Happy Memorial Day... and stuff!

First of all, and most importantly in this post, let me say- Grandpa Evans, thank you for serving our country! He was a sharp-shooter in WWII in New Guinnea. He rocked! He was a decoy for the Japanese troops getting too close to the Americans and he led them to chase after him. He came to a big cliff, and jumped down into the ocean below, thus becoming a hero. I can't wait to get to Heaven where I can ask him all about it and what he felt as he was running away toward a cliff.

I also want to thank my other relatives who fought in the Civil War. I saw the handwriting on your enlistment papers. You were so young! And brave! (And you fought for the right side!) Thank you for doing something so difficult for a better country!  And to all my other relatives who I don't know, but I am certain fought in other wars. (Especially the Scottish ones who had to wear dresses while doing it!) Thank you!

Now that has been said,

WHY ON EARTH DO ALL PATRIOTIC CELEBRATONS HAVE TO TAKE PLACE WITH LOUD CANNON FIRINGS AT DAWN?!!!!!

Yesterday morning I was sound asleep at my mom's house, and was awoken by 2 loud cannon shots at 6:00 AM!!!

Can't we celebrate and honor our heros at, say, 9:00? Or even 2PM!

There. I've said it.

Mother's Day: Part 2

Mother's Day: Post #2

Saturday, the day before Mother's Day, I spend madly cleaning the entire house, and then completely de-junking and hosing off the back patio, (with the help of my husband). I can honestly say I worked on my feet from 7:30 AM until 7:30 PM. Boy, was my body exhausted! 

The cleaning the house bit was just going to be de-cluttering, but ended up being a total spring-cleaning by the end. I even cleaned and polished the leather couches! So now we need to find somewhere else to live so we can keep the house spottless.

The back patio was just swept the other day, so I thought- oh, a quick hose-off and we'll be good. Again, we did way more than we bargained for. We moved all the junk out of the corners, cleaned off the freezer of death, (called thus because the dang freezer died a few years ago, and I feel like dying every time I think about trying to fix it, and it's where odd tools and things go to die because they stay there until they rot), and ended up power-washing the whole back of the house as well.

End result: A beautiful (well, as beautiful as crumbling cinderblock walls and cracked, uneven concrete can be) patio for our huge Mother's Day and Birthday Extravaganza to be held the following day.

Mother's Day morning: My hubby and son slept in. I got up to make the taco meat for the big family dinner that night. Then hubby and son got up and made me crepes for breakfast! IT was sooo cute to see my son teaching my husband how to make crepes properly! He was actually a very good tutor.

The crepes were delicious! Then I madly scurried about getting ready for church, pressing everyone's clothes, and hurriedly tying up loose ends of my lesson before hurrying of to church. My lesson went well, with huge thanks to my mom for putting together a DVD of church videos for me, and my hubby for setting up the T.V. before my lesson. He even came in and heard the whole thing!

After church was working to finish getting things ready for the party, then playing entertainer extraordinaire to the family and some friends.

I collapsed in a heap last night and don't remember actually getting ready for bed. But I woke up in my p.j.'s so I must have at some point.

Mother's day was a success, albeit not a restful one. But I am sooo glad to be a mother, and that I have the sweet memory of my son and hubby working together in the kitchen. And the crepes really were delicious!

Mother's Day... not a day of rest!

Do any of you mothers out there feel the same about Mother's day... it's not much of a day of rest and pampering.

Let me clarify.

My son came in the other day asking what breakfast I would possibly like on Mother's Day. Last year I was awoken to my sweet boy and his dad rummaging though all the cupboards looking for pans and bowls and who knows what just to make me an egg and toast. Now, while I absolutely adored the egg and toast, and it was cooked rather well (surprisingly), it was driving me absolutely crazy that they couldn't just find what they needed. My kitchen is about 9 feet by 9 feet. It's not that big! I do have to hand it to them, though. They never once came in to ask me where things were!

So, when my son asked me what I wanted, I had to think long and hard. See, what I would really want is homemade crepes with strawberries, Nutella, bananas, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry. Or a crab omelette with hollandaise sauce, steamed asparagus, and a delux chocolate muffin. Or my all-time favorite, eggs benedict with a side of pecan pancakes. Mmmmm.... my mouth is watering. But, can my men make any of this??? Absolutely not! Nor can they just go buy me a nice breakfast because it will be Sunday, and we don't shop on the Sabbath. So, I'll probably get the old standby- eggs and toast. But, I do like eggs and toast, and I know they can make that. It'll be fine.

Then comes the rest of the day. I have to teach the class lesson in Relief Society, so no rest there. Then my family is all coming over for dinner, so... no rest there. Don't get me wrong, I am excited they are all coming. See, our birthdays all fall within the next week, so we celebrate them all together. I get to see my mom on Mother's Day, so that's good. It's all good, just not a day of rest.

Then, comes the fact that my birthday falls just 6 days after Mother's Day. It is right around mother's day every year. What does this mean? IT means I usually get ONE present from the hubs that says "Happy Mother's Day, and Birthday". Granted, one year it was a shiny red car. That definitely counted! This year it will probably be a Kindle Fire, so that will count, for sure. But I sure would love to be pampered on two separate days, you know?

So, enough of my pitty party. It's rather pathetic, actually. Me moaning about not getting the day off. Whatever. I am just blessed beyond measure to have a husband and son who try their best, and love me always! That, right there, is the best present in the world!

Little devilish angel...

My little son... well... not so little anymore. He's 11 now! He woke up this morning and asked:
"Mommy... did you read the note on my t.v.?"
"No, I didn't see it."
"Well don't read it yet, k?"

He then got up and got dressed. I made his breakfast and when he came in to eat he asked if he could go outside and check on his spider. (He'd been playing with a spider all day yesterday.)

I told him he could, but that he needed to hurry. He went outside, but quickly came back in claiming he needed to "check" on something in the laundry room. Then he went back out again. I figured he was up to something, and better not scold him for dawdling before school, so I waited.

A few minutes later he came back in, put something back in the laundry room, and washed his hands, then sat down to eat.

I asked him if he would be willing to put the weeds I had pulled yesterday in the garbage after school today and he tried really hard not to laugh at that. (I now knew what he'd been doing outside.)
He said, sure, and we went out to get in the car.

"Oh, mom... would you show me what you are talking about with the weeds? I'm not sure what you want me to do."

I walked him over to the garden where there had been a huge pile of weeds, but they were all gone!

"You little stinker!" I said as he beamed from ear to ear!

"I wanted to surprise you! Did I do a good job?"

I just hugged him and told him he'd done the best job ever!

What a blessing to have a child "sneaking" around doing good deeds. IT was an early  mother's day present! I sure love that boy!

Mid-Day Dating Service

Yesterday I got a phone call.
"Hello. This is the Mid-Day Dating Service calling to inform you there is an interested party who wants to take you on a mid-day date."
(Of course, it was my husband's voice, but I love it when he does stuff like this!)
"Why, yes, I'd love to go on a Mid-Day date! With whom will I be going?"
"He prefers not to give his name, but goes by 'Ardent Admirer'."
"Ok, well, should I bring my son to lunch with me, or leave him home?"
silence....
"Ummmm.... maybe it's best not to mention you have a son on the first date. You want a second date, don't you?"

Ha ha ha ha ha!
My hubby surprised me with a lunch date to Spaghetti Factory. We met at the entrance, like we were really on a blind date. It was fun!

I really needed that little get-away. Last week was hard, and we've all been struggling with an irritating cold, among other stresses. I was really down on Monday, and feeling so depressed. I guess my hubby picked up on the cues and rescued me beautifully.

Then, last night after we put the kid to bed we went for a long walk around the neighborhood, hand in hand. It's nice to know that after 12 and 1/2 years we are still in love!

Thanks, Mid-Day Dating Service!