Grandpa Pettingill's 80th Birthday

Before everybody left to go home Scottie explained that he sent home several boxes of stuff from the mission that was supposed to be here for Christmas, but as we can guess never made it in time. Such a sweet guy, this little parade thingy Christine got (she doesn't know it since she wasn't there). You put little candles in the four holders and the heat from the candles makes the wind mill top turn, really cool. Lance and I got this beer stein which is awesome and shows the city council old and new, had to get a picture of Scott with it.

The rest of the pictures are of the birthday - pizza, soda, family, cake, and more cake.

The Burning of the Tights

Sister Westover hit her 6 month mark just as she got transferred up to Oregon. For their last discussion together teaching Doug and Sheri I made up some Snicker Doodles that night. After the couple left what else did we have to do other than mark this special occasion with the burning of the tights? It was great fun!!

National WHAT Day?

We have the best sister missionaries in our area. Sister Thomas and Westover spent their preparation day discovering from the Elder's random calendar, that this particular day was National Squirrel Day. They decided to go through some clothing that was left behind and made this little cape with the initials LR and a silver crown! How cute is that? I'm sure they think we're the weirdest couple they've ever met and you know missionaries meet some weird people on their missions. All hand stitched and the crown is made of cardboard covered with tin foil. Such thoughtful sisters!! Lance got a picture of the cape on the little guy (no luck yet with the crown) and I'm still not sure how he got on the bookcase or in the house. Lance?

I See

In my own little world it is spring time. The skies are blue with abundant sunshine and budding trees. The flowers are about to make their first loverly appearance from their cold slumber and awaken the bugs. The grass is green and ready to be covered with blankets for picnics and footprints of little feet who go out to play. I can hear children laughing at the park while mothers peak at them every now and again from their indulging book. I can hear birds singing a beautiful melody. I can hear the squirrel cracking open and nibbling on fallen nuts and seeds. I can see a dandelion floating across the sky and the flowers softly swaying in the breeze. The air is fresh and crisp and I'm all sorts of happy and almost giddy inside. Anybody want to join me in my own little world?

Better Than The Stork

Saturday Lance and I watched Halle and Aubrey while Brad and Heather went to Scott's smoker. They wanted curly noodles (ramen) for dinner which was great with me and as we were eating I was asking the girls if they wanted a boy baby or a girl baby. They each told me their many speculations and Aubrey was adamant she didn't want a brother.

Aubrey: What's your babies names?

Me: Oh I don't have any babies yet.

Halle: Well that's ok, I'm sure Jesus will give you a baby one day!

Movie Reviews

We're new to the Netflix crowd, we just don't watch too many movies. Lance is all about the streaming and Mystery Science Theater (go figure) so we're trying the free month trial. Saturday we watched To Kill A Mocking Bird. This is the first time I've seen it and the movie makes me want to read the book. Was it required in school? I don't remember ever reading it but I may make a stop to the library here shortly. I loved every bit of it especially the fact that it is black and white and takes place in the south. I love the whole character of Atticus, the naivety of Scout, and the big brotherness of Jem. What a family, the whole thing was fantastic!


Older Scout: Neighbors bring food with death, and flowers with sickness, and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a knife, and our lives.

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Atticus Finch: I remember when my daddy gave me that gun. He told me that I should never point it at anything in the house; and that he'd rather I'd shoot at tin cans in the backyard. But he said that sooner or later he supposed the temptation to go after birds would be too much, and that I could shoot all the blue jays I wanted - if I could hit 'em; but to remember it was a sin to kill a mockingbird.

Jem: Why?

Atticus Finch: Well, I reckon because mockingbirds don't do anything but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat people's gardens, don't nest in the corncrib, they don't do one thing but just sing their hearts out for us.




I did buy Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly (thanks Analee for introducing it to me a few years ago!) because that is one of my favorite movies. I've never read the book and although I would like to, I don't think I could get through it. I get lost in the conversation lines from the turn of the 19th century and the way they talk. The way they speak is romantic for sure, but it's not my forte. I LOVE the movie although other critics like the older version better. I just love the actors. But I'm lucky enough to have my own Mr. Darcy whom I call Lancelot of Camelot. (For reals, if you look his name up in my phone, that's exactly it). :)

Elizabeth Bennet: And that put paid to it. I wonder who first discovered the power of poetry in driving away love?

Mr. Darcy: I thought that poetry was the food of love.

Elizabeth Bennet: Of a fine stout love, it may. But if it is only a vague inclination I'm convinced one poor sonnet will kill it stone dead

Mr. Darcy: So what do you recommend to encourage affection?

Elizabeth Bennet: Dancing. Even if one's partner is barely tolerable.

Progress Report Due

I know this homework is considered late but what can I say, the first week wasn't much of an improvement. I still haven't got a routine of exercising down but I'm getting better. I've been eating healthier and cutting out most sweets. Notice I said "most" sweets because I could never cut it out completely. I went for a leisurely walk Sunday afternoon because dinner wasn't done yet and Lance got called into work. It was a great stroll with spring-like weather.

However, I still have the plan of getting into a weekly (every other day) exercise routine and within a few months it should be hard core. (Notice I didn't say daily exercise routine. I don't have that much gumption, motivation, or time. When I get home from work, I still have to tend to household duties and the like and I'd rather spend the last hour of my day with Lance instead of the stationary bike). Lance and I are in charge of the music for the stake youth trek this summer. We need to train for that otherwise I'll be sitting in some one's hand cart or hitching a ride to Brother Leavitt's four wheeler.

Light?

Yesterday was Lance's last first day of school. Yay! But can I mention, I still don't see the light at the end of the tunnel? I should..........I can faintly see it but I don't want to get my hopes up. Unfortunately Lance has been throwing up all night/morning so he missed his classes. Bummer for both of us. I feel so bad that I can't stay home and take care of him, and the evening was very busy with New Beginnings for mutual so I couldn't pamper or tend to his every need. Poor boy. Needless to say, it was his last first day of school!

Monday, Monday

I had a lousy night last night and couldn't sleep. This morning work didn't prove to be any better - lousy. Lance surprised me this afternoon with a king size Reese's to make my day go better. Love that boy, that's why I keep him around!

Just Another Day on the Job

I always welcome the opportunity to go on a job with the boys, just to get out of the office. In this case, Tim and Brad had to do some plumbing through the crawl space. I quickly learned exactly why it's called a crawl space.

Simple job: crawl through there and shove the tubing through the hole in the ceiling. Sounds simple, I didn't realize why they needed me until I saw it for myself. The crawl space is tiny, tiny! And where I had to crawl there was a drain pipe underneath me and duct work above me so the space in between was about 6 inches. Great! I crawled in about 7 feet to the designated hole for the tubing and got the job done. The hard part was getting out because I got stuck. I tried to turn around to come back down head first. That wasn't going to work and I got stuck again. I turned around to come down feet first, which eventually worked but not as quickly as I hoped.

See me way in there?

Trying to turn around.

I have no idea how I fit through this 6" space!

Turning around again.

Got stuck. Again. I was laughing because I couldn't believe how stuck I was and wanted to have the home owner cut me out of the ceiling. I thought I'd never get out of there.

"Never Get Old"

Grandpa called the store today asking Dad and Joseph to give Grandma a priesthood blessing. They headed straight away to the house and from the sounds of it, Grandma was looking pretty rough. After they returned to the store Grandpa called and said Grandma got right up out of bed, got dressed, and wanted to go get her hair done.

I don't know if the terrible headaches are caused from her Alzheimer's or if its just old age. Grandpa said she's never had a headache in her life until she got Alzheimer's. Kind of perplexing. When Grandpa comes into the store I usually ask how Grandma is and he just gets sad and tells me the same story. "Oh she gets worse and worse everyday." He remembers when his Granddad had to care for his wife and how he would get so upset at her and wanted to divorce her. Grandpa couldn't figure out why Granddad just couldn't understand the disease, until his wife got Alzheimer's. Now he understands. He tries to be patient and not get upset but it's hard for him, he's turning 80 in a few weeks and it's like caring for a 2 year old. Grandma is only 74. She seems so young to me.

Grandpa still has energy/respiratory issues. About 6 months ago they headed to SLC to get his heart tested, Grandpa is quite convinced his heart is the cause of no energy. The tests were all normal. He finally got a cpap which helps when he keeps it on. He's always winded and has such low energy. Dad met with a Dietitian that specializes in Diabetes to help Grandpa get on a good diet but it doesn't seem to do much good.

There's a gal named Larue who comes to the house twice a week to help care for Grandma. She bathes her, cooks meals, cleans, whatever is needed. Her and Grandma became instant best friends which I think is so good for grandma.

Grandpa's advice to me is to never get old. Since I've never had anyone close to me die (only great grandparents) this whole decline in health is new and scary. I know they're getting older. I know it's the circle of life and I'll become like that some day too. It's just so hard to watch, it breaks my heart.

My 20 Minute Battle

I have decided to get back into the exercise/eating well routine. Since the holidays brought a lot of goodies, I felt I had to scarf them down so I wouldn't have to look at them anymore thereby craving any sort of healthy food. I'm not cutting all sweets (heaven's no!), just not 25 lb. of chocolate chips in one sitting. My plan is to ride the stationary bike that I got Lance last year for Christmas for 20 minutes straight, the last 2 minutes being hard core and then weight lifting for 20 minutes. I know you're probably thinking, big whoop. Well, I can't even run a mile, and biking is so far out of the question (I might be able to bike around the block but I probably wouldn't feel good about it until after I got out of the coma) so I thought it would be a good change and challenge to do the bike. The past few days I had been eating quite well, limiting myself to one or two treats in the evening but not too late as is customary. I even worked out once but then came down with a cold so I put the work outs on hold for a while.

This past weekend I was feeling the urge to go on a walk or play racquetball with Lance. After breakfast we browsed craigslist for a bit, did this and that. But I waited too long and the urge left me and then I just wanted to lay on the couch all day. That's just what I did. I laid and watched a few hours of The Office with lots of Reeses and Snickers. All afternoon. Watching. Eating. Watching. Feeling my cells fill with chocolate, peanut butter, and yummy caramel.

But it's a new week and I still have the resolve to get on that bike for 20 minutes and then lift weights. Progress report is due in a week.

The Most Romantic TV Couple Ever

From this

To this

I just watched a bunch of re-runs from season 7. I love this show and especially Jim and Pam, they are the perfect, most romantic couple ever. Too bad they aren't together in real life.

Fill in the Blank

1. When I am 75 I will be.......married for 56 years and will hopefully have a lots of grandkids to spoil and a mission served with my dear Lance.

2. I wouldn't be caught dead in.......Holiday attire. Christmas sweaters, valentine vests, halloween earrings, fourth of July buttons, St. Patricks socks. You won't find any such things in my closet and if you do, please steal them and burn them. I don't ever want the teacher syndrome.

3. If I could do anything I feel like today I would.......play hookie from work, go home and put on my pajamas and cuddle up with Lance, put on our favorite tv series, and have my favorite treat at the time in hand.

4. If I could afford it I would.......quit my job, have kids, and buy an old fixer upper house and do an amazing remodel on it. I might consider stocking up for life on peanut butter M&Ms.

5. My favorite day with Lance last year was.......our entire 7 day trip to Denver. A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

"There are times when you simply have to righteously hang on and outlast the devil until his depressive spirit leaves you. As the Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith:"Thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment."

- President Ezra Taft Benson

Productive

Did you see those awesome after-Christmas movie deals at Target? $3.75 and 4.50........I wouldn't have known if Trish didn't call me. I haven't decided if it's a good thing or bad thing she called because I still ended up purchasing $30 worth of movies which included four movies and The Office Season 7. Not a bad deal, I was just stoked to get The Office at such a steal!

Did you check out Old Navy? They had some awesome After-Christmas deals too, I bought a pair of pants for $15 (thanks to Donna's gift card from the exchange) because I've somehow gained weight over the last few months and I'm too fat to fit into all my other pants. Boo.

We enjoyed a nice new years with Steph and Conrad as we ate pizza with no-bake cookies, followed by games and intriguing tv shows such as Hoarders. Ewwww...............that show makes me want to get rid of everything I haven't touched within 24 hours. The following day Lance and I went on another cleaning excursion as he tackled the office and music and I puttied up the walls. It was a great day followed by a date to Chili's, ice cream at Arctic Circle, and home to watch one of the new $3.75 movies I got from Target. It was a productive weekend, always love those.