Pity Party

You're invited to a . . . PITY PARTY
Who: Me
When: Right Now
What: A freakin' pity party, which is a party where I feel sorry for myself even though I tell myself I should not be so selfish and whiney and grumpy
Where: My house
Why: Really no good reason. I have tons of reasons why I shouldn't throw this pity party, but I have already started the preparations, have worked myself into a decent funk and I am partying with my pity right now. Actually, don't come. Pity Parties are better by myself.

Blah.

Family Reunion Pics

Thought I'd share some pics from weekend before last:


Brock eating his millionth sucker at the carnival. There were SOOO many treats and junk. Needless to say my kids were in heaven.

Courtnie, Caylee, and Conner posing after the games. The crowns were bought at the "Kid's Store" that Grandma Dodie opened for all the kids. Between the store and the gallon-size baggie of treats from the carnival, we were overloaded with treats. But they look happy, right. Trauma ensued when Kenzie accidentally sat on Caylee's crown when we got home. How is it my kids can lose it over a 99 cent crown as much as they can a $10 polly pocket car. The drama over losing a MacDonald's Happy Meal toy is just as devastating as the entire toy bin. Why do I bother purchasing the good stuff when they're just as happy with the junk? I mean for the same amount of tears and issues, I'm just saying I could be saving me a boatload of money. But, I digress.

Tyler's cousins: Liz and Amanda. Liz was our babysitter while we were in France. We love 'em both.

Every year we hold a dance to boogie woogie. Courtnie and Brock were dancing, which turned into ring-around-the-somersault. It was quite a routine. Tyler's Mom's family is very into music, so we can look forward to the dance every year. This year there were about 75 people, old and young workin' out The Twist and The Chicken Dance on the lawn. It was great.

Tyler's Aunt Karen, his Sister Alexis, and her baby Elsa. We also hang out and talk a lot. It's nice to have such great in-laws who have wonderful families. It was a ton of fun and we're already planning on Park City next summer.

Fond Farewells

Welp, today wasn't just another Sunday, it was my baby brother, Mike's, mission farewell (that's not technically a farewell since they aren't supposed to officially have farewells anymore). So in other words, he spoke at church today and then we had a open house at mom and dad's. TOTAL shout out to my mom who had tons of food, to Erin who swapped me food assignments and dirtied her oven with two failed bundt cakes, and to Nate who brought the REALLY vital tortilla chips for my seven layer dip (I actually made them instead of buying it, sooo, shout out to me, too.) I'm excited for Mike to get a hustle on this whole mission thing. The sooner he leaves the sooner he gets home. Two years is gonna go by crazy fast. I was thinking about some of the things that would happen while he was gone, but none of it will really compare with all the things he will gain from his mission and the experiences he's going to have. Nothing like being broke down and rebuilt into a better person (which will be incredible since he's already an amazing guy.) Anyway, I'm due for a blog, he wanted to see the pictures I took tonight, so I thought I'd really put the effort into it and start a video thing for his mission-prep process. Enjoy, y'all. I'll update it and let you know when there's new pics.


Mike's Mission

And, as if that isn't reason enough to celebrate a good Sunday, my hubby is back and survived the 50 mile hike with his Young Men/Boy Scout troop. I missed him SOOO much. I told him I decided I would re-marry quickly if he died, but not for rearing the kids, more for my sanity's sake when I needed to vent about rearing the kids all day. I puttered around and stayed up late every night and SOO napped like a rock star this afternoon (okay, so three good things about today). We had family naps this afternoon and Tyler's already asleep again, so I am sure he has some recovering to do after a week of sleeping on the ground. It sounds like it was pretty intense and a good experience for everyone involved. I'm really proud of Tyler in so many ways, but especially for the good leader he is to the young men of our ward. I know how hard he worked on that hike and the prayers and effort he put forth before they ever left (along with the shopping, planning, and prepping.) I hope the young men (and their parents) appreciate all that he willingly did that was above and beyond AND the sacrifice for our family. I have to think this experience was better than just a run-of-the-mill scout camp. It's funny to hear about the hike (cuz you know I made him tell me day by day) and have him talk about being a leader and having to tell the boys they couldn't hit each other in the [groin] anymore cuz it was causing problems. Yeah, boys are weird. How is that funny? Whacking each other in the manhood when you're carrying a 25 lb. pack and trying to walk up (or down) a hill at the same time? Really? Weird. He took a ton of pics, so I'll post some of those later.

Busy week this week, of course, but hopefully we can be productive and happy about it. This gal in our ward does a "day camp" that's 7 bucks for both Caylee and Brevin from 1-3 every afternoon. I'm all over that. I'm taking the girls for our girls' day on Tuesday, I think we're gonna hit the water park at the rec center (I've been promising all summer) sometime this week, I've gotta finish up the baby shower prep, go to a wedding in California on Friday, and then all the normal stuff. Really, though, now that Tyler's home it is all looking a little brighter, busy and stressful as it may be. I do have blogging on my agendas, so we'll see how that goes.

YOU'RE IT!

I found this on the other Sarah's blog and thought it was a neat little glimpse into the now. So, yeah consider yourselves all tagged!

Yourself: sleepy
Your partner: gone
Your hair: in pigtails
Your mother: working
Your father: working
Your favorite item: my husband
Your dream last night: interrupted by Brevin falling off my bed and landing on Tyler's drum set that is next to our bed
Your favorite drink: coke
Your dream car: mini cooper
Your dream home: lots of rooms and space and decorated JUST right
The room you're in right now: family room
Your fear: losing one of my kids
Where you want to be in 10 years: hopefully shopping in preperation for Kenzie's freshman year of college
Who you hung out with last night: el kiddos
You're not: perfect
Wish list item: Disney cruise for the family
Last thing you did: worked on the letter to Air France
What are you wearing: black shorts and white shirt
Favorite weather: sunny and pool-a-licious
Favorite book: Sooo many to choose from, but "The Color of Water"
Last thing you ate: Mexican Pizza
Your life: summer vacation-y
Your mood: anxious (always)
Your best friend: Tyler is the safe answer here
What are you thinking about right now: finding a Charleston song to choreograph
Your car: Excursion
What are you doing at the moment: Enjoying the silence of naptime and Polly Pocket Play
Relationship status: married
What's on TV: TV is off, YESSS!
Last time you laughed: Reading Jer's blog a few minutes ago.


AND, to answer the rest of y'alls previous tag:
4 Jobs I've Had:
1. High school English teacher
2. Waitress
3. Mortuary Receptionist/Secretary/Obituary-Writer/Insurance Claims Specialist/Hair-doer
4. K-Mart Cashier

4 Movies I Can Always Watch:
1. Clueless
2. Any musical
3. Shawshank Redemption
4. Independence Day (you laugh, you cry)

4 TV Shows I Enjoy:
1. The office
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Friday Night Lights
4. Brothers and Sisters
**Reality TV is a guilty pleasure of brain-less-ness that I also enjoy, but some would argue it doesn't constitute TV.**

Favorite Places or Things to Eat:
1. Cafe Rio (pork, smothered burrito)
2. Sushi
3. Katherine's Steak House
4. At my mom's house (fried chicken and potatoes, chicken manicotti, red pepper stew)

4 Websites I Visit:
1. blogs
2. you tube
3. my space
4. one true media

4 Places I Love to Be:
1. With my family
2. With my friends
3. On vacation
4. Sleeping in bed
**Just about any combination of the above is enjoyable (not in a dark and perverted way!)**

4 Places I have lived:
1. Las Vegas
2. Cedar City, Utah
3. Provo, Utah
4. Burley, Idaho

Mark your calendars

I'm going to go finish my France video to post later, but couldn't resist this blurb on my "headlines" when logging on. Family Home Evening is looking up come the end of September :)

Southern gentleman Brad Womack is ABC's newest Bachelor, the network has announced.

Starring in a reality series about romance – the 11th edition of the matchmaking show – is a drastic change for the Atlanta-born, Texas-reared 34-year-old, who spent his 20s working in the oil fields of Louisiana, North Dakota and California.

But perhaps it's not so different from tending bar, which is how he began his rise to success. Working with his brothers Wesley and Chad (his twin), Womack saved enough money to purchase his first drinking establishment in 2001. He now co-owns four bars with his brothers – both of whom are married – and resides in Austin. (He and the brothers are featured on the MySpace page for one of their bars, The Chuggin' Monkey.)

Already, the show has dubbed him "The Bachelor's own McSteamy" and claims he is "sincere" and "optimistic" about finding his wife.

Womack is set to wrangle his perfect match among 25 eager women he'll meet in the Monday, Sept. 24, premiere (9:30 p.m. ET).

On another note. We have a yard guy who's supposed to be helping us keep up on our foliage issues and it's not working out. MEANING . . . he never shows up. Does anyone have any suggestions of a replacement company that's good with desert landscaping, or even a good website to figure what I could do so I can do it myself. I am SO sick of looking at our dead plants and/or overgrown weeds and plants. It's driving me crazy and I can't get my kids on board to work out there with me (in the heat) for a couple hours at a time, EVEN if I promise we'll swim afterward.

Brock has bit through his last binky. I don't know how many little bits of silicone bink parts he's swallowed cuz I have thought it sounded weird when he sucked on it for the past couple days. Upon examining it, sure enough, he has bit two holes into the sides. Now he's been in bed for 40 minutes and I can hear him farting around and then stopping to whine for his "BIIINNNKKKK." I figure this may be a great time to break the habit since he knows it's broken (he even threw it away himself.) However, I am more attached to the bink sometimes than he is as it's an instant soother/go to bed aide. So, we'll see how long my resolve lasts. I may be taking a stop at Walmart tomorrow morning before naptime. I guess it's a sign that my baby is really not so much a baby anymore. I'm not really sad about that; I mean he's nearly two. It's exciting, but a little bittersweet as I've enjoyed having a "baby" to the family, but don't want him growing up as "babied." I am trying to teach him to tough up a bit and not be so quick to listen to his squeals and blame the other kids; he's smart that way. Also, I need to encourage him to speak a little more clearly. The loss of the bink should help that, I figure.

Alright, off to video.

So, where have I been?

I can't really figure out why I haven't found the time to sit down and touch the daily blog, except for the following 14 reasons (one for each day that I didn't blog.)

1. PORTRAITS - We were SOOOO overdue for our semi-annual picture adventure to the local photo places. I try and go every May/June (for the girls' birthday pics and four-kid update) and then again in September/October (for the boys' birthday pics and our family holiday picture.) So, it HAD to get done before we left. I headed to portrait innovations and got pics of the girls in their Easter outfits, Mackenzie's baptism dress, and some of the kids and me for Tyler's birthday this week. They turned out cute, and since I spent enough on the "packages" I got the CD, so I'll post the pics soon.

2. CLEANING MY HOUSE - SERIOUSLY? AGAIN? and again? and AGAIN? I think I have put the same toys away fifty ba-dillion times, and the same shoes, and the same sippy cups, and the same EVERYTHING! I HATE coming home to a dirty house, but HATED worse leaving it un-perfect for Tyler. He's so wonderful, though, and it was SOO much cleaner when I got home.

3. MARTENSON FAMILY REUNION - Tyler's family reunion in Park City was enjoyable, as always. We always have the reunion in Park City, Utah and I drove up there with Tyler's dad, brother, and my kids, but no Tyler. Due to Tyler's time-off for France and his super commitment to our ward's Young Men (he had planned a "practice hike" to Mount Charleston to try on their hiking packs.) So, I took the kids and went by myself . . . well, if "by myself" you remember how much my in-laws helped me with my four kiddoes! We did some fun things, and I even managed a late night chat fest with Tyler's aunts (and an uncle). We also went to the ALPINE SLIDES - Part of our reunion trip and SO MUCH FUN! Jared, Mindie, Wade, Brandon, and I took all our kids for the new rollar coaster ride on the alpine slides and it was rockin'. It really zipped and the little cart thing you ride is right on the track. PLUS, for those of you who've hiked your sled to the slides after the ski lift, this coaster ride carries you up the rail right to the start of the coaster. I rode with Caylee and we went as fast as we could, until we caught up to Mindie and Courtney and we paused before we ran into them. Then we finished. It was fun, AND, the snow cones were a nice refreshment. Then there was a KID CARNIVAL - I was supposed to do cute gift bags for this kid carnival the reunion put on, but I didn't, so that's not a huge excuse for not blogging. I did, however, participate in the festivities by eating the yummy BBQ, watching the boys and men play football, tye-dyeing 7 shirts, and holding the crap-load of junk my kids won at the various games. AND, I finished the family history we were asked to do and donates some fleece blankets, burpies and bows, and a scrapbook to the auction.

4. FAMILY HOME EVENING CREPE NIGHT - Video on my next post. You'll see why that took me out of blog contention.

5. NAN's SHOWER INVITES - I had them ready to mail, but to sit down and address them, stamp, and drop them at the post office was a huge feat for some reason. I think they turned out cute, and I got to watch Moulin Rouge (which I had never seen) while doing so.

6. CHRIS'S PAINT PROJECT - SOOO, since we'd been in our house for more than three years all my major projects have been finished. So what's a friend to do when Chris casually mentions she'd like to paint her family room before moving her furniture back into her newly-wooded-floored room. Pshah, yeah, convince Chris we should re-paint her ENTIRE family room and kitchen. And, DEFINITELY bamboozle and pressure her by meeting her at Home Depot and then volunteer a bunch of other women to come and help paint! Love ya, Amy, Robin, and Annilee :) It was worth the two late nights (2am and midnight).

7. DANCE FESTIVAL - So, our stake is doing a youth dance festival. I'm choreographing the "Charleston" for the Priests/Laurels. Actually, I am copying a dance I learned on the dance team when I was a teenager. It'll be a ton of fun. Good thing I was born to dance.

8. MY COMPUTER AND I HAVE ISSUES - Sometimes we give warm fuzzies and fabulous props/results. Other times we trade insults and internet/word processing/printing problems. Thank you, Daniel, for talking us down and giving us therapy and instructions.

9. MICHAEL'S TEMPLE APPOINTMENT - My baby brother went to the temple and that turned out to be an all day affair. By the time we drive across town, went to the temple (we were there early, ya know, in case it was busy), drove through old Henderson to get to Cheesecake Factory (thanks for the detour, MOM!), waited forever, enjoyed a great lunch, and came home it was a 7 hour affair. It was really sweet, and kinda surreal since Michael seems so young to me, yet here he is all grown up!

10. BRYENNA'S BAPTISM - My cousin's little girl was baptized Saturday night, so we joined some of the family for that. It's so fun that there are so many girls my girls' ages. It was fun for Kenzie to go and remember her baptism not so long ago.

11a. DANIEL'S B-DAY PARTY - Add another into the 3-0 club. Stac and I went to the party for a unique and fun experience. It was great to put names with faces and meet Daniel's entourage. Brandi (Ms. Jensen if you're nasty) did a FFFFFABulous job coordinating everything for a surprise weekend for Daniel, and I am glad I could be a part of it.

12. SCOUT CAMP PACKING/PLANNING/SHOPPING/RE-PACKING/MORE SHOPPING - Tyler has been planning a 50 mile hike and this weekend he has been consumed by the preperations. He called me home from the birthday party because he NEEDED to go to Bass Pro Outlets at 8:30pm on Saturday night to get one more pair of hiking socks. WHAT? Whatever.

11b. NEVADA PALACE HANGOVER - I came home to get my kiddos in bed on Saturday and ended up going back to the birthday party to catch up with a mutual friend, Jaime. Me and Jaime (totally sober) ended up eating breakfast with all the partied-out party-goers. I hadn't been back to the hood for a midnight breakfast in a while, and I was feeling it after turning in at 3am after HOURS of catch-up with Jaime.

12. My cousins, Tyler and Christina, blessed their darling little girl, Kierston Ainsley, this weekend. It's hard to get across town too often (we've done better about it this summer), so it was nice to be there to watch Tyler bless his first-born. It made me remember all the times Tyler and played house and were the mom and dad. I can't imagine he gets as exasperated as we would when Erin and Dustin and Nathan and Kourtney were our bratty kids, ESPECIALLY since Kierston is so stinkin' sweet. I didn't hear her make a peep the whole day.

13. A repeat explanation, HARRY POTTER. It was amazing, and yes, I cried. I totally appreciated the epilogue. I don't want to ruin it for those who have yet to partake, but it is so worth spending a day in the jammies, rushing to finish the laundry, letting the kids eat crap all day, and/or staying parked in the bathroom til you finish the chapter. LOVED it!

and finally, 14. I have a to-do list of blogs and sometimes I get hung-up on how I can't blog other stuff until I get the to-do's blogs done. So, be careful about the to-do issues and blogs. SOOO, as a preview of coming blogs I am planning on posting our France video, a shout-out to Jenn for her 30th, several rants and raves, and a tribute to Jill (pa-lease, don't deny you check, just in case I've followed through with my threat!) So . . . stay tuned. Thanks for not dumping me as a dead blog.

I have survived

Dear Readers,
I have now checked off my to-do list the final requirement before I was allowed to blog. There's been several things on my list, and,YES, I have finally finished the last Harry Potter book. It was a priveledge and honor. Tomorrow, I will blog more, a real post, and finally be able to talk and analyze about the "Deathly Hallows."
Good night,
Sarah