every day i...

 feed a scruffy little sturdy black dog (along with a rather large one).

one who gets called lots of names too...like ugly, big headed, disproportionate and stinky.

put fresh water in a stainless steel bowl

 clean up repeatedly piles and piles of large you know what deposited on the concrete.

why oh why cant he poop on the grass?

every day.

gentle giant gone

so hunter is hiking half dome as we speak, and going down some river with some pretty gnarly rapids so i hear. those leaders better bring him home in one piece, or they will have to answer to one angry momma bear. he will be gone all week (sigh), so his room is clean, his bed remains made. no noise or midnight glow coming from the corner he calls his cave. no call of duty on, no computer on his lap. no taking him to practice. no wet towels littered all over the house. no telling dane to unclog the toilet. no goofy laugh. his calm and collected demeanor is needed around here. i miss it, and also his gentle, quiet reminders professing his love and adoration for me. 

i have it good.

he is my soulmate.

hes got my back, and reminds me of it daily.

hurry up big boy, and come home fast.

and i think i might just die when he leaves on his mission.

4 more years.

xanax please.

jupiter

i neglected to post about danes big 3rd grade planet play. he was the designated 

"big planet" jupiter, aptly named for my big boy. needless to say, he mastered the solo,

got the dance down, complete with glittered hat and cane, and ended it with a big smile.

i think he will be one of those drama kids...and lets see, i have one of every kind, so this

just adds to my unique menagerie.
everyone loves a drama kid.

one more thing...

its been a year already.

wow.

just a little bit...

just a little bit of spinach and eggs eaten outside in the sun...only after our 5 mile coto loop trip, which proudly we do in about an hour and 25 minutes...i am sore as hell, taking a step now is painful...but hopefully this will end soon. hopefully. gettin old is hard work

then a little bit of a table rock excursion (no one was there)...too bad it was a little cloudy, and there was some creeper photographer guy in bike shorts taking photos of this girl in a bikini...weird...then off to costco for fresh fruit and staples...also where i ate 4 bites of pizza. ok, it is my birthday, i am allowed. 

tasted so good, cant even tell you

a little bit of wood ranch for some sweet potato fries and a tickle fest in the restaurant. 

everyone is happy. happy is our middle name, not even lying

and a little bit of posing...something we are good at. 

must have a thousand photos which look identical to this

and a little bit of playing with the crayon box. did you know it can be made into an annoying musical instrument? have had to take this away from many a boy in the past.

a little bit of family posing with thumbs up (always a good sign)...doesnt it look as if my head was photoshopped in?

floating head syndrome.

then a little bit of dancing and goofing on the sidewalk...

then little bit of this...drumroll please...

ate like 6 bites, yes 6, well maybe 7 of this in the car on the way home (nothing like cramming food in your face while driving) to die for carrot cake complete with this decadent cream cheese frosting.

eden was nice enough to keep it all on her lap (she had the oreo cheesecake).

remember it is my birthday. 

only comes once a year.

and it was a good thing emma had left for a movie with her friends...

she would never have allowed this to happen.

she is the diet enforcer.

then a little bit of good weather. why would i ever even think of moving?

emma and i had a long discussion about that yesterday.

dont know if i can ever leave so cal.

and a little bit of driving home.

after a good day, of turning 48.

thank you kids for making my day special.

thank you kids for making my life complete.

thank you kids for the happiness i possess.

cant live without you.

SOD

so i came home the other evening and found this in my backyard. full blown party going and it was only about midnight. so fun to have all these cute kids plunked in my jacuzzi and roasting smores in my fireplace. but the best is going to sleep with all of that happy chatter in the background. see, my balcony overlooks the back, so with my french doors wide open (like they always are), 

i get to hear all the water noises and talking going on.

drifted off to sleep knowing they were all safe, sound...and content. 

and love having 4 chicks home, tucked under my wing.

just need that 5th one home, then i am one happy mother hen.

oh and if youre wondering what SOD is...

summer of dreams.

its gonna be a good one, i can just feel it.

dad day

happy fathers day to my dad.

that is him in the back, the oldest one of the henrie family.

and apparently the henries are known for their beauty and good looks.

yeah, look at my grandma...well, she is a larsen, but a pretty

good looking woman, there.

she produced some beautiful people.

and i was lucky enough to take part in that gene pool.

i guess i have "henrie eyes" whatever that is.

and she had twins, i wonder why i didnt get twins,

as supposedly it skips a generation.

hmmm.

so, enough of that kind of talk...

my dad...

 he has taught me what integrity is.

he has taught me to finish a job, and finish well.

he has taught me to never give up.

he has taught me how to be strong.

he has taught me all about work, and how important it is.

he has taught me about keeping your word, and telling the truth.

he has taught me about service and sticking up for what you believe in.

he has taught me to endure to the end and always do a good job.

he has taught me the importance of being thorough.

he has taught me about patriotism...and honor.

so thank you dad for your superb example.

you taught me lifes lessons without even having to say a word.

happy fathers day.

i love you.

lakeshow

love a laker game.
especially when they win big. been following that team for years, 

so last night was way fun.
even had screaming at the television and fists in the air.
and emma even swore at the tv...thats my laker girl.

we love la. 

(think randy newman in the 80's)

same ole stuff

so, i havent written about anything the last couple of days because there hasnt been a lot to report. no fun filled events, no super exciting outings, no reason to even put my camera in the car, well it was put in my car in anticipation of some fun, then i realized i had forgotten the memory card. about the most exciting things i have done all week is attend an enrichment meeting (that was actually pretty fun), and shine the stainless steel in my kitchen (not fun). so there you go...another woohoo week in my ever so exhilarating life (actually, if the truth be known, i havent been this content in years). but i think all of this boredom is about to change. emma will be home thursday night, and is bringing with her 4, yes 4 rather tall byu basketball players and her bestie whitney. so i will have a full house, and secretly love it. and i am supposed to magically find beds big enough for these boys. and what about feeding them? what do you feed kids like this? quadruple my pancake recipe? dozens of eggs? pounds of beef? or maybe i should just resort to my decadent cinnamon french toast smeared with peanut butter...that will probably work. 

so i went to costco yesterday in search of food and "snacks"...and since i am on this sort of health kick, no eating allowed kick, dont put anything in your mouth kick, i had an anxiety attack when i actually placed the big bag of tortilla chips in my cart. 

maybe they can eat lots of chips and salsa and the case of mangos 

and peaches which are taking over my counter space.

will keep you posted about the food fest on steroids and co-ed slumber party.

my intimate friend

so i have an intimate relationship with a man.
i know, and alarming revelation.

one who loves me for who i am and worships the ground i walk on. 

you know, i am coming to find out this is the best kind. 
forget about all that independence crap.

just give me a man who idolizes me.

and who is a big chunk of eye candy (did i emphasize "big"?)...that always helps.

and i even looked up the word "intimate" on dictionary.com.

characterized by or involving warm friendship or apersonally close 

or familiar association or feeling

this is a perfect description of our relationship. 

this boy looks deeply into my eyes, 

understands my every move, 

no talking back or disagreements, 

is a great bed partner...doesnt even hog the covers, 

is by my side no matter what, 

defensive of our home and lets me know when 

someone is prowling around outside or is at the door 
(wish he knew how to handle a gun), 

loyal, patient and even cuddly at times....however if he 

could only help bring in the groceries or even take out the trash. 

is that asking too much? 


and if i met someone and they asked,
"so, do you have a special someone in your life?"
me: oh yes, he is awesome. been together for over 5 years
them: oh, what does he do?
me: he plays with tennis balls in the street and drools and sleeps a lot
them: (weird look on their face) oh thats nice...
me: but he adores me...loves me like there is no tomorrow
them: oh, thats good...(even more weird look on their face)
me: and my significant other has a lot of hair and wears no clothing.
hes a dog.
end of conversation.

and he poops (quite large ones too) in odd places,

and doesnt clean up after himself 

he smells sometimes, sheds,

and is grumpy and snores when he is sleeping.

hes always hungry.

and is a little bit jealous at times.

well, sounds pretty typical, now that i think about it.

lil wayne and me

so, hunter recently loaded up a brand new abandoned ipod (i know, jackpot) i found

in a drawer. he loaded it up with all of "his" music, passed down by aenon.

and it is a known fact that i like this techno, current stuff.

sometimes even turn it up pretty loud.

i know i am not supposed to, but i do.
been doin it for years.
and if the truth be known,
there are probably lots of things that i do, which i am not "supposed" to.
oh well.

so, i picked up dane from school the other day, with this song coming thru loud and clear.

ipod plugged in and going strong.

dane: mom, do you know that is is really unusual for a mom to be listening to rap?

mom: really?

dane: you listen to music that teenagers listen to. turn it down.

so there you go. a teenager locked up in an old lady body.

ughh.

wide load

this crew is all mine. 

so grateful my Heavenly Father trusted me to care for them.

mind boggling when you think about it.

and daunting.

(and you know when i write posts like this, there is not much going on around here)

butterfly effect

apparently i resemble a butterfly, newly hatched from her cocoon. 

never thought of it that way.

anime anyone?

so my teenagers, yes teenagers are trying to watch all 300 or so episodes of dragon ball z, in record time. i wonder if there is a guiness world record held, for the time it takes to watch all 300 episodes. i am sure my kids would be in the running. so weird. first it was the office marathon, now this japanese anime cartoon. and i do realize i am exposing my kids inner geek right now...

it is official.

they are geeks.

aenon started the craze way back when.

she liked sailor moon too. another japanese anime show.

i remember watching the episodes in their room (when they were little) 

with the bunk beds which at that time could sleep all of them at one time.

the room consisted of large bunk beds and a tv.

it was the best room in the house.

now they are just too old for this.

however i secretly like that they still are kids at heart.

and who doesnt like a cartoon?

especially a cheezy japanese one with characters who have super powers.

ok, changed my mind.

donut love

did you know that today is national donut day? who would have thought that since 1917, us folks in america would be celebrating this blessed little sweet. i personally have a special thing for donuts, and so do my kids. must be in our genes. see, a donut to us is a little slice of heaven. probably because my children grew up eating them on saturday mornings....a ritual of mine when they were young. i look back though, and wonder what in the heck i was thinking, as i had little rolly polly kids, waiting with wide eyes as i brought the big pink box into the kitchen. they were often described affectionately as "human jelly beans with legs". so my donut buying sprees will remain a mystery. maybe it was the cute asian donut man who knew me by name, or the crushed ice in the really good diet coke (you know some places have "really good" diet coke...you all know what i am talking about), that my friend lisa craved when she was pregnant. i wonder if she ever got a donut with her crushed ice, so beautifully packed in that big white styrofoam cup? probably not. she had way more will power than me.
and she had teeny tiny kids.
go figure.

so when i think of the best treat ever, it would have to be a chocolate bar, or a glazed with coconut or my kids favorite crave, the pink crullers...and the la times even featured this delectable treat yesterday in the food section. what a coincidence. and needless to say, i folded up that paper and securely tucked it away in my recipe drawer...for a later time, when i actually have to courage to fry something really naughty. 

pile o drama

so its always been a standing joke around here, that i am not the most organized person in the world.

lately have been just a tad scatterbrained too. 

however, i am an immensely organized and together soul. 

the Lord must have known this would be my trial in life. 

see, i love a neat home, an orderly closet...bare minimums on the shelves. 

but unfortunately, i am somewhat of a pack rat. 

my patriarchal blessing even advises me to keep my home neat, my life in order...myself in check. 

again, my trial in life. 

my achilles heel.

and when i am in an emotional upheaval, the floor of my closet is covered in tossed clothing, too unimportant to hang up, let alone fold.

and laundry?

i am not good at it. 

not gonna lie. 

so this huge pile of tired, worn out drama made its permanent home on my closet floor. 

ok, i just said it. 

my closet was an embarrassment...until today. 

and i even have 3 bags left over for the folks at goodwill. 

must mean i am getting my act together. 

jeez. 

finally.

and i just noticed all of my clothes are either black, white, grey or taupe...

how boring, but so me.

toes in spa

toes in spa

french apple, parmesan and fresh basil chicken sausages on the grill

bleeding sore on dog foot (he tripped and fell in the pool)

number 2 kid hanging with me

dog always in the way

wet hugs from number 5

the end