Honey-do you love me?

Dear Pookey-

I read your blog.

I read the comments.

I'm going to start banning road trips and go and harrass TSA agents.

I'm so glad you realize all (that I've met lately) Highway Patrolman are big jerk-faces. I wish I was doing 85-90. I was doing 84 in a 75. Sorry.

Your cute and loving wife.

:)

Beautiful, Beautiful Jake

We had a great letter from Jake this week. He has just finished his 22nd week. I know...you all think time is flying...:) I'm so proud of him and grateful for his selfless service. He is such a joy! The people of Ecuador are so lucky to have him!!

Tuesday Tell All...One Word

1. Where is your cell phone? .................... Car
2. Your significant other?....................... Hot!!
3. Your hair?.................................... Ponytail
4. Your mother? .................................Humble
5. Your father?.................................. Generous
6. Your favorite thing?.......................... My Boys
7. Your dream last night?........................ beachhouse
8. Your favorite drink........................... fountain Diet Coke
9. Your dream/goal?.............................. 140 :)
10. The room you're in?.......................... Family Room
11. Your children?..................................... Priceless
12. Your fear?................................... Offending
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years........... Healthy
14. Where were you last night?................... Pebble Beach, CA
15. What you're not?............................. Mean
16. Muffin...................................... Tops
17. One of your wish list items?................. IMac
18. Where you grew up?........................... Vegas
20. What are you wearing?........................ Flip-flops
21. Your TV?..................................... Bachlorette
22. Your pets?................................... uncontrollable :(
23. Your computer? .............................. Slow
24. Your life?................................... Blessed
25. Your mood?................................... Happy
26. Missing someone?............................. Jakie-Poo
27. Your car?.................................... Clean
28. Something you're not wearing?................ Pasties
29. Favorite Store?.............................. Nordy's
30. Your summer?................................. International
31. Like someone?................................ Skitzos
32. Your favorite color?......................... Green
33. Last time you laughed........................Today
34. Last time you cried?.........................Today

I just don't have a big enough vocabulary to adequatly describe my wonderful life in one word. I am thankful to be married to King Keith. I am blessed to be a mother, sister, friend, daughter & Aunt. My cup runneth over!

These "company" people are...errr...ummm....different,

Keith and I are here in Pebble Beach enjoying a wonderful little get-away as guests of Sequoia Insurance. Keith has played Spyglass, Spanish Bay and Pebble Beach. After a brief hiatus from golf he roared into town and has been the winner of his foursome every day. Go Keith!!The weather has been record breaking while we have been here. It may seem hot to them but for us it has been wonderful. The skies have been the prettiest shade of blue. The evenings have been perfect.

I can't say enough about the spa treatments.

The Sequoia people have been incredible hosts. I don't think I have ever been to an event that is quite as elaborate before. They really know how to throw a party. The whole event this year has had an Irish theme. Tonight...the party was off the wall.

These are Insurance people...who knew?

Tuesday Tell All...What do you remember about your childhood summers?

I had the greatest childhood ever!! The best!!  Todays Vegas is NOT the Las vegas I grew up in :(Here are the few (of hundreds) of my Summer memories as a Las Vegas Kid.*Root Beer Freezes at Nifty's*Drinking from the garden hose, the experienced kids knew to wait until the 100+degree water sprayed out before putting it up to our lips.*Red Rock Swim Club.....everyday...all day...and most evenings if we got our way (except Sundays of course :)*Tuesday $1.00 movies at Red Rock Theatres....all 4 of them.  Wow!! (of course this included a donut from Winchell's across the street)*Riding Bikes*Running in the spinklers*Playing Hide and Seek or Freeze tag for hours in the evenings.*Trips to Bunkerville to swim in the "falls" (really just a concrete irrigation ditch but it seemed like a waterpark to us) We loved to bring friends who hadn't been before because if you didn't know where the cracks were the seat of your pants got ripped off...oh my...we had tons of laughs from that!  I loved sitting under shade of the trees in the evenings and listening to my grandpa & Grandma, Aunts and Uncles tell tales and stories.*Bowling leagues at West Hills Lanes (I had my own sparkling baby blue bowling ball with my name in it) Those days were safe for kids...so my mom would make us walk home.  Hello...can you say Bowling Ball?  100+ degrees?  2.3 miles.*Speaking of safe...we had never heard of a cell phone...mom just would say...be home when the street lights come on.  We could be miles away on our skates or bikes.  We knew when those street lights came on we better high-tale it home.*Cold Watermelon*Ketchup dogs from Weinershnitzel*A million stars at night*Sunday Night "Disney"  Oh how I would pray it was going to be a cartoon..I didn't like the kid documentary's too much.  Oh yeah..and there was always buttered or candy popcorn.*Hunting for lizards or horny toads at Grey Hole (anyone who grew up near me will know what Grey Hole was)*On that rare day it rained...we would go and ride the flash floods down Alta Hill. (how did we ever survive our childhoods?)*Family and neighborhood BBQ's*Bare feet.  I could cross a hot street and jump onto the cool grass in about 5 steps.  It was an art!  Now I know where I got my "Fred Flintstone" feet.*Shakeys Pizza.Funny how most my memories involved food....it's a family thing :)jlr

There's a kind of hush, all over the world tonite (let's hope anyway!)

If the night seems eerily quiet tonite....don't be concerned. It hopefully is a good thing!





Yawn...I'm already looking forward to a quiet night sleeping!!

5 more days...5 more days....5 more days...

Guess how many days until I hear from my sweet, funny, handsome, tender, farmer-tanned, funny food eatin', joyful, hard-working boy? 5! 5! 5! 5! I am so excited to hear his sweet voice!

Here are a few of the photos he sent this week! Isn't he the most amazing kid ever!?! I think so :)

I love being a missionary mom!

I love creative people!

Last night we had a small family Bridal Shower for our newest addition, Shaylee. Shaylee is the fiance' of Dixon Leavitt. A beautiful, smart (just aced her Chemistry Final..Go Shaylee), and gracious girl. We are lucky to have her!


My friends Judy's sister is starting a pastry business from home so I asked her to make a cake and some cookies for the shower. I showed her a picture of the cookies and another of the cake....WOW!! She is awesome! She does wedding cakes, party trays & gift baskets, Her prices are great and she is super creative!! Thanks Jackie..they were the hit of the party!! Her little business is Creative Creations, and she can be reached at jackiejoneslv@yahoo.com. Her phone is 702-558-2994.



It was fun to meet Shaylee's mom, Becky. I'm pretty sure she had Shaylee when she was about 10 years old...she looks like Shaylee's sister instead of her mom! It was also great to visit with lots of family members we haven't seen for a while. We missed those that couldn't make it and those living too far to come. We'll see you at the wedding!!

Being a Loser made me a Winner!!

     Two months ago I bought tickets to see one of my all-time favorite singers, Kenny Loggins!!  He was playing at one of my favorite outdoor theatres, Tuacahn, in Southern Utah.  Great music and magnificant scenary, what a combination.    

After a complete and total lack of interest on Keith's part, I invited my two best girlfriends, Holly & Kelli.  We ALWAYS, ALWAYS have a blast together. Earlier this year we had to cancel our annual "girl's trip" because some very serious events that were happening in both of their lives. It was the first time in eight years we weren't able to go.  So this little getaway couldn't have come at a better time....so I thought.    

Kelli got sick (read her blog...'it was more painful than childbirth") and Holly had to leave last minute to go care for her ailing mother, Lucy.  Definately been a challenging year in their lives.  Keith was called in as a backup.  Still...total and complete lack of interest.      

I guess I could have just not gone.  I could have tried to sell the tickets.  But I REALLY wanted to go.  I thought of every person I could that was in a position to drop everything and leave.  I felt too "loser-ish" to call anyone with just hours notice and then feel embarrassed when they said "uhhh no thanks, I have a life"

SO I made up my mind...I am an independant, grown-up girl, right?   I can go to a concert all by myself if I want (loser).  I can stand with three empty seats surrounding me, alone, singing and dancing along with the band, right?  (loser)  I can roam alone in Taipan Trading and hold up items to strangers and ask if it will look good in my guestroom. (okay that is kinda like a loser, but I've always been one to chatter with strangers.)

45 miles out of town, Officer Mayer, kindly makes written proof of my loser-ness.  88 in a 75.  Actually he's pretty much a loser too. 

As confident as I felt, I was still thinking about how great Kenny Loggins is.  How good the accoustics are and how amazingly beautiful Taucahn looks lit up at night.  I needed to share my good fortune with someone.  But now it was only 2 1/2 hours before it started,  I called my nephew, Dixon, who attends SUU, who appreciates all music.  He even has a blog about it.    "Uhhhh, no thanks..I have a life"  but then he says call Justin and Adam. 

My almost "loser" of a night became great when I got to share my beloved 80's brilliance with some of my Jakie's best friends.  Friends who know every word to every Barrly Manilow song, boys that listen and actually love "Delilah" on 106.5.  Boys that actually are super cool but Tivo'd "Top 100 Soft Hits from the 80's & 90's:...and made me watch it with them.


Too Bad King Keith.....your loss...I had a date with 3 cute college boys...Who's the loser now?


Thanks Justin, Adam and your friend (I'm so sad I can't remember his name) for making it a winning night!!

Oh yeah...Kenny Rocked!!!