Boring Blogger

I have become such a lazy boring blogger. It's not that I don't want to blog (I really enjoy it), but a couple of things have interfered with my blog post output: 

#1- I have really felt the constraints on my time with having a job and a home and family to keep me busy.

#2- A couple of months ago Blogger changed it's format... I was quite comfortable with the other format, hence, insert reason #1 here... I don't want to spend the time figuring it out.

But, I still think a blog is a great and a fun way to write some of my history (there is some stuff that only goes in the journal). So I'm reviewing Blogger's changes, and I'm making a little time, and I'm going to be a better blogger.

I thought it was fun in May 2011 to do a 30 day blog challenge; so, I decided I'd do it again. The last challenge was outlined for me each day but this one is very random, in other words... I don't really know what I'm going to do day to day. It could get real boring; real fast.

I'm probably crazy to make such a commitment but... what the heck!!

Oh, and... I'm doing it in August, so it will be 31 days!!!!

(1/2) Marathon Man

Here is a man who participated in a golf tournament in Billings, Montana on Friday; he arrived home at 11:30 pm that night only to get up at 3:15 am Saturday to travel to American Fork where he was in a half marathon which he finished at 9:07 am. This picture was taken after he crossed the finish line.

He arrived home at 10:25 am (I was with him) and had 10 minutes to shower and get ready before his fellow band members picked him up and he headed to Ogden where they performed for a couple of hours. After the Ogden show they headed to Clinton where they performed at the grand opening of Tonyburgers for a couple more hours. He is singing to me in this picture. He got home about 8:30-ish and is currently... snoring sleeping peacefully.

Just for fun

Adam and Zach in the dunking machine at Tonyburgers.

US Open

So, I actually didn't go to the US Open... Mike, Jeff and Jeremy went with my brothers Archie and Alan. I just enjoyed three days sightseeing in San Francisco. This picture was taken on Saturday morning (June 16), the guys last day at the open. They are in the parking lot of the Embassy Suites at Burlingame. My room is on the third floor overlooking the bay.... *insert smiley face*

This is Thursday morning (June 14) as we are leaving the Embassy Suites in Sacramento. The guys left in one car and headed for the Giants game as Marivic and I left in the other car for Burlingame.

After checking into our hotel rooms, Marivic and I took a scenic drive through a forrest of redwoods to arrive at this beach. It wasn't like the beach at the beach house... there was no pier, or shops, or hamburger stands, and hardly any people around; I would never have dared to swim or boogy board in that water, the waves were rough... it was very natural and undeveloped land... it was beautiful!

After our afternoon at the beach we drove back to San Francisco via the Pacific Coast Highway. Again... not like our sea level version of the PCH at the beach house... we were driving atop cliffs.

We met the guys at Hard Rock Cafe on Pier 39. We also got to meet Tara's boyfriend Andrew.

When we went back to the car we noticed Mason Street so we stopped for a picture of Jeremy.

On Friday I went sightseeing with Marivic and Tara. We crossed the bridge to Sausalito. Has anyone been there before?  It is a beautiful little bayside town... and I had the best ice-cream cone ever there!!

I loved the hillside town overlooking the bay. All along the main road were little shops and cafes. I love narrow, winding streets... except of course when I am driving through them.

Friday night we met up with the guys for dinner. They had plenty of great stories to share about their first day at the open. Jeff and Jeremy were pretty happy about their actually meeting and visiting with their favorite... Phil Mickelson.

I did enjoy a couple of hours in my hotel room resting from sightseeing. My room overlooked San Francisco Bay, so I pulled back the curtains and opened the sliding glass door and let the breeze in and listened to the water. It really couldn't have been much better than that... I'm not kiddin'. 

Amazing Grace

We have been visiting the cemetery for over twenty years on Memorial Day, Christmas, Ashleigh's birthday, Ashleigh's day, and on many other just... regular days. We've been there when the snow was knee deep, when the sprinklers were on, when the wind blew or the rain poured, we've gone when other burials were taking place and we had to come back later; we've been there with a crowd, and we've gone alone, there have been times when we had to hurry or on other occasions sat there for several hours; we've watched the sun rise and set while at the cemetery; we've gone with family or with friends, we've prayed there silently and alone... or vocally with a small group. It is a part of our lives... a very real part. In all of the years and countless times that we have been there, last Monday night, Memorial Day, is one that I will hold dear to my heart forever.

It was after 7:00 in the evening when our family arrived. The cemetery was overflowing with the beautiful colors of countless flowers that had been left at the graves over the weekend. The crowds had long gone. There were a few lingerers, like our family. It was perfect as Mike and I and all of our posterity stood gathered at Ashleigh's grave. We had brought pink balloons for the grandchildren to send to Ashleigh and they were excited to let them go, and we all watched the sky until we could no longer see them. Not far from us stood a man who was playing the bagpipes. The boys, who had arrived just minutes before us, told us that the man had been playing "Amazing Grace" as they got there. "Amazing Grace" is a special song to us... Michael loves that song and it had been his request that a piper play it at Ashleigh's burial. It has been especially tender to us ever since.

My Jeremy approached the man and asked if he would come to Ashleigh's grave and play it for our family. He very graciously did. It was a spiritual moment as we stood there as a family listening to the piper as he played that beautiful song ... when it was over we just stood there reverently. There were a few tears shed, and some hugs and love yous. For me it was a tender moment of tender moments. I love my family. I'm grateful for each one of them and I will never forget the way I felt during those few moments we spent at the cemetery together.

We Also Sing 2012

I have once again had the opportunity to sing with the wonderful choir We Also Sing under the direction of Merrilee Webb. We have been rehearsing for a couple of months and I'm really excited about the songs we are singing. While telling my hometeacher (remember he's musical... a member of the King Family) about the concert on his recent visit, he asked me what kind of music we will be singing. Well, our repertoire is vast. Two of the songs we will be singing are Bridge Over Troubled Water and Praise To The Man. We will also be singing Orinoco Flow and if anyone reading this post knows Orinoco Flow I'd love you to comment. I've heard this song many, many times and didn't know the title. The song mentions Cebu (in the Philippines) where my sister-in-law Marivic is from. Being in a choir that Merrilee directs has been and continues to be, an uplifting and motivational experience for me. Merrilee tells us that the rehearsals are for us... but the concert is for the audience. So please join us Friday May 11, at 6:30 in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. It is free and is only one hour long. You won't regret it. 

Confessions of a Non-Shopaholic

I have a love/hate relationship with shopping. I have plenty of shopping stories that I could regale you with, but... I won't. If you know me well you already know what kind of shopper I am (Lilian is probably nodding her head now). If you've shopped with me you know how fussy I am (Melinda remember when you got $10 off the price of a dress in Park City years ago; because I found a spot on it?). A stranger once looked into my cart at the grocery store, then looked at me and said, "I've never seen groceries so organized in a grocery cart before." Should my shopping habits make me proud or embarrassed? I'm not sure... maybe a little bit of both considering the circumstance of the moment. Needless to say, although I do enjoy shopping excursions with friends and family, when I really want and need to accomplish something I prefer to go alone. Not because I don't enjoy the company... but I'd rather not put people I love through the torture of shopping with me.

But today I share a happy and successful shopping story which  is also very true to the nature of my shopping habits. So enjoy.

Several months ago while shopping at a favorite store I found this red table and immediately fell in love with it. I knew it would be perfect in my living room, but it was what I considered to be a major cash purchase. When I am making major purchases... I like to "think about it". Often while I am thinking, I miss out. My tolerant extremely patient husband often tells me that I over think such things. He's often the one who tells me to buy it. In fact, he always tells me to buy it. How many husbands do that? Only the ones who have the secure knowledge that their wives "think about it" too much.

This store offers 20% at any given time (if you happen to shop there and they tell you that), but I needed more than 20% off to justify the purchase. I have gone into that store on a weekly basis for months watching and waiting for my table to go on sale. A few weeks ago there was a store coupon for 25% off, but I had a price in my head and 25% still didn't cut it. I finally decided that I was going to forget about the table... and I did. A week ago while shopping with Marivic at another favorite store, I found another red table... this time my "think about it" habit saved me from a purchase and then a return, because two days later I went into the original store and there was my table... 30% off. Just dollars above what I would spend. I knew this was my last chance. It was now or never. I scrutinized every detail of looked at the table for several minutes.  The store employee told me that she could give me 35% off if there were scratches (don't you love the distressed look?), so I bravely asked, "could you go 40%?" A quick phone call and the 40% offer was approved. There was no thinking about it now, within minutes that table was in the back of my little car and I was on my way home.

So how do you like my red table? I will post another picture when I accessorize it... but knowing me that could take a few more months, so please don't hold your breath.



Play Ball!!!

Saturday was a big day for my grandson William. He got to throw the first pitch at Spring Mobile Ballpark for the Utah Utes baseball game!!! William is a pretty amazing little boy, and as you can see he has a beautiful big smile. I have never mentioned on my blog before that William has autism. The Utes have volunteered at William's school and they invited the families to a baseball game, and William was chosen to throw the first pitch!!! Grandpa (Mike) and I were invited to the event and what a treat we all had. We walked right through the dugout where the players were waiting for the game to start. They high-fived us and were so friendly (and even let me take their pictures). We got to go behind the dugout which is under the "bleachers" and see the batting cages where they practise. When we came back to the dugout Will got to meet the coach. Adam and Zach got to line up in front of the team as the National Anthem was sung. Then William's name was announced and he pitched the ball perfectly... we all cheered!!! We could sit anywhere we wanted to. Grandpa and Adam sat on the front row right behind homeplate. Zach and I went to the right field so that he could catch the foul balls. The Utes are such good players that their foul balls went right over our heads, over the top of the stadium, and probably landed somewhere on 13th south... Zach didn't get any foul balls. We had a great time!!! Thanks to William for sharing his good fortune.