Pure Brilliance!

Forrest Gump hit the nail on the head with that whole, "life is like a box of chocolates..." bit!  It's true, you don't know what you'll get, and quite frankly what you get isn't always what you want.  After carefully staring into the box you finally decide on a piece of chocolate and you get one bite into it and just wanna call it quits and go in search for a good one. You know you've done it, everyone does!
With this being the new year and everyone embarking on new years resolutions that might last through the week and crazy fad diets that might last through the day, I thought I'd share a stroke of brilliance I had this morning while indulging on a breakfast of Sees candy.  Like the rest of you I'm determined to work off the extra few pounds that were given to me like a gift this holiday season and feel more like lumps of coal now that the festivities have been shut down.  I'll be running a few more miles and maybe even putting in some double workout days in the coming weeks.  I'll be trying to consume a few less carbs and a bit more lean protein like the rest of the country has likely vowed to do, but I gotta be honest with you.  This girl's not giving up on chocolates entirely.

As I bit through the milk chocolate into some bitter, cherry tasting nastiness, I thought  of all the calories wasted in the deceiving treat I had indulged in.  Jeff would have loved that piece but there was no way he was gonna pick it up out of the box and eat it after I had already chomped into it!  And then it hit me, a stroke of pure brilliance, and I ran to the kitchen for a knife. I just  cut every last chocolate in half.  Now I can examine the contents of these little morsels before digging in. Bye bye wasted calories!  I've just reclaimed several seconds of my life back too since I won't have to waste time staring into the box and wondering which ones might actually be "the good ones".  In some small way feel like I have triumphed over the sneaky fellows over at Sees who don't want want me to know what I'm getting into.  Ha! Take that old Sara See! I wonder what Forrest Gump would think of this. I know what I think, pure brilliance!

Making a List and Checking it Twice

The cutest hand written list I have ever shopped from!

Love my little Brynne!

One More Down And One To Go!

A few weeks ago I got to go with Drew to the Mother Son Dance.  I always love this fun night out with my boys.  With Garrett and Drew in Jr High and High School this year it was just Drew and I.  I took him out to find something to wear to the neon/80's themed dance.  We had fun shopping together and he was thrilled with his purchase.  I was lucky Carter has a thing for bright green and I could wear a Klutch T instead of shopping for something I'd never wear again!

Drew was so cute and told me he'd rather just have alone time with me than go out to dinner with a big group of his friends. So we had a great dinner from Doghouse Grill and headed over to the dance party.  The glow in the dark necklaces and mouth pieces were all the rage with the kids.

The moms loved all the 80's music!!

They even played 80's music videos on a big screen during the dance that had us all cracking up.

I loved having a night out with my little love bug.  He is such a sweet and tender kid with a witty sense of humor.  He is constantly surprising me with his hilarious take on just about everything.  Next year Drew will be in 6th grade in it will be the last of these mother son dances for us and I have to say I will miss it!

Let the Good Times Bounce

Family night with friends started with treats at the Greenlaws and ended with a bounce at Skywalk last night!  Brynne proudly went up to the counter and let the workers know that she knew Case Lawrence the owner of the place.  Already trying to work her connections, but honestly it never hurts! A phone call from one friend to another and next thing you know this whole crew was let in for an after hours good time!

The foam pit is super forgiving when you over rotate on your flips, but climbing out is another story all together!  

 We bounced, flipped, swiveled, danced, and rolled across the mats.

 It was exhausting, and holding on to Shelley's darling grandson was a fabulous excuse to take a breather.

 The kids enjoyed it almost as much as the adults did, and Kirsten showed us all her tricks! For the record we went 1-1 on our butt wars, definitely gonna need a rematch!

Kim had some sweet moves on the trampoline.  Just ask her to show you her swivel hips!

Bryan was just finishing a 4 day road trip moving from Florida and he still stayed and played for a while!  Little Busty (McKay) was a trooper in spite of the late night.

The teenagers were crazy and so entertaining to watch!

I just adore these guys!

  

LizaJayne held her own with this crazy crew

  Our favorite BFF's got in some good bonding moments and sweaty hugs.

Some little boys never grow up, and we are totally fine with that!

In the middle of the stresses and messes and craziness that come with the holiday season, it was so nice to get out and be silly with a big group of some of my favorite people! Let the good times bounce!

Just a Little Funny

I happen to think the people employed by the marketing departments for beer companies are pretty much geniuses.  Not genius like they're gonna sell me on their products, but comedic geniuses.  Last week I was in a sleep deprived state of delirium as I was coming home from taking Wes to early morning seminary when I heard this commercial.  I had no idea what they were even selling but I found myself in my car chuckling and then laughing out loud.  I don't know if it really was as funny as I thought it was or if I was just super tired and in need of a good laugh.  Regardless, I thought I'd share...click the link below and let me know if you think I was just super tired or what?!

The Most Interesting Man in the World

Just Buy It

Fake it til you make it sometimes means throwing on that plastic smile, and wearing a cheerful countenance like it's a jacket you can take on and off.   In the movie Field of Dreams, they said "if you build it, they will come".  I like to believe that if I wear it, it will come.  The plastic smile will turn genuine and and the cheerful countenance jacket will eventually, just be a part of me, like my birthday suit maybe, but WAY better.  Sometimes you gotta wear it for a long time before you can really own it, but eventually it will come.
The tricky part comes when the people who care about you are paying close attention. Sometimes then their genuine smiles, a sincere inquiry, or quick squeeze remind you that you are loved and noticed.  Its a good feeling, one of the best to be sure, but be warned, the plastic isn't water proof and I get a little leaky from time to time.  I may not give the best response and at times my facade may seem a little sheer, but not to worry, I will be back, I'm sure it's got to be true.
So if you catch me on a day where plastic is what I'm sellin', just buy it!

Makin' Me Smile

I've been up to my eyeballs with "stuff" to do this holiday season and still finding lots of reasons to smile.  Baking yummy treats for favorite friends, excuses to call and chat even if its never for long enough, Garrett singing Christmas songs to our puppy, Brynne spending hours making invitations to every single soul in her class to come to her "dans recytl" this Saturday, 1000 hugs and kisses from my little Drew every day, Wes helping me out with all my projects without a word of complaint and the strength of a man, a sweet new helper in the mornings to get everyone off to school on time, wrapping up in my favorite fleece sheets, Christmas music BLARING from Brynnes room, enjoying the company of a new friend, cozy new chenille socks, long overdue projects finally coming to fruition, hot chocolate, a warm fire,  and the anticipation of all the fun events that still lie ahead.  Feelin' merry and bright, I can't help but smile!