I have begun a quest to replace my two toilets. Without revealing too much information, let's just say that my father is looking forward to his future visits at my condo with new plumbing fixtures. Dad HATES my toilets. I can't say that I blame him, I hate 'em too. Any suggestions as to what to buy? I'm checking out Consumer Reports, etc.
Got back to Maine early Monday morning( read 2 a.m.) and hit the beach yesterday, Tuesday. Perfect blue skies, lots of ocean breeze, and just the right temperature. It's been at least a year since my last beach outing, I missed it. After living in Ft. Lauderdale for all those years I had beach outings to a science. I kept my beach chair, towel, and suit in my car at all times 'cuz you just didn't know when you'd have an opportunity to hit da beach. Amber, my sister-in-law, kinda does the same thing. I was unloading everything out of the van yesterday after we got back to the house. Amber reminded me that we would be heading back today the beach and so I could just leave everything in the van. Ah bliss!
We had lob-stah for dinner last night. Ben made sure that I got two! I love it! Paytyn tried the lobster and she LOVED it. How many 14 month old babies do you know that like lobster? It was pretty fun to see Aspen and Owen crack their lobsters open. These kids know how it is done. They had already picked out their nutcrackers and were ready to crack those bad boys open. 
We just got back from Girls Camp this afternoon. I don't remember the last time I went 4 days without showering, shaving the legs, or putting on make-up. I could probably do without the make-up but showering and de-foresting the legs are a must. I almost cried when I came home today because I had turned the water heater off before I left and the thought of an ice cold shower was terrifying. 
Luckily there was still hot water in there(I'm not quite sure how that works. Can anyone explain?) Let's just say that what I thought was me acquiring a tan...was not. :) My tan has now washed off, with probably 8 layers of bug spray and sunscreen. 
We had 8 girls go up to camp, our Bishop, The Livingstons(Alisa & Dennis), the Bish's wife Jan to help in the kitchen along with Connie Burns. We were so happy to have so many leaders with us, it made our experience great!
I have never been to Girls Camp in Utah before. My camp experiences were in Wisconsin where our stake used a Girl Scout Camp. So imagine my shock and dismay when there was no pool, craft cabin, canoes, or walk-in freezer to use to cool off. It's OK, I recovered pretty quickly. Camping in the Uintas was absolutely beautiful. And to be honest, I didn't really miss the pool or canoes. We heard the pond/lake was filled with leeches so I don't think I really would have wanted to go in there. The camp was surrounded by wildflowers and the Uinta mountains.
Our stake theme this year was Dr. Seuss' Oh The Places You Go, our ward's theme was Green Eggs & Ham. I wish I could tell you I was super crafty with our theme, but alas, I was not. 
Because, who really wants to go around with green eggs on their shirt? We made up for it with yellow bandannas and hoodies. 
And of course, our crafts were excellent! The girls designed fabulous covers for journals, and we all LOVE Mod Podge! What did we do without it before? The girls also made boards that said Be Thou An Example and decorated them with ribbon, flowers, and cool eyelets.The last craft we got to was making magnets out of flat glass marbles. We still have travel size B of Mormons for them to cover, and then a chipboard FRIEND scrapbook for them to make. And to think I was worried about them having enough to do. 
One thing that I love about Girls Camp is how much I learn about myself. It is a wonderful time to be removed from the world in a dedicated place just for the young women of the church. 
Some of the things that I discovered about myself is that I have more patience than I thought. I have been struggling with prayer for the last year or so. My dad has a wonderful testimony of prayer, and talks about it often with our family. I've felt that maybe my Heavenly Father has had me on mute for the last year so. You know, I've been saying my prayers but he hasn't had the volume up? Having this calling has literally pushed me to my knees and almost forced me to pray. There is absolutely no way that I could do this calling without the inspiration of my Heavenly Father. There are so many decisions that have far reaching consequences, and if I was to make them on my own with my limited wisdom and knowledge, the results would be disastrous. I've had many situations where I have had to have an answer from my Heavenly Father, because there was no other way for me to make the right decision. My faith in prayer has been renewed. I have had to wait for the answer, because I couldn't proceed without it. It has really helped me to concentrate on my prayers and to wait for the answer. I have always been able to recognize the spirit, but waiting for an answer is sometimes excruciating.
The spirit was very strong this week for me. I had a moment this week up at camp where I had really wanted to be able to talk to my father. I really felt like I needed to talk with him and seek his advice. Almost like What Would Dana Do in this situation. Being up in the Uintas, there is no cell phone reception so that was definitely not an option. I wished that he was there with me. I was praying to my Heavenly Father, pouring out my soul and wishing for comfort. As I was sitting there on that log I could swear that I felt someone put their arm around me. My Heavenly Father must have known that I needed that because it seemed like a miracle for me. I talked to my dad today and told him about what had happened. He said that he'd been thinking about me on that Wednesday. My dad has the uncanny ability to tune into The Force as he calls it. I can't tell you how many times that my father has sensed from 2,000 miles that something wasn't right and called to check on me. What a blessing my parents are in my life. My parents have unwavering testimonies and are wonderful examples of being obedient. I've learned from them that it is better to be obedient to inspiration than to go your own way.
Being at Girls Camp with my presidency and our girls was a wonderful experience. It is such a different environment in which to get to know people. 
We aren't in our best clothes at church putting our best faces, we are who we really are. In all our un-showered bandanna-ed and clean-faced glory. 
Though I did bring my tweezers, because who knows when you're gonna have a rogue hair that just has to be plucked?
This week gave me new perspective and appreciation for the wonderful blessings in my life. Like these girls thinking that my next birthday would be my 27th. Wahoo!!!! That made my day! : )
I was putting away some things this evening and ran across these old pictures of my family. I almost can't believe that my little brothers used to be so cute. They're a little more hairy and brawny lately, but what're you gonna do? : )
Enjoy!
I almost can't believe it. A whole week in FL with siblings, nieces, nephews, and parental units. Now, all I need to do is find some kind soul to take me to the airport Saturday morning at 5:30...Trying to think what I could use to bribe...I've got 2 heads of lettuce, a giant bowl of cut-up watermelon, and snack size bags of carrots to get through before Saturday morning. OH, and some chocolate cake. Any takers?
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Can I just say that I think this picture is the first time in a LONG time that these 4 siblings have been in the same picture? The twins were on missions, then at West Point. Al and I have been in Utah forever. Now, we just need to photoshop Ben in...
I've been waiting for Spring Break for a loooooong time. I almost can't decide what to do first. I did start off my vacation with a little house cleaning, decoupage project of Be Hoppy(see: stickmup.blogspot.com), giving a piano lesson to Lori, and an early morning trip to Wal-Mart armed with my coupons. You thought I was going to say armed with something else? I thought about it, but my holster doesn't hang so good on workout capris. I can hear my father now: "Mer, you always have to be armed, doesn't matter where you go or what you do." Of course, that doesn't include the post office or church. So, yes, I went without the steel.
I haven't posted anything on here on a long time. Let's see, what's changed since I posted last?
1. Last SEP conference of the year!
2. I'm the new YW president in my ward
3. Lentil soup is the best thing ever ( http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lentil-soup-recipe/index.html)
4. New nephew, Aiden James: see jndyer.blogspot.com
5. Applied for a passport
6. Going to Disney World first week in May!!!
The Disney World trip is going to be so great. I'm flying into Alabama to see Nate & Jaimie and Aiden, then Al, and the folks and I are headed down to Orlando. I'm getting the 5 day pass to the Disney World Resorts. I don't think I've ever done 5 days at a theme park. Ben and Amber rented a 6 bedroom house down in Orlando, with a pool. A couple of Amber's sisters are coming too, so we're gonna have a full house. At first, I wasn't going to take the week off from work. I was talking with Owen one day on Skype, and he was asking if I was going to come. I told him no, and his little face fell. The more I thought about it, and after talking with Monique, I decided I should do it. When am I ever going to have this opportunity to go on a vacation with my nieces and nephew when they are this age? Probably never. Florida here I come!!!
So, I'm gonna have the Laurels in my ward over for a slumber party. Am I crazy to think that I can stay up with these girls? I'm sooooo not the girl I used to be. My old roomie Tiff and I used to say that sleep was for wusses, and that we would sleep when we were dead. I've decided that sleep is super underrated. I love sleeping. A soft bed, comfy blanket, squishy pillows, and a quiet place is my idea of heaven! I'd even take a good nap over a great chocolate dessert any day. Of course, I say that now and some lovely person is going to offer me a super decadent rich chocolate cheesecake and I'm going to have jump ship on the nap idea and dive wholeheartedly into the cheesecake.
Also, a shout out to Jesse in NYC. Jesse, I miss you for many reasons, but most of all I wish you were here to help me put in my new light fixture. I'm attempting to put in my new light fixture and the new Allison, Jon's wife, zapped me the other night while I was wrapping wires. We thought the light was completely turned off , but it wasn't. And, while we were wrapping the wires, we were talking to my dad on Skype so he saw the whole thing.
So, I'm contemplating a new hair color. I've been doing my own coloring for the last 6 months or so. I love going to see Alicia over at the Garden Day Spa, but it's $75 a pop each time I see her, and that doesn't include the tip. I've been making do with Nice 'n Easy Gray Coverage from Wal-Mart which runs me about $9. But after looking at my goth wig from Halloween which was black with purple stripes it kinda makes me wonder. I don't know if I could do the bangs though. I haven't had bangs since high school. OK, no, no purple stripes for me. But, maybe it's time for a new color.
This week is one of my least favorite weeks in the whole entire world. This is the dreaded SEP week, Parent Teacher Conference week, or as I like to call it: Beat Up The Teacher Week.
Why do I hate thee? Let me count the ways?
1. Two late nights of 7 p.m.
2. Tactfully telling parents that little Johnny or Susie can't seem to stay in their seats or need seatbelts or duct tape restraints.
Truth be told, my SEPS having been going great. I'm about halfway finished with no real breaks in sight to get any planning done. Having 28 students has really cut down on the amount of time I spend in planning and helping my students. A class of 14 sounds perfect right about now!
I admit it, I'm addicted to sugar. I've been trying to kick the habit. I've been avoiding refined sugar but I last about 5 or 6 days and then it's all over. I decided after the most recent birthday (my 33rd to be exact), that I should probably cut sugar out of my diet. I went 10 whole days and then I fell off the wagon. Well, it was more like I dove off the wagon. You know how in the WWE the wrestlers stand on the ropes and then jump on the other guy with absolute glee? Sometimes they even smash the poor guy with a chair? I was the wrestler gleefully jumping off the ropes with the chair. More likely, I'm the poor guy getting whacked over the head with the chair.So, what lessons have I learned from this last month or so of cutting out the sugar?
1. no more headaches
2. no pms or cramps( I know it sounds weird, but it's true)
3. major crankiness about what I get to eat
4. my students keep tabs on my sugar intake(It's my own fault, I keep track of my days of sugar sobriety on the board. The morning they came in to find a 0 on the board with a frowny face by it, was super disappointing to them, I'm sure. They were like, "Miss D, what happened?" I used the WWE metaphor with them, they totally got it.)
Life's short, I need to figure out how to eat in moderation.
That's all I got tonight. Well, that and I need to cut down on my high school choir concert intake. 2 in less than a week, kind of a record for me. I can only imagine what's going to happen when my Laurels have all of their holiday choir concerts in December. Maybe I'll need to fortify myself with some chocolate....
In the interest of building up my food storage I've been a canning machine lately. Thanks in part to my garden(which I had at a friend's house) and generous donations from others, I've canned approximately 50 quarts of tomatoes, 10 quarts of salsa, 10 quarts of pears, 30 quarts of applesauce, and dehydrated a bushel of pears. I do love how my house smells, but so help me! If I have to can one more thing in the next week, I'll toss my cookies(metaphorically speaking). And speaking of things that I do that just seem to bring more work and effort into my life, I'm in the process of applying for the Ph.D program at BYU. I know, I must be a glutton for punishment. But, it kinda feels right to apply for the Ph.D. program. Can you imagine me being Dr. Dyer? Almost makes me shiver in my boots. Can't imagine what it'll do for the rest of you!
By the by, Al came home last night after going to a birthday party with a strange story to tell. She slaved over a german chocolate cake yesterday in honor of this girl's birthday. Someone walked off with the cake last night at the party. Can you believe it? Technically, I could press charges against the alleged thief, since the cake was on my plate. I told Al that she get in touch with the alleged thief and give him two options:
1. He purchases from Parson's Bakery a German Chocolate Cake, in the box, with the sales clerk's initials over the tape, showing it hasn't been tampered with.
OR
2. She presses charges.
Whaddya think? I figure, either way, something good will happen here. : )
Yes, I am now on a quest for exercise. I'm not talking about exercising more, heaven forbid. OK, maybe a tad more. Truth is, I hate exercising. But I'm pretty faithful to lifting. Thank the stars above for BodyPump class at Gold's otherwise I would never lift.
I hate to lift on my own. The class is choreographed AND with music, and the instructors come around and fix your form. BUT I digress... I REALLY hate cardio. I loathe it. I detest it. I...you get the picture. I was yapping with Ali the other day about my cardio loathing problem. My new slogan in life is "I'm tired of doing things I don't want to do." Whenever I say this Ali and Sarah roll their eyes, look at each other and say, "When has Mer EVER done something she doesn't wanna do?"
I eat my vegetables, clean my bathroom, pay my bills, and go to the dentist, so I've been known to do things I don't wanna do. But my goal is to find some form of cardio exercise that I don't MIND, not ENJOY. Because really? I'm not shooting that high. I'll settle for cardio I don't particularly mind, but am not holding out for cardio that I enjoy. I'm a realist. I don't think that type of cardio exists for me.
So, here's my short list of things I'm gonna try:
1. Cycling
2. Swimming
Here's what I've tried that really doesn't do it for me:
1. Hiking ( I know, I live out here in Utah and I don't really love to hike)
2. Running(I did run the 5 Mile Canyonlands Run in March and well... you know)
3. Rock climbing
4. Cross Country Skiing( I REALLY hated this, just ask Ali & Sarah)
OK, it's not a good sign when you come home from work and want to sink into a coma. And then, you figure out it takes 3 hours for you to relax after coming home from work. Anyone else have this problem? So after I finally get my heartbeat down after 3 hours, I start to correct the huge pile of papers I brought home with me. In the meantime, I'm worrying about how I'm going to get my students to actually listen to me while I give instructions. Is there another job I could do that pays comparably? And utilizes my educational background? Is this too much to ask? (sigh)
I don't know how many people use webcams regularly, but I am becoming one of them. My family lives approximately 2,000 miles away from me and I don't get to see them all that often. Yes, I do live away from my family for a reason, but I am also missing out on watching my nieces and nephew grow up. My folks introduced me to Skype recently. Mom has an iMac with a camera built into her screen, but all I have is my laptop with a built in microphone...no camera. I'd been looking around for an affordable webcam, with the cheapest being about $30, with fairly good ones around $50. Being the poor school teacher that I am, I was looking for the best bargain I could find. By happenstance one Saturday morning on my way to DI, I stopped by Yours Mine and Ours here in Bountiful for their %50 off sale. Lo and behold, there was a brand new webcam, still in the box, for the low low price of $5.50. I figured that was a rock bottom price, the software was still in the box, and I could afford to spend $5.50 to find out if it worked. Imagine my surprise when I got up to the counter and discovered that it was only $2.75 with the %50 off.
End of story? I have a $3 webcam that works AND I get to see my family more often. Who knew?
I had a pretty horrible day on Thursday. I cut my finger on the paper slicer at work, broke a friend's spiral binder, skinned another finger, and was still nursing a sore scalp from where my hair got wrapped around the wheels of the shop cart while I was changing my oil. It had been a long day and I was SUPER frustrated. I headed back to school around 6 p.m. ( 8 p.m. Eastern) and spent another couple of hours of preparing my classroom. Imagine my relief at being able to chat with my parents, sister-in-law, Owen(my 4 year old nephew), Aspen(my 7 year old niece), and Paytyn(my 3 month old and 15 lb niece). It was like a balm for my soul. And they got to see my classroom. Owen thinks Auntie Mer's classroom is an awesome place because she has a sandbox! That kid would stay for hours to play if he could.
Like a crazy person, I decided that this was the summer that I was going to remodel my condo. It started off with little thoughts of, "Hey, the wall color isn't really my favorite," and "My kitchen cabinets would look so much better if they weren't brown." But I really jumped into the deep end when I came to grips with how disgusting my carpet was. Sure I vacuum it every now and again. But after I accidentally kicked over that can of polyurethane a few years ago in the dining room, I realized that no amount of carpet cleaning could make crunchy carpet soft again.
I was initially going to put in laminate flooring. I figured being a single gal with zero home improvement skills, that was all I could handle. I talked to a few folks, got some information, and then was quoted a lovely price of $8/foot for laminate, including installation. GAG!!! $3,200 was not in my budget. I'd have to sell a kidney or something to afford that. Jesse and I were yapping one day about my home improvement ideas. He was like, "Mer, you could totally put hardwood floors in there...and I'll help you do it. " DING!!!! Kids, we have a winner!
It took us 3 days but the floors are in and they are BEAUTIFUL!!! I now know how to run a saw, use an air compressor, nail gun, and staple gun. Jesse gave up 3 days to come and help me put these floors in, and all I had to do was feed him. Sounds like a great deal to me.
