to MacDonald Park. Oh so pretty. We walked in the woods along the river and snapped a few pictures along the way. Here's Ashley and Steph striking a pose on the path. The colors were striking...moss and leaves and trees. The air felt heavy and fecund with the fallen leaves and the dampness. So much beauty... Allison and Ashley and Lance walking ahead of me on a bed of Autumn leaves.... Allison and Ashley along the way. Oh how I love these girls of mine. This was a sweet interlude and there seemed to be a truce of sorts between the girls. A truce from the random and uncomfortable teenage-angst-driven-contention that occasionally pops up between them. Peace in abundance.... Le...

It's official. We're moving. It's been three long years here and it's time. It's long overdue, truth be told. We're moving to a beautiful house in Lake Forest Park. Closer to my work, in the school district for the girls and closer to hubby's job. We're all excited. Ok, we're excited to be getting this great house---about packing and actually doing the moving? Meh, not so much. The only good part about this is that the majority of our stuff is STILL packed up and so that won't be a problem. I feel like I kicked a puppy though, when I had to tell my father we were leaving. I told him that's how I felt and he smiled and said he wasn't a puppy. I still feel like I kicked a puppy though. It's not a nice feeling.

"I hate you!!!! YOU'RE THE WORST MOM EVER!!!!! WHY DON'T YOU DIE???" Well, my darling daughter, I guess I won't die right now, even though your screeching might make me wish I would, because my job here on this earth isn't quite over yet. You see, it's not ok to yell at me. I'm your mother. There are rules to this thing called life---one of them is actually a commandment from God about honoring your father and your mother. I'm fairly certain that screaming at me and telling me no when I've asked you to do something isn't anywhere near honoring me. Nope. Not even close. Asking you to turn off the television and work on your homework should not elicit a 'NO' from you. Here, let me help you. Here's how the conversation should have gone: Me: "Hija, do you have homework?" You: "Yes I do" Me: "Please turn off the TV and do it right now, ok?" You: "Ok, thanks for reminding me...

Hi, I'm Pamela and I'm a Mormon. That's how my profile on www.mormon.org starts out. It's how everyone's profile on Mormon.org starts out---well, except for the Pamela part. There's a link on my blog to my profile there. I don't know how many of you that visit here have ever clicked on it. I'm not sure that I've talked about my faith a lot on here--except most do know that I am a woman of faith. I think perhaps some of my friends and family don't really understand my beliefs beyond a certain point. No, I don't drink coffee. No, I don't drink alcohol. NO, I am NOT the fifth wife in a polygamous relationship and no, I never watched Big Love. I am not a sister wife---whatever that is. And though I've read Dooce , the blog about an x-LDS woman who got fired because of her writings online, I am not her either. She's very witty---I'll give her that---but she has too much of a potty mouth for my tastes. Yes, I am ...

Today I picked blackberries in our back lot. There are a great many blackberry bushes there that have been left to flourish. Not from laziness mind you, but because we love blackberries. Or a mixture of both. As I was tugging the juicy black fruit from their vines I noticed something. (Pontification Alert!) Notice the picture I took up above? The ripened juicy and quite tasty berries are surrounded by hard, green blackberries that have not completed their journey. Clinging stubbornly to their runners, they're nearly impossible to detach. And why would you want to pick these berries anyway? Bright green, extraordinarily sour, they're not good for much. I wondered why some berries took in all the water and the sunshine given them and became what they were meant to become when right along next to them, receiving water and sunlight in equal measure, others did not flourish. They did not grow. They did not progress. Their skins hardened and refused entry to the...

You know what I love? I love that my husband is the greatest daddy on the planet earth. And probably the greatest daddy in the known universe. Each day I'm thankful that I married this guy. Each day I am inspired by his selfless actions and his desire to do the right thing. See that picture up there? That's Ashley in a canoe on Greenlake. After work he dropped Alli off at the pool for swim team practice and then took Ashley to the lake. (I was at work) They went canoeing. Just the two of them. I love the memories he's building with our children and the love he holds for them. I love the knowledge that they will always remember the things he does for them and have that pattern of parental love to guide them in their lives. I am blessed.

And it's never more evident that when you see pictures of your children three years apart... This was taken in 2009. And this was taken in 2011 Where did that time go? So many changes in them, in what they're doing with their lives and how we are as a family. Some of it hurts my heart to think about, some of it is good. Ah, change. Not a fan.

No, not me silly. Well, perhaps a bit, but that's not the focus today children. There is no focus. Unless you want to have a focus, then focus away. Today is Wednesday. I only know that because I looked. If I were Scottish I'd have said, "I kent that.." I've been reading a series of books about a woman who goes back in time through some standing stones in Scotland. It's full of kilts, sporrans, large hairy men with broadswords and lots of Scottish words that I don't ken. Well, I do ken, but if I were to suddenly break out in Gaelic no one here would understand me. Although I'm not entirely certain that I ken Gaelic. What I DO ken, however, is that my lovely summer freedom is slowly coming to an end. School begins on the 12th and I go back to work on the 5th. I've enjoyed my time off. Being a lady of leisure has it's appeal. I ken that. Yesterday, due to an unfortunate and slightly humorous foot puncturing, my husband did not...

It's true. Summer has sort-of-kind-of meandered into the Seattle area. I know, right? Surprise, surprise! And we've been making the most of it. Hence the no-blogging thing for the past month. I'm fairly active on FB, but have sort of let blogger go for a bit. In the past month we've spent a lot of time at the Beach cabin, lost our dog, found our dog (expensive experience!), had some lovely dates with my wonderful husband, spent some fun times with the children and seen my son move out of the house. That last one may or may not be permanent. Haven't seen him since he left except for one evening when he dropped by. Ah, independence and freedom. Remember that? I've had one girl go on Trek and the two youngers will be going to Girls camp the second week of August. Hubby and I are tossing around the idea of going to Vegas while they're gone. I've had my great niece spend the week here with us and when we take her home tomorrow we're droppi...

Hello world! Schools out, I'm supposed to be 'out' until September but somehow I keep needing to head into work for just one more thing. Which is fine---I'm thankful to have a job. We went camping this weekend. Normally my idea of 'roughing' it would mean I go somewhere where cell coverage is just a wee bit spotty--this place was roughing it and THEN some. But first a little about our nearly 12 hour drive to get to the middle of nowhere. And I when I say nowhere , I really mean it. This was nowhere in a BIG way. In a bear, rattlesnake and coyote kind of way. Where the mosquitos were the size of Boeing 787's but with better take off and landing capabilities. We went to Lake Ellen. Don't ask where it is--just know that if you want to experience nature without all the nasty ammenities like showering, flushing a toilet or getting a cell signal, this is your kind of place. First we followed this man. Yeah, yeah ok. I used the Alien Booth app...