245: nature church

Sometimes it's nice to take a break from everything and just enjoy nature! That was the case today..but I wouldn't really call it a break because I had my scriptures or manual open nearly all day! I sat on the beach and planned the next week of lessons and Jim took the boys on their biggest hike of the island yet! They made it all the way to the top and came down a fire burn hill..I think they rolled down it because they came back filthy and completely dusty and gross! But the grosser they are, the more fun they had!

244: nostalgia

Memories of our Catalina Home!

Every time we go over to Catalina, I tell myself I'm going to take a picture of "things". I never do..until today! Yes, many of these thing are atrocious and tacky, but they all tell a story.  How many times have we been laying on the couch and wondered, "how many holes are in the ceiling tiles? or "why are the ceiling tiles splattered with gold paint?" Or looked into the bathroom cupboard, with it's funky wallpaper {which is actually kinda coming back in style and, in a way, I like} and wondered, "why is there a bottle of whisky that has a date back near prohibition?" Or, how disgusting can the abalone shell get yet we'll still use the soap that's wading in it's pool of water? Nothing has really been touched in Catalina for YEARS! Things have just been added..things from my now deceased uncle.  Things, that despite how much we detest them, we'd kinda miss if we didn't see them there each time we visited!

243: a day of rest

 Thank goodness it's Friday!!  Friday, in seminary, is game day!  Today, we played Plan of Salvation croquet! Each wicket {metal bracket} was a different part of the plan {premortal, veil, mortal, death, spirit paradise/prison, resurrection, telestial kingdom, terrestial kingdom, celestial kingdom} . They had to get through all the wickets in order to reach the celestial kingdom!!

Immediately after seminary, I picked up the family and we raced to catch the 10:00 a.m. boat to Catalina! We made it just in the nick of time. My twisty cone was my reward for a hard, but rewarding, week of work! Now it's time to make up for all the lost sleep! Sun and sand..here I come!

242: another birthday celebration

Two nights in a row of birthday celebrations!!  Today was Brandy's turn. A bunch of us moms got together and went to the trampoline park! SO MUCH FUN!!  Back flips..front flips..it all comes right back..like riding a bike!  The only difference, you pay a little more dearly for it the next day than you did when you were 15. This night didn't have me home until 12:30, so you can only imagine what a dream it was to get up for seminary and then leave immediately for Catalina! But good times with friends is worth a little lost sleep!

241: t is 40

Celebrated Theresa's 40th tonight with FRIENDS, FRIED FOOD, FUN, and FANTASTICALLY delicious cupcakes {compliments of chanin}!

240: dang you internal clock!!

Why does my body keep waking up at this time?  I still have 50 minutes of good sleep! But nope, can't fall back to sleep. Hopefully the anxiety of not being late subsides soon because this is not my favorite hour!

239: garden bounty

Our garden is still producing and it's a wonderful thing!  We even grew a watermelon this year that is just about ready to be picked! Nothing taste better than fresh produce!

238: state hunt

Ask anyone in my immediate circle of family and friends, and they will tell you how much I love the license plate game! Last year I found a fun, free app called State Hunt. It's a mobile license plate game. This is my 4th time that I have successfully seen all the states..even District of Colombia D.C. My best score is 61 days. It's Delaware that stumped me this time! Funny thing..I found a Delaware in the parking lot of our Home Depot. I started the game again two days later, the second I saw a West Virginia plate {probably the next hardest one to find} and just a few days later, in the Home Depot parking lot again, I saw Delaware!  I foresee in the near future, my best score yet!

237: he sleeps!

This is what happens when you're working on very little sleep! We had a seminary training conference this morning in Fontana, and it started at 7:30, so no sleeping in for us weary ones.  Erika drove, but didn't realize she left her lights on until it was time to go. Fortunately, members of the church are always prepared!!

 Later that night, we went to an incredible production of Les Miserables that our neighbor was in. I was blown away how professional this high school set up was. They had a professional, rotating stage and the costumes were just as good as the Broadway version. Some of us, however, enjoyed it more than others. Actually, this was better for everyone involved!

236: crash!

The crash felt round the world!! The adrenaline finally gave up! Everyone has been asking me all week, "Are you so tired from getting up for seminary?" And honestly, I wasn't!  I felt so energized and pumped and was having a great week! It was like some reserve energy source was stored deep within me..that was, until Friday afternoon! I sat on the couch to look at some mail and next thing I know it, the clock was 1 1/2 hours further than when I sat down.  I guess it all had to catch up with me at some point. I'm just glad it waited for the weekend!

235: raingutter regatta

Here he is...the reigning, two years in a row, GRAND CHAMPION of the cub scout raingutter regatta!

We did nothing terribly fancy or out of the ordinary, but for some reason, Jayden's boat always seems to dominate!

Others caught on this year and copied our "catamaran" style, but they were no match! 2 blows and Jayden's boat sailed to victory.

This was the final race..it was the closest of all! Neighbor against neighbor!! {you can see the set up-petruding board-got in everyones way!} 

234: beginner baker

Today I baked zucchini bread for my very first time! We've had an influx of zucchini from our garden and one can only eat so much of it steamed! I am not a baker in any sort of the word. It is stepping out of my comfort zone, but my life lately has been about stretching and growing and learning new things!

I'm not sure if Jim was just being the doting husband that he is, but he told me it was the best he had ever eaten! {now..how much zucchini bread has he really eaten is the question?}

233: running skirt

This was big for me..a running skirt! Some girlfriends gave me a gift certificate to the Running Skirt Store back in February and I finally got down to Encinitas to use it! There were some very fun colors and patterns, but this was my favorite! Now..I'm hoping that it helps me like to run. I took off on my first run since April, and although it was only 2 miles, I kept my pace at a comfortable 10 minute mile. It's just too hot outside for running, but I have a race in a few weeks!

232: 1st day of seminary

This will be my last seminary post for awhile. Enough already!

I will say, I had an awesome first day! It couldn't have gone any smoother. We had great discussions and I can tell it's going to be a great year.  I look forward to learning right alongside  these amazing kids. One of my biggest worries was, how in the world I was going to come up with 50 minutes of lesson 5 days a week.  The funny thing is..time flies. I barely got through all the stuff I had planned..and really, did I think I'd be worried about filling time?  I'm a natural born talker..it's a good thing and a bad thing!

231: seminary fireside

More seminary..I'm telling you, it's consuming my life! This is why my blog has been so behind. Tonight there was a parent/student seminary fireside to go over the program and the rules. It's nice that they heard it from the leaders and not from the teachers. Takes a little of the pressure off our backs!