Rat's Nest

It's 100-and-who-knows-how-many degrees outside and there sits Kyle, bundled up on the couch with a stash of blankets. He's curled up in his little nest, reading books, as if in front of a roaring fire on a cold, rainy day. It makes me hot just looking at him!

Changes

One day short of three months, and I'm already out of a job.

The church in our area (stake) is currently undergoing some changes involving the merging of the Spanish and English wards' youth programs, moving towards English-only. It's actually a pretty exciting time since we actually DO still live in the United States, where English is--for now, anyway--the dominate language. The Young Women groups of the Palm Springs Ward (my ward) and the Miami Lakes Ward (the other group that meets at our church building) have already started meeting together. Do to these changes, the leadership of the 2 groups has also merged. Earlier this week, I was told that I would be released as the Young Women President of our ward. In fact, my services are no longer required in the Young Women Organization at all!

I have mixed emotions about this whole thing. On one hand, I feel a great amount of stress has been lifted from my shoulders. I don't have to worry about planning weekly activities, scheduling lessons, thinking ahead for Young Women in Excellence and other big activites, or Personal Progress, camp, dances, firesides, attending ward councils, recognizing everyone's birthdays, coordinating meetings, figuring out all the details of the merge, etc, etc, etc. Being Young Women's President is one of the most time-consuming callings in a ward, in my opinion, and I've been relieved of this calling. On the other hand, I'm a little bit sad. I feel like I was just getting going on many of my ideas and had already started several fun projects/activities that I won't get to see through to fruition. I barely had enough time to really get to know the girls and try to be a good example in their lives. I will miss the girls greatly. I feel a little unfulfilled and sad that I'm not even in the presidency or an advisor. It's a little bit deflating, especially since my entire presidency is still there without me (with a new president and an extra counselor added).

I do have a new job in the ward, though---a MUCH easier one. I'm now the "Young Single Adult Sunday School Teacher." Basically, I'm just in charge of teaching a weekly lesson-on Sunday-to all those who are in the 18-30 group who aren't going to the Young Single Adult ward. It's a little strange going from one of the busiest, most challening callings to one that doesn't really require that much time or effort. I feel a little guilty about it, but plan on loving every minute of my new, less-stressful job.

Maybe I'll get to keep this one a little longer than three months!

More Birthday Stuff

There is a long-standing tradition in my family (and extended family) of procrastination. This includes sending out birthday cards and packages, too. I, always one to look at the glass half-full (sarcasm), just see this as another opportunity to extend my birthday celebrations later into the week.

I got a birthday box from my parents and siblings today. Kyle went straight for the smallest, shiniest package he could find and hit the candy jackpot. I think he had more fun than I did opening all the packages inside my box--30 of them, to be exact. It's a nice, round number which has some significance for this birthday, or so I hear.


Here's the booty~30 things for the BIG 3-0!

Kyle the Builder

I went to help a friend pack some stuff for her upcoming move and came home with a box of new tools for Kyle's collection. He's had fun hammering and sawing just about every surface in the living room, including Mom's legs.

I do think we might need to call in OSHA and do some safety training before starting any further projects. No hard hat or shoes and a saw in the mouth definitely present some possible workplace hazards.

30, Flirty, and Thriving

So, I'm thirty.

It doesn't feel any different than 29.

--or 25, for that matter.

I decided I needed to do something to make me feel different as a 30-year-old than a 20-something.

So, yesterday I got my hair cut.

Now I feel so different than I did the day before! (sarcasm)

Bed Head

Check out Kyle's new 'do after waking up from a nap a couple of days ago:



He must have been having some CRAZY dreams!

Before 30

The rules are:

1. The things you have already done – make them bold.
2. Italics is for things that you are dying to do!

Since I'm turning 30, I thought this was fitting to look at things I've done/want to do.


01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theatre
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D and D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on a television news program as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking with the windows open
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

30 Things Before 30

I don't feel any different today than I did yesterday, but at 1:05 a.m., I left my 20's behind and joined the 30-something club. In preparation for this BIG birthday, I've been reading a lot of lists of things people say you should do before hitting the big 3-0 and decided to put together my own list of important things I've done before turning 30. This list is a combination of parts of things other people have suggested you do and some are of my own creation. Some are frivolous. Some are funny. Some have made no lasting impact on my life, and some have made all the difference.

Mel's 30 Things to do Before 30:

30. Dye your hair a crazy color: You can't really get away with it any other time other than when you're young. Liz was in cosmetology school, so it was practically free. I wanted to go red, and I WENT RED. (The color in this photo doesn't do the vibrant dye justice, so just believe me.) It was crazy, lots of people hated it, but I was young, and it's JUST HAIR!

29. Date a bad boy/someone against the grain: This may seem strange, but I think every girl needs to get this wild boy thing out of her system. I went out with a couple of "bad boys" and found out really quick-like that the type of guy I DID NOT want to spend the rest of my life with.

28. Ride a motorcycle: Did it-don't love it-don't care to again.

27. Sing Karaoke: There's just something about being young and getting up to that microphone and making a fool of yourself that everyone needs to experience...preferably in a location where people don't know you/won't remember anyway.

26. Be on TV: It's fun to say you've had your 15 minutes of fame. I've been on television a couple of times and I have tried not to let it go to my head! (ha, ha.)

25. Learn how to change a tire: Yes, Dad, I know how. I just choose not to and can usually find someone else to do it for me. That's the great part about being a girl!

24. Learn to play a musical instrument: Even though I quit, the basic musical knowledge I learned in my youth lurks somewhere in my subconscious mind. (Thanks, Mom.) I plan on bringing it to the surface again in my 30's. *This is my first piano recital--proof that I used to play well for my age!

23: Learn to drive a stick-shift: My younger brother knew how to drive one before I did, (and he wasn't even 16!) but my first "REAL" car had one...I learned out of necessity!

22. Learn to ride a bicycle, swim, and go skating: Because who really wants to see an adult trying these things for the first time? The bigger you are, the harder you fall.

21. Go Camping: I really do enjoy going camping, which was something I started from a young age. (First camping trip: Summer 1980) I'm glad Stephen likes it, too, and look forward to living somewhere that we could actually find some enjoyable summer camping weather. Forget South Florida!

20. Dance in the rain: I love the rain and will probably continue to dance (or play) in it, using my children as an excuse.

19. Plant a vegetable garden: Weeding is no fun, but there's NOTHING like a homegrown, freshly picked, fully ripened, garden tomato.

18. Go to dinner and a movie by yourself: I've done this once, and I still remember the movie and the circumstances. I was in college, Stephen and I had broken up (the first time) and all my friends were on dates/busy. So, I treated myself to dinner and saw "A Midsummer Night's Dream"---by myself. I learned quickly that I didn't like spending Saturday night alone.

17. Read all the novels of a well-published author: So, I've read all the Harry Potter books and all the Twilight books, but my friend, Amber, liked reading Mary Higgins Clark when we were in high school, so I read a few of her books back then. In the last year, I've really gotten into reading again (because I've actually had time) and wanted to read them all. She's written 24 books and I couldn't remember which I'd read and which I hadn't, so I just decided to read them all. I almost made it by my 30th b-day....the libraries here didn't have one of them, so I had to buy it. It should be here today. I think it's fun to say you've read all of a certain author's works. Now that I've finished with one, I can move on to more.

16. Find a hobby: It's important for everyone to have something they enjoy doing that's just theirs. I like scrapbooking, decorating/reorganizing, and doing this blog.

15. Swim in the ocean/Play in Snow: Both are just something you have to experience for yourself. Having done both, I think I'd take ocean life over snow-dwelling.

14. Host a holiday at your house: Up until last year, I've always gone to my parent's/Stephen's parent's or our grandparents' homes for the holidays. Last year, thanks to having my friend, Chrystal, and her husband come visit us, I got to host my very first Thanksgiving. I can't believe I was almost 30 and had never cooked a turkey before!

13. Go to Disneyland: It truly is a place for the young or those with kids.

12. Climb a mountain: I climbed Mt. Timpanogos, elevation 11,749 ft, one-and-a-half times. The first attempt was really just to say I'd been there, done that. I realized quickly through the second attempt that climbing moutains is "not my bag, baby" and aborted the mission ASAP.

11. Vote: There's really no reason not to, and now, more than ever, every patriotic American's voice needs to be heard.

10. Graduate College/Find a job you love and are great at: My time at Texas A&M was truly one of the best times of my life. I still feel the "Sprit of Aggieland" when I go back. But, graduation time came along, I got my diploma, and found a job. (I've really only had one "REAL" job interview in my life and nailed it, so that part wasn't too difficult.)

Teaching is something I love and was good at. I feel quite happy to know that I did make a difference and I was part of something important to other people. It's a part of my life that I will always remember as learning a great deal from, making true friends, and finding out about many of my own strengths and weaknesses.

9. Grade a teacher: As part of my "Excellence in Teaching Award," I had to write an essay about who had influenced me to become a teacher. This gave me an opportunity to reconnect with my favorite high school teacher and tell him what an impact he had made on my life.

8. Find "your place": "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name," right? We had this place in Midland, a Mexican food joint where they knew us and knew our "usual." We always ran into people we knew and could be found there just about every Friday night. Man, I miss Carrumba's.

7. Buy something totally frivolous, ridiculously expensive, and utterly fabulous: A bag, jewelry, etc. Do it when you're young and stupid and don't have kids and other adult responsibilities.

6. Pay off credit cards: After all those ridiculously expensive purchases, it's eventually time to grow up and become responsible. We actually DID pay off all our credit cards, like responsibile adults, and now Stephen's back in college. Go figure.

5. Quit your job: Whether it's quitting one job to find a better one or qutting, like I did, to stay at home with children, I'm so glad I did it!

4. Travel: Stephen and I didn't have children for the first 7 years of marriage, so we were able to travel quite a bit. Don't get me wrong, there are still hundreds of places on my travel list, especially since I have ZERO stamps in my passport, but I'm so glad we were able to do quite a bit of traveling--road trips to see family, 3 cruises, Las Vegas, Texas Hill Country. Great times!

3. Love your body: I think I look better now than I did in high school--in my 20's I got braces, had eye surgery to straighten a lazy eye, and finally learned about thinning my eyebrows. I did spend half of my 20's as fat, though. Then one day, I took the advice of a good friend and joined Weight Watchers, lost 29 lbs, found out I was pregnant, (of course) gained back that 30 lbs, and eventually lost 70! I am happy with who I am and the size I am now and have found how to love my body for what it is. That will help me into my 30's and beyond....

2. Hold a baby: Several lists I read tell you to do this because someone you know will have one. How grateful I am that I not only got to hold other people's babies, but one of my own before turning 30.

1. Fall in love: This is the best thing I've done in my life, falling in love with someone who loves me more. My life is what it is because of the choices I've made, marrying Stephen being the most important.

A Short Swim

This is the last week before Stephen has to start 4 days of clinicals, so we decided to enjoy it. Our fun began with a trip to the pool, where we were only about to swim about 30 minutes before the storm clouds started rolling in. We saw the first lightning, heard the thunder, got out of the pool, and had to run home in the pouring rain. That's Miami for you: sunny and hot one minute~pouring rain the next. At least we got in a short swim and had time for Kyle to practice his jumping.

I took a quick video, just to show how far Kyle's come since the beginning of summer on enjoying the water and feeling more comfortable on his swimming. For some reason, he doesn't do a very good job of actually swimming today while the camera is recording, but he is getting better. I'm
just glad he has fun at the pool.

(Even though this video looks like it was taken in the 70's, (grainy and low-resolution), I promise it was from this morning.)

Clowning Around

I'm slowly getting back into a schedule after being on vacation. Kyle and I have been learning all about the circus this week, an extension of the lesson plans from a week before San Diego which never got completed. Today we did several clown activities, coloring pages, and made this toilet paper clown craft. The juggling didn't go so well....

A Boy and His Books

Kyle LOVES books!!! He pulls stacks and stacks of them off the bookshelf for anyone who's willing to read them to him. He probably spends more time "reading" than playing with any other toy.

It's a good thing he received so many books for his birthday, so he can spice up the mix. Here he is, reading a few new ones his Grandma got him.


A package from Auntie Michele came in the mail yesterday with a new Texas book to enjoy and to remind us of home. I didn't get a picture of him reading that one, but I was able to capture the horseshoes that came in the same box!

San Diego Zoo

This zoo is insane! We were there for over six hours and still didn't even see everything! I see now why they charge $35.00 for admission! If we ever go back, I think we'll take the bus tour first and then figure out where to go from there because we were beyond tired after walking the whole thing. At least the weather was mild. We would have died after a few hours if we tried to go to a Miami zoo in August!

We headed to the Australian Outback first. The koalas were awesome. I couldn't believe that at any given time at least 50% of the San Diego koalas are on loan to other zoos.




I also liked the Buerger's Tree Kangaroos.



On, and on we walked and saw:

Lions (watch out: they spray!),

Camels,

and bears~Oh, my!

We got there right at feeding time for the polar bears...who knew they'd get so excited over some carrots and a head of lettuce? (What about throwing some seals out there? Now, THAT would be exciting!)

One of my favorite animals: the elephant. This zoo has a great elephant area, and we passed by right when one of the elephants was getting a bath. Fun!

We took some time to monkey around and help out with some excavation.


Then we finally wised up and started riding the Skyfari Tram across the park.


The hippos are another one of my favorite animals, and we got there just in time for a perfect photo opp....that is, until this kid jumped in my shot.

At least no one ruined our pictures on the hippo statue.

A little lunch, a few more animals, another tram ride, a few stops on the express bus, and a few more pictures with animals, and we were ready to go. Thank goodness for the 2009 "Summer Fun Cup" and its never-ending soda refills, which gave us the energy to keep going the last few hours of the day.



I'd say this was not a bad way to spend our last day in San Diego....even though the boys really wanted to play Torrey Pines. That will just have to wait until the next time we're in Southern California.

Mount Woodson

Stephen and Bando really looked forward to getting in a round of golf while we were in San Diego. They found a place a little more north of the city for a cheaper price and had a great time. Even though they didn't play so well (the course was hard), they both said that if they didn't have any plans for later in the day, they would've played again.


The course was quite different than any either of them had played before~very rocky, lots of hills and tough shots down them, and a crazy, steep bridge down the mountain.





I'm so glad these boys were able to spend some quality time together! (Plus, I had fun shopping while they were on the course!)