My life today.

I really am getting antsy for Autumn to come to New Mexico. Every year right at the end of August I get this irresistible urge to get out all my fall decorations for the house. I make myself wait until the first of September though. Ugh, this is killing me. Maybe I will just put a few out to hold me over until the first of September. These are a few things that are going on in my life right now.


making- some homemade birthday presents.

cooking- some apple muffins.

drinking- lady grey tea, with a splash of milk-no sugar.

reading- Pride and Prejudice.

wanting- my kids to keep their bathroom clean.

looking- very tired, black circles under eyes.

playing- Celtic Women, A New Journey.

wasting- time I should be organizing the house.

liking- the rain that we have had.

wondering- if I should paint my hallway and kitchen.

loving- watching my husband kiss the kids goodbye in the morning.

hoping- that I can get some projects done this week.

marveling- at my three year old's imagination.

needing- a full time cook.

smelling- Paula Deen scented candles.

wearing- what else- jeans and t-shirt.

following- Ree Drummond with the Pioneer Woman.

noticing- that I need to give myself a manicure.

knowing- how many blessing I have.

thinking- I need to take the dogs on a walk.

bookmarking- Vintage pictures of Fall.

wishing- for new couches, White slip covered ones.

opening- way to much junk mail.

feeling- tired, didn't sleep well last night.

Memories of childhood.

I just recently connected to a friend on Facebook that I haven't seen or talked to for about 20 years or so. Heidi Elledge and I spent our tender young years tearing up our neighborhoods. I was so excited to hear from her I could hardly contain myself. It was rather a surprise because I had been trying to locate her for several years now. Raising children of my own now and seeing the friendships they are forming has brought back memories of my own special bonds that I had with friends. Heidi and I were very close to eachother. I had my very first sleepover at her house. She had two other sisters and it was a lot of shrieking and giggling going on. I thought it was amazing that she had so much GIRL stuff at her house to play with. I had 6 brothers and 1 sister, so there was more boy stuff that girl stuff. One of the most memorable things we did was riding down the "hill" in the red wagon. The hill I am talking about is not some "little"out of the way hill. It's the main road into the neighborhood and it is steep. I am amazed that we were not hit by a car or had any bones broken.

I can't remember how old we were when her parents divorced the they moved away. It was still in grade school. I was devastated that she had left. I saw her over the years at different functions, but have always thought of her over the years and wondered how her life had turned out. I saw her Dad at a restaurant a few days before I got married. My Mom had always stayed in contact with Heidi's Mom so I had updates about her through that.

I've had kids and stayed busy trying to raise them. I am using the word TRYING very loosely. Always thinking about my best childhood friend. I am thrilled to know that she is happy and healthy and getting on in life. Now that we have reconnected I hope that we will have more chances to visit and hopefully see one another some day. Thanks for the memories Heidi!

The Love of my life.

This was in the spring of 1992, before Troy left on his mission.

Paaleeease. I was not that heavy. I may be now!

Troy took me to my Jr. Prom. It was the same day that Troy received his mission call to Chile. I was 16 in this picture and Troy was 20.

Some of our engagement pictures taken at Catherine Albertson Park in Boise, Idaho. 1994

Our wedding day August 13, 1994. We got married in the Boise Idaho Temple.

I was inlove with Troy before he even knew that I existed. He moved to Boise, Idaho from Colorado to go to Boise State University. He moved in with his Uncle Bill and Aunt Corinne that lived in the same neighborhood and went to the same ward as my family. The first day he came to church and I saw him, I knew I was going to marry him. This was in August and he didn't ask me out until February.

You see, there was a slight hitch in my plan. I was only 16 and a Jr. in Highschool. Troy was 20 and a Sophomore in college. His Aunt was my leader in church and I was always begging her to set us up. I even babysat for her once and went through Troy's things while I was at his house. Now days that is called stalking. Wait, that was stalking back then too I guess. OK, I was a little creepy.

February all my little girl fantasies came true and he asked me out, only he didn't know it was me he was asking out. He needed a date at the last minute for a Sawyer Brown concert, so his Aunt had him call me up. In his mind he thought he was calling somebody completely different. My luck! The night I got that fated phone call I almost lost him forever before he even had a chance to take me out. He asked what time he could pick me up and I told him, " Don't pick me up before 6:00 because I have drivers ed." There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. I think he was a little confused. Then I heard "ooooohhhhh-kaaaaaaaaay." It wasn't until several weeks later that he confessed to me that he thought that I was Renee Burton, who is several years older than I am.

He picked me up, my Mom sat on him and pinched his eyelids. She does those kind of things. It really is a miracle that he still took me out. The concert was Rad, we used those kind of words back then. That night I told him that I couldn't marry him because he wasn't a "Return Missionary." Troy preceded to tell me under no circumstances was he going on a mission or getting married. He was going to finish college and make lot's of money. That conversation took place on February 11th and he was on his mission by June the same year. Both of us knew that we were not ready to get married at that time, which we would of ended up doing, if he hadn't left right away. We were crazy in love for each other and very immature.

Two months and two days after he got home from his mission we married. Still very immature. Almost 15 years later we are still very immature. I don't think we will ever grow up. We have 5 beautiful children who drive us crazy most of the time. I cannot be any luckier to have Troy as my partner in raising them. He is my best friend and my lover. He keeps me laughing all the time. One thing about Troy is that he thinks he is really funny. He is always laughing at his own jokes. I think that is what I love most about him is his sense of humor. He tells me I look beautiful even when I KNOW I AM NOT LOOKING BEAUTIFUL!

Lauzzy, I was on to something good when I saw him all those years ago. Good thing I was able to snag him!