Two down...one to go!

The day every mother dreads/looks forwards to has come. My baby girl has left home in search of higher learning, independent living, and no curfew. Not only has she flown the coop, but my husband is off hunting this weekend, and my son is on a scout overnighter. I am all ALONE! Oh what to do, what to do...I can read my book without interruption, watch any sad or corny chick flick without being made fun of, I can crank up the christmas music and sew my christmas quilt without eyeballs rolling. I even thought about going shopping, but then I realized I save that trick for when I need to get away, and tonight I have no one I need to get away from! So, what have I been doing...

I wandered into Kayla's clean room to make sure the carpet was still the same color I remembered seeing about 10 years ago. It was, only now it has speckles of color through it. Pink finger nail polish, beige and black makeup, something purple...and I noticed a few pictures she left behind. Mostly pictures of when she was younger. There's one of her playing with her cousins at Liberty Park, sitting in a mud pit with Chelsea at pineview, climbing the tree in grandma's backyard, and my favorite picture of her when she was 3 years old, holding a doll that looks just like her.




Can you guess what I did after that? If you guessed something that involved a box of tissues, you would be right.

So now I'm spending my quality "alone" time feeling sorry for myself, wondering how I let this happen! How did she grow up so fast? When did she stop humming while eating? When did she start to flaten the curls and stop playing with dolls? Cuz I swear it was only yesterday...
But then I started thinking about all the positive things that will happen now that she's away to college, and I started to cheer up a bit:
1-50% less hair on the bathroom counter, floor, and shower.
2-Her room might stay clean for longer than a day.
3-No more staying up past midnight wondering where she is.
4-No more conversations with Tary that go like this: "Where's Kayla, is she home yet?" "Call her" "It's your turn to call her, I called her last time"
5-No more telling her to move her car so Dad can put out the garbage cans.
6-More room in the fridge with only 2 types of milk instead of 3.
7-She'll appreciate a good home cooked meal more.
8-She'll learn what it's like to share a room.
9-She'll learn that not everyone grows up in a home like hers.
10-And hopefully she'll appreciate more the home she grew up in.

And the only bad thing about her moving away to college, to grow up a little more, to experience life on her own, to learn how to be independant, is:

1-I'm going to MISS her like heck!

PS...kayla if your reading this and getting a little teary eyed, just consider it a little payback for the sweet little note you left me on my dresser that I just found. Excuse me while I go get some more tissues!

It's just around the corner...

It's August, and you know what that means...time to get ready for Christmas! Now before you start rolling your eyes, take a trip to your local craft store and you'll know I'm not the only elf out there. Hobby Lobby is a full blown winter wonderland, their halls are decked with boughs of holly...fa la la, and at least one of you expressed sadness that my last blog about Rudolph didn't actually consist of our beloved furry friend. So, wait no longer my fellow crafters, the time for merri-ment has arrived! I'll be attempting once more, to finish my wall quilt I started 2 years ago. All that's left is the button-hole stitching around my appliques, but that's the hardest part, which is why it's taken me so long to finish the dang thing! But my motto is: "If you blog it, it will get done" Speaking of getting things done, last year about this same time, I started to clean out the storage room so I could get to my Christmas decorations. This year, Tary is building a wall between our storage and laundry room so we can have shelves and make it all official looking. So, out came all the cans, buckets, and jars so he could have room. Just one problem with that, it's now all over my family room, only 4 more months till the tree comes out of hiding, and guess what this weekend is? I'm sure all you Lymanites know... its the start of the elk archery hunt. And when I say the start, that's what I mean, just the start. Next comes the rifle, the muzzle loader, the deer hunt, in which order I'm not sure, I just know that my husband goes a.w.o.l. on me until mid-november. He doesn't even notice me unless I'm wearing florescent orange. He drew out on something big after 30 years of putting in for it, so he's like a little kid on Christmas Eve, he's so excited for it he can hardly sleep at night just thinking about what he's gonna get!

Do you see my dilema? Only 15 more saturdays until I start decking my halls, that's only 135 more shopping days, and 9 more paydays till the 'Big Guy' leaves his loot. But don't let my problems put a damper on the season...get out those stockings you've been meaning to finish 2 children ago, start making that Christmas countdown now, start making the centers for your dipped chocolates. You can never start too soon. Once the kids go back to school in a few weeks, you know what will happen...before you know it you'll be scavanging the house for a Halloween costume, then it will be time to bake pies for Thanksgiving, and the next day, THE DAY, well, by then it will all be too late. So I say, good for you Hobby Lobby! Finally someone who appreciates and knows the meaning of "Christmas in July". It's not about rushing the season or wishing away summer, it's about being prepared so that when the time comes you don't have to feel stressed and you can just enjoy the blessings of your labor. Hmm, sounds like a good lesson on food storage...

go figure.

Too early for Rudolph...so here I am.

Yeah, I got a little sun, not complaining though, I love sunshine on my shoulders, it makes me happy!
The family, and by family I mean ALL of us, spent a few days at heaven on earth, Lyman UT...a place where the blue skies meet with the red rocks, where green pastures quilt the landscape and charming homes with wrap around porches welcome all to stay and sit a spell. Too many passer-bys, Lyman is just a sleepy little town they have to slow down to pass through on their way to Capitol Reef, but to me, it's always been my second home.
Let me introduce you to country livin', Wayne County style.

First on the stop is Fish Lake, nestled behind the hills of sage brush and scrub oak is a beautiful, God made lake surrounded by tall pines and quakies. Under the surface you'll find tiger muskies and trout for the big guys, and enough perch for the little ones to catch over and over again, bringing smiles to all the fishermen who cast their lines of luck into the deep blue waters.
Some traditions are hard to break and going to Big Rocks is no exception. Climbing the rocks as an adult, I've discovered, is just as fun as when we were kids. After the traditional wienie roast and smores, we're off to climb, jump and hide in the big lava rocks. Some taking advantage of their now grown-up long legs to jump over crevaces that once brought panic and fear into the heart of every mother...only to test the heart rates of their wives. I have a confession to make:
I've never been to Zions National Park, with Capitol Reef in my cousins backyard, I never felt the need. This place is Beautiful, with a capitol B.There's rocks for climbing, rocks to sit in, and mostly, rocks that just need to be admired and be in awe of. Rocks indians used to permanently text their messages into, and where pioneers inscribed their names, long before grafitti became a bad thing.

There were rivers to divert, deer to pet, canyons to explore. A magical place where the ghosts of Butch Cassidy and cowboys and indians came alive in the minds of imaginative little boys.


After a hot day on the trail, a nice cool dip in the Bicknell pool was the perfect end of a perfect day!


Then it was back in the truck and the long drive home. Farewell Lyman, till next summer...

P.S...sorry I mentioned Rudolph, you were all excited this was going to be a post about Christmas in July huh? Don't worry, it will be here before we know it.