A Memorial Day Tribute

This has been a lovely Memorial Day Weekend.  

Very limited stress.  

Being together as a family.  

Working more on the new house.
Saw Shrek 4 at the theater.
(Go.  See it.  You'll split your side.)

It's been downright blissful!

Also, PW's "Coming Home" photo assignment all weekend was enough to send me back through our family photos, and submit a few our my favorites thanks to Mr LKP's military career. 

(If you want more back story on them I've got brief descriptions about each on my flickr set located here.)

Here they are:

"The Wall: The Hearts of the Children Turned to Their Fathers"

"Walter Reed"

"Finally Home"

"Proper Respects"

In addition to those I submitted, here are some others that absolutely pull at my heartstrings.  They were tender moments in our family's history.  They still bring pride to my heart & tears to my eyes...

"Basic Training-AIT 1998"

"Daddy's Training Dinner"

"PFC Romm & Family"

"Patriot Legacy"

"When Daddy Comes Home"

"WRAMC_Left Arm Atrophy"

Our family's military legacy would take you all over the map, through SEVERAL generations & many world conflicts
throughout history.  It is something of duty, as well as honor.  

I personally am grateful to all who have come before me, to all who have served...especially to all who have sacrificed their lives in order to secure mine for me.

We are a blessed people to live in this promised land.

Today, please count your blessings.  

(If some of those blessings are still in your life, thank them!)

Good Morning, Sunshine!

This is the view of the sun coming up from my porch. The hum of the wind machines across the orchard is now absent. There's some distant chirping. My dog bellerin'...and faint skunk scent still hovering from last night. It's going to be a beautiful day! I'm off to gallivant through my weekendly duties (birthday parties, more cleaning, some massive family snuggle-time). So enjoy your weekend! =D

Thursday's After

Voila!
No more icky-ness.
Hooray hooray for the 27th of May!

Now everything fits. And anything I may have missed that does not fit will be tossed. Whew! What a liberating feeling.

Okay, so you've got to know that I am NOT a flowery-print person...not in the least. And contact paper is too 80's/90's frumpalicious...I still remember the country blue & mauve stuff my mom had in our cupboards. Yuck!
But when I was clearing out some old junk that was under one of our sinks, I found a brand new roll of the stuff (in a modern, marbled flowery-print wouldn't ya know). At that point, my quaint vanity's shelves needed some 911 attention, stat...and since this contact paper is easily removed, it seemed like the perfect temporary band-aid. When I'm ready & can afford to have this beautiful beast refinished (etc), then there will be no need for the contact paper. Yea!

One thing I WILL give the contact paper, though, it certainly HAS brightened a very dark & dreary place in that vanity!

Ah! Restoring order in my life brings me peace. =) Have a great night, everybody!

Arsenal: Shower

One more thought...since I'm in the bathroom...
(hee hee, THAT sounded hilarious!)
...I'm quite happy with my current shower arsenal.
I'm documenting this for several reasons:

#1-It's exciting to have products that I'm 100% NOT allergic to!

#2-I need to record this somewhere so I remember what I use, how simple it is, and how no marketing campaign for something more new-fangled will persuade me away from what I'm loving. Basically to remind myself not to buy anything else!

#3-to help spread the word that Suave DOES make luxuriously yummy products that I don't have to feel guilty about using.

#4-For my posterity. Do many people still remember Breck? Wait wait, do many remember the Breck Girl hair toss? Ok, so maybe some of us that have been around a little longer. But I LOVED Breck! My kid has no idea it existed, let alone how cool Breck was or why. So maybe my great-grandkids will wonder if I was cute & if we had good products...proudly this says "yes, and we didn't have to pay an arm & a leg for it either!"

Sorry. Another diatribe. Sheesh, I'm full of 'em today.

P.S. If you've wondered about that new Almond & Cocoa Butter shampoo & conditioner from Suave...stop wondering, invest the $2.00-4.00, and thank me!   It smells sooooo good, and my hair feels like cornsilk again.  Just like when I was growing up.  Now trust me, THAT is quite a feat!  =)

P.P.S. That scrumptious Fuzzy Peach shower gel on the left look familiar? It's the same retro formula of the 80's original by The Body Shop. Woot woot!  I loved & thankfully STILL love that stuff. (It smells as delicious as the Peach Essence shampoo did from White Rain....perhaps that's why I liked White Rain, because it smelled so dead-on with The Body Shop shower gel...hmmmm....)  They even brought back the banana shampoo from back in the day too. Unfortunately it's got wheat derivitives & the whole banana thing working against me. Either way, it all totally takes me back to a time filled with Silver Spoons, Bon Jovi posters, Sun-In, & White Rain Hairspray!

Thursday's Before

Ok, so not only am I tired of living out of boxes. I'm tired of not being able to settle. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving my cute little house, but I'm finding that the previous occupant left things in a very not-cute way.

It shouldn't feel gross to touch surfaces, or feel bleck/scary to put your belongings away. This house has needed MORE than just a simple wipe-down in order to actually live here. Plenty of houses have been mickey-moused on somethings I'm sure. I totally get that. But please don't short-change a home on its cleaning. Especially when you're vacating it for someone else...especially if you're getting PAID to deep clean it by your landlord! But that's my diatribe for the day.

This quaint, antique-ish vanity in my bathroom is actually one of my fave things about this house.  (I can't wait to get rid of the crazy dark green faux paint job & replace it with a cool, pale, lemon chiffon yellow & a little bit of sky blue....doesn't it just make you want to play hooky tomorrow and go for a picnic?!)  Too bad that quaint vanity was left a hot-mess before we moved in. Today, I decided, was the day I to tackle it & made it liveable again. So the picture above is before. Stay tuned for after....

Vintage Prom Pictures

I just got the CD of prom pictures last night.  Here's a sampling: 

I'm doing a little tinkering with them to get the ultimate vintage
feel & for those who attended, I'll get you each your own CDs from the evening.
Hope you had as much fun as the Activities Committee had
planning & putting it on!  Thanks again to Sonja for her awesome photography time & skills.

Jeepers Creepers Where D'ya Get Dem Eyes

Don't he make YOUR brown eyes blue?

They're so striking!

What if we called him Frankie or just Sinatra?

(I think I'm leaning towards "Sinatra"...you have to know that when 
Frank Sinatra died, no joke, I wore black to school for that whole week!)
...what do you think of 'Natra? 

So Much For the Ice Water Surprise...

Oh there was a surprise alright!

Instead of what I'd been PLANNING on doing, tonight we were treated to the ceremonial & obligatory "welcome to the neighborhood" skunk ambush!  It's been hours and we're all still defunking.  Yuck!  Tomato bath, my eye.  The magic combo is hydrogen peroxide, water, and baking soda.  We even used a little Dawn dish soap for extra measure.  The smell's MOSTLY gone, but the poor dogs are shivering to death in their kennels tonight just to be safe until I can air this place out!  Even Daisy wound up to bed with wet hair cause it was so late by the time she got de-icked.

Oh, and P.S.
Tuffy's got a new pal here on the homestead.  Figured he might need help mousing the full 7 acres.  Since a friend of ours needed a new home for their lovely longer-ish-haired siamese, it all worked out.  Well, all of us but Tuffy think so.  He'll come around.  Now for the funny part?  New Cat needs a name....=D

How about you just submit some ideas.  We'll skip the long, drawn-out, Florida-style voting this time around!

(What do you think of the name Cecil?  The family we got him from's last name is DeMille....as in "Cecil B."???  Kind of clever, I think.)

Home, Home On the Ranch....Drum Roll, Please!

So thank you to ALL who voted! 
It has been a roller coaster of a naming game, to say the least.
But we definitely couldn't have done it without each of you!

Before we unveil the new ranch's name, bear with me as I share
with you how I went about getting our last,
MOST important vote.

Me:  Let's make this simple. 
Copper Landing Ranch or Gusty Ridge Ranch?

Mini-Me:  Mama, I do NOT like the second one AT ALL. 
So, Copper.

Me:  OK.  Copper Landing Ranch or Rusty Apple Ranch?

Mini-Me:  I don't like Rusty Apple cause it sounds
like we sell rotten apples.

Me:  Alright, moving on then. 
Copper Landing Ranch or LatchKey Ranch?

Mini-Me:  So I don't want this to hurt your feelings, but I like Copper Landing cause this is where WE live, and that way it's about US.  Not your photography business.  But if you want to call it LatchKey Ranch so it's easier for your clients to find, then that's alright with me too.  I'll understand.

Me:  (trying to hold back the pride in how she's reasoning it all out & willing to compromise)....So, lastly, Copper Landing Ranch or Calico Spur Ranch?

Mini-Me:  Ooh, now THAT'S a tough one cause I love them both!

So, what's a proud mama to do?
Well, let's just say, Mini-Me got TWO votes!
I couldn't be so shrewd as to only allow one, especially since she was so willing to go with what was "best" for our situation.

....So, back to that drum roll, maestro...

And the winning ranch name is...





GUSTY RIDGE RANCH 
with a whopping 43% of the vote!!!




My sister-in-law, Adie, and I are in agreement on a cool feature that comes with this ranch name:  when we have a bad day we can just say GRR!  Mini-Me smiled & thought that was cool.  So she's chill with the winning name being the one she didn't like "AT ALL"....what a patient & forgiving kid.  I am definitely one lucky mama.

And the triumphant Mr LKP?  Yeah he's totally basking in his creative glory as I type this.  He's feeling very sure of himself.  I think this calls for an unsuspected pitcher of ice water in his lap.....>)  I'll let you know how it goes, IF it goes, and IF I live.  Hee hee hee!

And on another note, anyone looking to open
a new restaurant or winery?   
With our compliments, Copper Landing is ALL YOURS!
(Apparently it's well-liked & a keeper since it came up with 30% of the vote)


Ya'll Come Back, Ya Hear?!

Pssst...Don't Tell My PC

...but I'm thinking I want a MAC.

(Mr LKP & I messing around in Photo Booth @ Best Buy's Mac Store)

P.S. The votes are still coming in!  Between the blog, facebook, & emailed votes, I think I need a tally-man....and not for bananas!  There are more than I had expected.  
THANK YOU!  
I was afraid of making this decision on my own.  I can't be left to do that you know.  ;)  

We'll have the OFFICIAL decision at FHE tonight!  
So, hang in there just a few more hours.  Can't wait for the unveiling....once the metal's done, perhaps we'll even need a little ribbon-cutting ceremony to kick it all off....and then of course a good ol' hootenanny!  
(I just love the word, hootenanny, and ANY excuse to use it in a sentence.  Don't you?)

ROCK THE VOTE!

I'M CURRENTLY HAVING TROUBLE WITH MODPOLL.COM, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY OF DOING THIS!  CAST YOUR VOTE BY COMMENTING BELOW.  YOU CAN VOTE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU'D LIKE UNTIL MONDAY MORNING.  THEN THAT'S FINALLY & OFFICIALLY IT.
(If you were curious as to how the other poll was going, here were the results up until modpoll.com freaked out on us:  Rusty Apple Ranch-8%, Copper Landing Ranch-58%, Calico Spur Ranch-17%, LatchKey Ranch-17%, True Blue Ranch-0%)

HERE ARE YOUR CHOICES, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

--LatchKey Ranch

--Gusty Ridge Ranch

--Calico Spur Ranch

--Rusty Apple Ranch

 --Copper Landing Ranch

(Vote below, anonymous comments are allowed for this.)

Wouldn't You Know It?

 (Photo by Sage n' Sun Images...thanks guys, absolutely breathtaking and home!)

How 'bout we complicate things, shall we?  

...Well, that's not exactly what Mr LKP said, but he might as well have.

It's windy where we live.  Extremely.  As in, Mr LKP thinks he should have a wind turbine installed on our 7 acres.  It's THAT windy.  In town that would've totally ticked me off.  But being out here, with the wind...well, just us & the wind, I'm kinda loving it!  Strange to say.  (This from the girl who HATED snow.  But after 3 years of Eastern Idaho snow, and well, now I'm in Washington missing that dreaded snow!  Crazy....but I digress.)  

I'm wondering if this "being OK" with the wind here is because it reminds me of growing up out on our little farm as a kid.  Could it be?  I mean the difference between then & now is pretty much that now we're kinda in this lower trough (the house sits on this little ridge, within the trough), and as a kid our place was on TOP of a hill/ridge.  I guess what I'm saying is that the snow didn't stop us in Idaho, the wind didn't stop us on our little hill.  

And it won't stop us here.

In honor of not us against the wind, but more like a celebration of us WITH the wind, Mr LKP suggested "Gusty Ridge Ranch" this morning.  WHAT?!  We're ONE day away from the poll closing....not to mention TEN days AFTER we started the 1st poll!  Now we have this suggestion?!  And seriously, DANG IT ALL TO BITS, it sounds really good!  

What do I do now?  We could be naming our place for years at this rate.  I'm wondering if I should scrap the current poll, re-situate with its top ones & the new suggestion from Mr LKP.  (Did I mention that this is like his FIRST contribution to the naming game here?  So that seems like another reason I shouldn't discount his idea.  I mean he's gotta live here too, right?)

Oh bother.  

Perhaps the name's already been taken.  Let's see, we'll mosey on over to Google & check it out....don't mind me....just moseying...talk amongst yourselves, I'll give you a topic.....lol....How d'ya like that?!  Not taken.

They've got: Elk Ridge Ranch, Storm Ridge Ranch, Angel Ridge Ranch, Saddle Ridge Ranch, Cedar Ridge Ranch, Hurricane Ridge Ranch, Shake Ridge Ranch...No Gusty Ridge Ranch here at all.  Huh.

Well, I'll put it to you.  What do you think?

(Don't mind me if I toss the name in the poll, or if you see a new poll to the left of this post!  Just want this to be right.)

Happiness Is...

---following my dreams

---snuggling with my family

---warm fuzzy slippers

---friends who love me & are the best examples for me

---a big, unrestrained smile...on ANYBODY

---buttery light that streams in everywhere in my new home

---in my husband's arms

---in the love of Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ

Currently PW is running a photo assignment on "happiness."  I tried to resist, however I could not.  Therefore I submitted the following entry:

It's my bestie, Wendy, in 2007.  

I snagged this shot while her official photographer was sorting out the dress situation.  Gotta say, I'm so glad I had my camera out, since this is my all-time-favorite photo of my photography life!  It not only reeks of happiness, but relief, peace, patience, & determination. 

Wendy has been my best friend since we were 8 years old.  She is the coolest red-headed friend a girl can have!  She's beautiful, talented, and a fantastic stylist.  Add to that her love of family, children, & her husband...and you guessed it, she's the real deal through & through.  She's been through a lot in life.  On this day, not only was it a day to celebrate her & Gary's eternal covenants with the Lord, but a day to celebrate the closing of old chapters...well, actually, more like starting a whole new book!  Tons of stuff has transpired since I had the privilege of taking this picture.  But Wendy & Gary have taken life in stride and now have the cutest 2 year old son to show for it all, not to mention, they are expecting their second child at the end of the summer! 

If you've got a friend like my Wendy, then give them a hug.  Cause it's people like them that keep us sane, keep us grounded, and love us the way Heavenly Father wants: unconditionally!

So, to pay tribute to all of the happiness I've had in my life (thanks to Wendy), and all the ways she's inspired me.....I declare it "National Hug YOUR Wendy Day!"

And In honor of National Hug YOUR Wendy Day, please finish the following sentence as it applies to you:

"Happiness is..."

Three-Schmee!

 Towards the top of the left sidebar, is the most popular results from our Top 10 poll this past week for ranch names!  I know we'd said we'd take the 3 faves as finalists, however....#3 was actually a 3-way-tie.  So, instead we have our Final 5!

Take a moment to choose your most favorite one...keep in mind its the name that'll not only stick, but be immortalized in metal, by a plasma cutter, and hung on our arch at the entrance to our property!  I'm so excited, I'm all giddy inside cause:

I can JUST SEE IT!  =)

Remember the advice of the Last Crusader in the third Indiana Jones movie?  "Choose Wisely."

(Cause I can't seem to!)

Voting officially closes Sunday, the 23rd.

No extensions this time...Happy Voting!

(P.S.  I'm personally torn between Calico Spur & Copper Landing.  Help a girl out?!  Thanks, you're a gem!)

Tuffy's Exodus

Sir Tuffy's relocated to the ranch, offically now. He would NOT leave the dash the WHOLE drive there! Now that he's there, though, he regularly gives me the "thank-you-rub" up against the back of my calves. Perhaps its the oodles of field mice to stalk, or the mess of moths to lunge at from the inside of the slider doors each night, or possibly its the new deck to hide under all day...the world will never know for sure. We just know he's extremely happier, and even looking a might bit more slender even in just a few days!

What a Tantrum!

This is one of the most amazing sunsets I've beheld in quite a long time.  We were treated to this incredible view from our new property! Too bad the rest of the area was caught in the distant downpour of hail & raindrops the size of, per Dani, "golf balls!"
For some reason, I adore those dramatic epsisodes Mother Nature has, where she's TOTALLY bipolar.
Maybe because I grew to love those same kinda storms near the Tetons the 3 years we lived in Idaho.  ::shrugs::
They're just yummy! 

 

Got Your Vintage Dancing Shoes and Corsages Ready?!

Cause the Vintage Prom is Saturday...aka:  

TOMORROW NIGHT!!!

Hope you're ready, cause we're totally stoked! 

Getting the majority of decorating done tonight, and the finishing touches will be in place tomorrow afternoon.  I'm currently finishing up the catalog of music we'll have on hand.  It's not as expansive as I'd have liked.
But hey, it's only a 3 hour dance, right?  =)

So, get ready Freddy!  

And if you've been on the fence about whether to attend the dance or not, keep in mind it'll be a blast and you don't want to miss it.  Vintage attire is an awesome idea (1940's-60's...the older the better!), but if you only have your Sunday best then that's alright too...just keep it modest, folks!
What matters most is that you join the party!  

Let's put it in vintage terms, so you better understand:
BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!!!

(Here's some inspiration for ya!)

The Top 10 ***UPDATED***

I can't go much longer with a nameless homestead.

And apparently this decision cannot be solely left up to this Libra.  So, not to steal ideas from Miss America or American Idol or David Letterman, but let's whittle this down already!

Here's the poll.  Please vote for your most favorite ranch name.  We'll eliminate the field to the Top 3, and then have one last final vote.  Voting closes Friday.

***VOTING EXTENDED UNTIL SUNDAY!***

(Thanks oodles, in advance!)

Ranch Naming Continues

Okay, some creative juices ARE flowing-that's good!  Thanks Tauna, Cherie, Lisa, & Heidi for all the suggestions thus far.  Still needing more though.  (What can I say?  I'm a Libra, we're notorious for being indecisive!)

Here are some other ideas that have surfaced in the last day (I've just got to jot them down, feel free to pipe up some more of your inspirations as well):
...LATCH KEY RANCH*...
...TRUE BLUE RANCH*...
...rusty pear ranch...
...patch of heaven ranch...
...rusty trigger ranch...
...packsaddle ranch...
...RUSTY APPLE RANCH*...
...rusty belle ranch...
...belle spur ranch...
...whistleberry ranch...
...bootjack ranch...
...CALICO SPUR RANCH**...
...centerfire ranch...
...rusty chute ranch...
...copper cricket ranch...
...dappled hills ranch...
...dappled apple ranch...
...double eagle ranch...
...rusty fiddle ranch...
...copper fiddle ranch...
...rusty fork ranch...
...rusty gait ranch...
...copper gait ranch...
...grease pot ranch...
...dry powder ranch...
...COPPER HONEY RANCH**...
...honey spur ranch...
...RUSTY LANDING RANCH*...
...COPPER LANDING RANCH*...
...copper crescent ranch...
...rusty badger ranch...
...rusty rowel ranch...
...river's keep ranch...
...SAVVY SPUR RANCH*...

...and I'm still mulling thoughts around, so keep the ideas coming!

*I'm really liking these specific ideas the more they roll off my tongue.  What do you think?

S.O.S.

Alright, so we're full-blown with the moving. This is the most expensive potential I've ever even considered, let alone bought! (And no, husbands don't fall into that category. lol!) So, boxes are going in the new place...stuff's coming out of the old place. Why am I here then and not helping? Well, first of all, we're between trips now (hence the picture above). Second, the ranch is still nameless. So this is my S.O.S. This time around, though, I've got some words I'm loving but I'm not sure that they go together well. Rusty & Spur. Can you think of a good name utilizing one of them? Needs to be 3-4 syllables tops. ...Rolling Spur... ...Wild Spur... ...Rusty Pearl... ...Rusty Gem... ...what do you think? I've got a feeling we're almost on to it!

Finder's Keepers

This is how I found Sir Tuffy this afternoon! =)
I think its his way of saying, "Don't forget me, mom."

Here's My Dilemma, Again and Again...

...swimsuit season!

(SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: DIATRIBE ALERT!!!!!)

Yearly, it's the same huge debacle.

Now, I'm not complaining about my size, and I don't get a yearly eating disorder in prep for it.  (Not saying I wouldn't LOVE to be smaller again though, either.)
But my issue solely stems from finding THE FIT and THE COVERAGE for the northern hemisphere of my frame.

One-piece, boy shorts, high-cut, low-cut, bandeau, bikini, tankini, rash guards, cutaways & monokini....wait, what?!  Cutaways, really?  What's left to cutaway?!  And monokini, What the bananas?!?!?!?!  (It's like the thong of one pieces!)  Seriously, its all enough to give a girl a migraine...Not only are there too many options, none of them seem to be made of much anymore.
Not. at. all.

Modesty's a HUGE deal to me.  Love Speedo & TYR, for their modesty.  However, it's like my own civil war.  My North & South don't agree, so a one piece is a ridiculous ordeal!  Plus, Neither Speedo or TYR have the support necessary to outfit me.  ::tear::

Last year I was infatuated with the line from Lime Ricki.  They have a lot of stuff that I LOVE (like the Bailey Top or the Nicki Top).  Though upon further browsing of their wares/wears, I'm not so sure they can give me what I NEED.  It's great to offer cute, but if they can't back that cute up for a wider variety of bodies, well then...cute doesn't cut it.  (Not knocking them, they just don't work for me.  By all means, give 'em a whirl if they'll work for you.)

Also, last year, I was totally digging this gem from Victoria's Secret.  However, note that not only was I having MAJOR issues with the mid-drift showing, but also with these words in the description "shelf bra."  What a joke!  "We loosely stitched a little elastic thread through there, so let's classify it as a 'shelf bra'.  That sounds good!  Since it says VS on it, it's bound to sell.  Yeah, yeah!  That'll do it."  Don't get me wrong here either, I'm a big Victoria's Secret fan.  (Can you keep a secret?  ...no pun intended, lol... I used to work there in college.  When it comes to support garments that come with wires, I LOVE that place.  But their hardware is a MUST!  Otherwise it's not worth it.  Hence my lack of appreciation for a shelf bra from there.  Just sayin'.)  Unless it says in there "this shelf bra will fit like the most secure Nike sports bra made of titanium" then I'm not buying it.  Not even a single mention of sports bra security, yeah...no kudos to them.

This year, I plan to give Hapari a try though.  I've heard great things about their suits.  Plus upon taking a stroll through their virtual shop, I'm impressed with the quality & attention to details, not to mention physics AND GRAVITY!

Forgive me, cause I'm gonna be frank (no, not "Hi Frank, nice to meet you" in a gruff, gravelly voice):
Ok, I'm busty. So I'm having a hard time deciding whether to go with the Sport Tankini style (which, btw, I adore it's length, but I don't want to run the risk of looking like a tube-o-mom over here...had that happen once...bought a racer back, sport/control suit in a lovely cobalt blue last year.....no joke, one look in the mirror & I screamed, no cried.  Well both, at the same time, actually.  I looked like a Smurf turd).

I also like the V-Neck Tankini style (but I don't want "the girls" to spontaneously pop/squish out;  not to mention my neck to ache from the tie;  nor my back-fat to OOZE out from between the straps, since there'll need to be some MAJOR tension going on).

The S.O.S. Tankini style sounds heavenly (I just KNOW the cutesy Butterfly style can't hack this)!  But as far as patterns are concerned, I'm in love with the Black Aloha pattern and the Metro pattern...not to mention, I'm over the moon for the Island Fever pattern.  Matter of fact, Island Fever & Black Aloha are probably my top two!
Also, I am simply ADORING the Tummy Tuk Bottoms & the Hot Shorts!

So that's my swimwear dilemma.  Have tried to work it all out with Land's End swimwear before, and it was tragedy.  They're great suits, built sturdy, just not designed to handle all this.  (For some reason, Destiny's Child's "Bootylicious" just started playing in my head right now. "I don't think you can handle this!" ...BAH!)

This year'll be a doozy as well, since now I've gotta 13 yr old who's apparently following my lead.  We both struggle with finding suits in local stores that cover everything, but don't make us look like petri dish experiments. (Not to mention don't cost an arm & a leg, and require we buy stock in a sailboat's sailcoth company in order to afford all the material required.)

So, perhaps I'm totally alone in my grumbling this year.  Then again, maybe I'm not.  No matter the body size, perhaps you're struggling to find modest as well.  Give those company's I mentioned a peek.  They may be perfect for you!

Also, as further incentive, my pal, Juliana, over at A Blonde Walks into a Blog is having a Hapari giveaway!  Check it all out and happy summer/swimwear shopping.

(P.S. Hapari also offers women's clothing helps, some junior's stuff.  Hooray for that idea!!!  Woot woot!)

Time Marches On...

...no matter HOW much I drag my feet.  ::pouting::

Mini-Me has wrapped up her track season.  Not too shabby.  Her last meet still yielded improvements, so we consider it a successful season.  And really her LAST meet was supposed to be last night, but due to the Wizard of Oz winds we've been having, it was canceled.  As it is too late in the season to reschedule, that was it.  Kinda anti-climactic.
Oh well, their team pizza party is tomorrow, so she's not sad in the least!  Lol.  Her transfer to the new school was seamless.  She started there immediately after Spring Break.  Her old school said she could still compete with their track team since her new school doesn't offer the sport at the middle school level.  That was one of the best things for her.  She's had so much LESS insecurity than she could have had because she was starting something new, but still was connected to her old friends.  Perfect.  Didn't realize how much so until the other day.
Truly, this was all Heavenly Father's orchestration. 
(I'll do a post of track pictures later, since my camera is currently in Mr LKP's jeep at work!)

Also, by popular demand (hey, Tauna IS popular, so it counts), here are pictures of the new house.  They're the best I've got since they were for our insurance purposes.  They don't show EVERY thing.  But at least it's a start.  On the ranch name front, jury's still out.  "LatchKey Ranch" is still close to my heart, but every time I say it out-loud it feels like there's a syllable missing.  Long story behind this one, but "Cloud Maker Ranch" was mentioned the other day.  Has a fun ring to it, but I'm still not sure.  (OK, the long story has to do with my friend, Elise.  Based on a story from her childhood regarding the area we're moving to.  That's all.  I won't discuss it further, cause she might get embarrassed.  And it is hilarious to us, but maybe not as hilarious to others.  So I won't waste it.  You want it?  You gotta email me!)  I've even considered going with what I've been referring to it as lately, "Lil' Ranch O' Heaven" but that seems long.  Chunk O' Heaven Ranch?  The word chunk does two things to me, 1) makes me hungry for chunk o' chocolate cookies, and 2) reminds me of Chunk from The Goonies & his Truffle Shuffle dance outside Mikey's house!

So, I'm thinking anything "chunk" is out! 

Without further ado, here are those pictures of our soon-to-be ranch (which for the time being, remains nameless):


The Cute Little House & The AWESOME Deck!!!



The Shed (aka My Office)



The Pump House

Is This Thing On?!

Daisy & I snagged this gem of a photo today.
Poor Tuffy. But isn't he just stinkin' cute?!
So I'm testing my SMS posting abilities, since internet may get sketchy while transferring service to the new place. Don't worry, it won't last forever. =)
Happy Wednesday, everybody.
Pffftttt!
Happy Cinco De Mayo, everybody!!!

 I'm off to catch a little shut-eye and then back to more turbo-packing!!! Vroom Vroom!

I Need to be More Like This

My mother-in-law sent this to me today.  Oh the heels of this weekend, I must admit, it caught me a bit tender-hearted and I couldn't hold back the tears.  Bear with me, but I know I not only NEED to be like this, but I WANT to be more like this:

True Story- (An eye witness account from NYC)
One cold day in December, some years ago:

A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.

A lady approached the young boy and said, 'My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!'

'I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,'was the boy's reply.

The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin
of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.

She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel..

By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks.. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes..

She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, 'No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.'

As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her:

'Are you God's wife?'

Time Out For Women 2010-Spokane

I love this sister's remarks about their adoption process, "...when another one of our trial dates had been unexpectedly and indefinitely postponed, I read something that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr said, "We must accept finite disappointment, but never give up infinite hope."

This weekend was edifying.  So much so, that I've been left speechless.  Many tremendously great speakers, phenomenal musical artists, and fantastic re-connections with great women from not only around here & now, but even those from throughout different seasons of my life.  The presenters not only spoke of & taught amazing things about the priniciple of hope, but they shared tender moments & trials from their lives which we can all relate to.  I was surprised to hear of the many struggles with infertility.  I was in tears most of the time.  What a relief to know I'm not alone in this infertility mess.  It's hard to be in this boat, cause it feels very lonely, especially seeing all these perfect little spirits coming to earth everywhere I look.  Mormons have lots of kids, right?  Apparently not this mormon typing this right now.  It's also lonely each time someone says, "well don't you WANT any more children?" or "what's taking you so long" or "too good for more kids, huh?" or "what did you do wrong that He won't give you any more?".....as if those worries haven't already crossed our minds, it's worse to hear the questions echoed over & over again in life.  So, Heavenly Father knew I needed to be aware of these triumphant, successful, women of my faith who have walked or are walking along the same path I am.  It was refreshing, cause failure is a constant feeling in my life due to not being able to have more children.  I love Mini-Me.  I wouldn't trade her for the world, and I'm not saying she's not enough.  Mr LKP & I would just like to have a larger family.  Both of us picture more to our clan.  Our picture isn't materializing though, and after 8 years of not stopping it, we're a bit cried out at this point.  I love my Heavenly Father.  I know he has a particular plan for me & it's all on His timing.  Hearing the same thing from Sister Kapp was extremely helpful.  Hearing Sister Kallon's harrowing life-story was sobering & made me grateful for the air I breathe, and she reminded me of my 6 favorite words found in one of my most favorite scripture stories: "...for such a time as this..." -Esther 4:14.  It's all His timing.  I have to remember that.  Also, Alma 7:11-12 helps me continue to keep hanging in there, no matter what, "...and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

Back to the weekend, though.  I was so glad to be there with Dani.  She is the greatest, and she loved every moment almost more than I did (and I was enamored with the entire event again this time).  She was game for whatever, whether that was camping outside the main doors two days in a row (super early) or going right up to these amazing presenters with picture requests & or just visiting....yeah pretty sure we visited with the lovely ladies of Mercy River about 5 times.  They probably grew tired of us, but they. were. mind. blowing.  No matter what the weekend called for, Dani was my go-to-girl.  Was a blast.  She makes me feel young again!
OK, so rather than have me endlessly go on & on, which I've already started doing here & have done in my journal---frankly, it's left me exhausted---I'll leave you with a slide show of our weekend, and tell you to GO TO TIME OUT FOR WOMEN IN A CITY NEAR YOU ASAP!  Pictures don't capture the intensity of the Spirit that presided all weekend.  While driving home, Dani said it best, that it felt like leaving Girls Camp.  What a spiritually charged time, and leaving it all felt like a let down.  We didn't want to go.  We wanted it to just keep on going & allow us to continue spiritually feasting!  Therefore, don't walk, RUN TO IT!  Camp out as first in line like we did (even that part was fun).  People may look at you weird, but who cares?!  Being first in line gets you some amazing seats (about as close as you could get without being a presenter or their personal guest)!  So, enjoy.  And then go here & reserve YOUR tickets!  =)