The Blogger and The Cook

You thought I was talking about me and John. Nope.

We saw this movie last night. Julie & Julia.

It was tailored made for us. I love to Blog, and John loves to cook!
We both really enjoyed it.

A wanna be writer and cook, needs a change in her life, so she decides to cook her way through Julia Child's cook book in a years time, and Blog all about it. Her Blog becomes a big hit. It then becomes a book, and now a movie. It's two true life stories told together.

We see similarities in the two woman's lives and relationships. And it got me thinking: who, if anyone, would I want to emulate? Like Julie does Julia. (She even starts wearing pearls while she's cooking!) :)

There are many women I look up to professionally. In writing it would be Erma Bombeck and Louisa M. Alcott. Politically it would be Maria Shriver and Elizabeth Dole! I know I'm a very diverse person! There are also MANY women I know personally that I look up to for many reasons . . . weather it be their integrity, the way they raise their children, the way they love their husbands, their personality, etc. I'm blessed to have these women in my life.

And I think we all ought to be pointing our daughters and future generations to look at women, who emulating, would be worth while. Not who's the prettiest, skinniest, richest or most famous. But, for the things in life that truly matter!

So, my friends, I want to know, Who's your Julia?

Sister, Sister

Today is the anniversary of the day I lost my one and only sister. It's been 8 years already, but, I had her for 36 years before that. There were things that have happened and I would think I can't wait to tell Debbie . . . then remember that I can't. Or there are things I wouldn't tell anyone else except for my sister. So, I don't tell anyone, and just smile to myself, knowing how much she would have enjoyed hearing all about it!

(Debbie and I)

When I saw the preview for My Sister's Keeper, I thought: I wish I had my sister to go see that movie with, but, I don't. So last night I thought I'm gonna go see it anyway! I don't have my sister to see it with but, I do I have a couple of sisters I could take to see it. My girls really like Abigail Breslin and have been wanting to see it too. So, Erica, Lexi and I went to see it today.

(Erica and Lexi)

I knew it would be sad. But, I thought what better day than today to have a good cry. I loved the movie! It was so good. And yes, I cried some, (not as much as the lady next to me!) the girls didn't cry but they did really like the movie. I'm so glad we went. And I'm glad we went today!

I'll leave you with one of the closing lines of the film:
"What's important is that I had a sister.
And she was fantastic."

Ch . . Ch . . Changes

"Before"

Well, my career isn't the only thing changing around here. I've got a new look, I cut my hair off. Sometimes you just need a change. And with naturally curly hair, it was much easier to just let it dry naturally and not have to do much with it. But, I get tired of looking at pictures of myself from say 10 or more years ago, and my hair looks exactly the same as it does now. It gets old! So, once in awhile I have to alter it. I haven't had really short hair since I was pregnant with my girls (who are now gonna be turning 12) I was due.

My niece Andrea cut our hair!

"After"

My girls are also changing. Starting 6th grade. We could no longer shop for their back to school clothes in the girls department. We've been forced to move up into the Junior Department. And let me tell you it's a scary place. They had to have "Skinny Jeans"! I guess that is the Jordache of this generation! :) Another must have is Peace signs, on everything! It never ceases to amaze me that "everything old is new again". They had their new back to school outfits picked out for the entire first week of school. They could not wait to go back to school. And on the first day of 6th grade, Lexi got "asked out" by a boy. I'm thinking all girls school! (yes, that is me screaming that you hear in the back ground!)

Lexi and Erica's First day of 6th Grade!

And, my baby boy has started his senior year of high school! No, not this again! Well I've got this whole year ahead of us. And I'm sure it will be filled with fun, good times, challenges, and adventures. And if I'm still standing at the end, hopefully we get some good Blog post's out of it as well! Stay tuned.

Zach's first day of his Senior year!

Senior Year II

It's starting over again!

My baby boy Zach started his senior year of high school today. Didn't I just go through all this last year with my first born?! Now I have to face it all again. These little boys of mine feel the need to grow up. Sad.

He is so excited about his senior year! He made the top 2 choirs in his high school, and just got back from his choir retreat this weekend. He'll also run track again and will play guitar in the Jazz band. Full year ahead . . .

Zach at youth camp playing a game,
my boys are very athletic and competitive, can you tell?

(P.S. thanks for the picture Suzy, love it!)

Flying Solo

I just got back from my first ever, Business trip! Now, I've gone to many conferences and seminars, etc. for Church or John's work, but, never before have I gone on a trip for MY work! I was so excited to go. The Shade Clothing headquarters is in Salt Lake City, Utah. Before this trip I had only been in Utah at the Four Corners. (Where it looks just like Arizona!)

Salt Lake City

We had managers meetings and training. I was able to meet all the people in corporate who I talk to on the phone or E-mail regularly. It was fun to put faces with names.

The Gateway, really cute area. This fountain is outside the Shade store, and was put there when the Olimpics were held in Salt Lake!

Now, when I was young , I always wanted to be a flight attendant. (or as we politically incorrectly called it back in the day: Airline Stewardess) when I grew up. Up until the very first time I actually flew, and experienced severe motion sickness! John loves to fly, and has actually taken a flying lesson, and if we could afford it he would have his pilots license. I LOVE to travel, but, I hate to fly. Dramamine helps!

And to start my trip off, my hair gel didn't make it through airport security! Even though there wasn't much in the two bottles, the bottle sizes were bigger than allowed. They threw them away. :( I use two kinds of hair gels because one makes my hair too "Crunchy" and one makes it too soft. So, I mix them. I'm sure curly headed people get this. I thought: I hope they like frizzy hair in Utah, cause I could end up looking like Rosanna RosannaDanna! (from an old SNL skit) And my flight didn't leave for over an hour and a half after it was supposed to. Not a great start, but, it turned out to be a great trip anyway.

I also thought I would love having a hotel room all to myself. With four kids you don't get much quiet time. I didn't. I couldn't really sleep. My brothers are Police officers who have always warned me about sleeping on the first floor in apartment buildings, hotels, etc. because of the possibility of window break ins, that you don't get on higher floors. My hotel room was on the first floor and my window, (which was unlocked when I checked into the room, which I quickly rectified!) faced a chain link fence and then a parking lot. So, needless to say, being a woman alone in a strange city I didn't feel all that safe. Which didn't lead to much sleep. But, I was fine.

Where the Phoenix Suns rivals, The Utah Jazz play!

The meetings were great. I learned a lot. And the manager who hired me, Emily, now lives in Utah. So, she picked me up at the airport, and we got to hang out together both during the meetings and outside of them. It was great to see her again. We have a lot of fun together. And it was good for her to have this Arizona contact again. She misses it here, and we all miss her!

Me and Em!

So, over all, my first Business trip was a great experience! I'm so glad I got to go. If you had told me a year ago, when I was a stay at home mom (like I'd been for the 18 years before that) that I'd be managing a clothing store, working full time, taking business trips I would have laughed in your face. Okay, maybe not in your face, because I'm too polite for that. But I would have laughed! And I'm still laughing about it!

Now Open

We did it! We made it through the week. We are moved.

Before:

After:

The new store opened today!

It was a lot of hard work, and yes manual labor! But it was all worth it.

(Our District Merchandiser Shannon helping to move the lifestyle images)

(Our biggest challenge was moving the Cash Wrap,
it was heavy solid wood,
Everyone pitched in even our District Manager Amanda,
notice I did my part by taking pictures!) :)

(We hired handy man, Pastor Greg to help us out)

The new store is so cute. I love it.

And this 5 minute commute beats that 25 minute one any day!
I Love being so close to home.

Divine Secrets I've Learned From The Ya-Ya Sisterhood

I told you earlier what I am reading this summer. I've always wanted to be part of a book club, after all, I love to read and I love to give my opinion! :) So, when I took my girls to our public library to get some books to read this summer (for them of course, you know I can't check out books, here's why) I saw they were having a book club discussion group in July on the book Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

I had read this book a couple of years ago. Actually, I read all three in the Ya-Ya series. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (which was made into a movie), Little Altars Everywhere (which was my least favorite of the three, I'm glad I didn't read that one first, or I might not have read the others!) and Ya-Ya's in Bloom, all by Rebecca Wells.

So, since I had read the book, I saw my chance to check out a book club. So, I went. It was really fun. I liked it. And it caused me to think of things about the book that I normally wouldn't have paid attention to. There were about 6 woman all ages, and a librarian who facilitated the discussion. It was very interesting. So, I thought I'd share some "Divine Secrets" I picked up from these book. Really just some of my favorite quotes and thoughts on the books . . .

From Little Altars Everywhere:

"If it's one thing I learnt in this life, it's to bite my tongue when I got to, and yell when I don't."

"But you can't look back. Good Lord didn't mean for us to hate ourself. He make us to love ourself like He do, with wide open arms."

"Just keep your eyes wide open except when you sleep. Then let the Lord's mighty vision see you through the night."

"You think somebody gonna throw us a party or something for gettin through all this? No sir. You didn't get no trophies for livin the life you born into. It just be your job, and you lucky if you can do the work set out in front of you and not fret if it seem puny."

From Ya-Ya's in Bloom:

"Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light."

"They felt a star shining inside them. Those who had feared for the safety of their children and their grandchildren, for the safety of their own souls and bodies, felt perfectly safe, held in the arms of love, divine love that knows no bounds, and human love with all it's flaws. A gathering of fragile creatures knew without a doubt they were a flock being watched over by night."

From Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood:

"Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all of us love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour - unceasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family."

"But who has time to write memoirs? I'm still living my memoirs."

"Life is short, but it is wide. This too shall pass."

"Humor is the healing art."

"The Ya-Ya's always made themselves up as they went along and always tried to see what they could hold inside and still keep breathing."

In the Book Club discussion group we focused on the scrap book the main character had received from her mothers friends (the Ya-Ya's) and we talked about how wonderful it would be to get glimpses into previous generations. In all our families I'm sure we wonder what life must have been like for our parents and their parents. (I know I do!) And how they grew up and what shaped them into being the people they have become. That is one of the reasons I Blog and Journal.

Sadly, because of the economy and budget cut backs, the public library's are cutting out all their Book Clubs. (And just when I found them. I'm so bummed) I really enjoyed the discussion, and how each of our backgrounds and experiences in life caused us to view things differently, and let others see them through our sharing.