What can I say? It's been a great start to a new week and it's only going to get better.

***I got a new calling at my church yesterday. I'm the 2nd counselor in the Young Women Presidency. I'm excited for the change and I love working with the girls so it will be lots of fun. I've been in YW once before, and I loved it! There is alot to be done to get up and going, but I'm looking forward to a new learning experience.

***I always thought that when the day came for me to be released from my Primary Chorister calling that I would be really happy. Although I love being in Primary, it took me a while to get used to doing the music. I've always hated my singing voice and standing in front of everybody and singing was never a joy. And that calling was a big stress with a lot of work involved. And I've been doing it for over 2 years. But, after I went to Young Women's on Sunday, I could hear all of the little ones singing through the wall and it made me get all teary-eyed. I'm going to miss it--ALOT! I love teaching those kids new songs and hearing them sing their little hearts out. They are still going to have me be over the music for the Primary Program in September, so I get to do it a little bit longer {and I can't decide if that's a good thing or not--I'll be really busy for the next little while}.

***I am also going to be released from being the Stake Athletic Director. I have actually liked this calling, too. I love sports and we've had alot of fun playing together. However, after I was alone in taking charge of the women, men, and coed softball teams last month I think I'm thankful for the break. Someone else can do all of the work. I'll just show up to play. And that will be just great!

***So, if you're still paying attention, I got a 2 for 1 kind of a deal. While being in YW will be time consuming, it will still be better than the load I had before. I think I actually heard angels singing hallelujah for me last night...

***It's also birthday time today {how could you forget, right?}. I'm officially 30. Not quite sure what to do about that. The celebration has been going strong since Friday and I think it officially ends on Thursday. Shane made me breakfast this morning and everybody has been great! Happy Birthday to me!

***Football starts this week! Are you kidding me? I feel like I've been waiting FOREVER. But it's here. It's finally here. And I'm totally planning on watching football for the entire weekend.

UTES 24 WOLVERINES 21

Hats Off {Please!}

My birthday is right around the corner. On Monday. So, with 30 rapidly approaching, I've been thinking about some of my past birthdays. Because of where my big day falls, there have been many years where I've spent my birthday at the first day of school, or the first volleyball game of the season {lucky for me I love both, so it was okay}. The worst one I remember was my 15th birthday. We had just moved to Alpine. I was brand new at a new-to-me high school, and it was the first day. That one was not too much fun. I was missing all of my Heber besties and thinking about how much fun we would have had and it was only making it worse. But, when I came home there were wontons waiting for me so it was all good.

It's flashback Friday. I thought about all the birthdays I could flash back to, and thinking about this one caused laughter. So I decided to share it. It was ten years ago. I was turning 20. I had just been married the month before. And this was big because it was my first birthday with Shane. And birthdays were always supposed to be better when you had a boyfriend/crush/husband. I was just sure that it was going to be great {and the girlish crush still inside of me had an optimistic amount of confidence in him}. We didn't have alot of money, but that didn't matter. He didn't need to spend much to make me happy. So, the big day came and he was all excited to give me my present. He had done his best to wrap it--something that he still has never gotten better at but it's okay. I was so excited to open it and realize that I had married the perfect birthday guy. So I ripped it open and there it was--an Abercrombie and Fitch hat. A hat. Yep, a hat. I almost started sobbing right then and there, but I tried my best to act like I loved it. But he could tell I didn't. My face must have showed all the emotions I was feeling. Like how much I hate hats. And that I had never, ever worn a hat--so why in the world would he pick that for ME. And that I felt like my new husband didn't know me, AT ALL. And that I felt like there had been little effort or thought put into the first birthday gift he had ever gotten me--so that meant that he didn't really love me, right? And that I was imagining all of my future birthday/anniversary/Christmas celebrations being major let-downs. And that we didn't have very much money and he had just wasted some of it on something stupid.

He started apologizing and saying that he knew I wasn't going to like it {he was lying, but it counts because he was trying to make me feel better}. He had taken advice from someone that didn't know me and he shouldn't have. So, I forgave him, and I wore the hat. Just to be nice. We took a picture of us wearing our hats. So we would never forget the hat. And then I got rid of the hat. Quickly. And it was over. And no therapy was needed--for either of us.

And in Shane's defense, he is now a great gift giver, especially when I tell him exactly what I want.

In honor of back-to-school and smart people.

I Heart My 2nd Grade Girly Girl

School is officially back in session and Ashlyn is officially a 2nd grader {which, by the way, she told me "is really one of the big kids"}. She woke up bright and early asking when it was time to go to the bus stop. She cleaned her room, got dressed in her perfect outfit {which she had picked out days before}, and requested that her hair be crimped. Everything had to be perfect--down to the shoes, which she had been dying to wear since I bought them a few weeks ago.

We got through breakfast with plenty of time to get out to the bus stop for some pictures. When Ashlyn got there her best friend was already there and they both gave a girly scream to see each other and that they had done their hair the same way {I had visions of a mini-teenager when I heard the scream}. They were both very excited--and they are lucky enough to be in the same class this year. Then, little by little, they were joined by other neighbor kids. We have been so lucky in the neighborhood to have the best little friends for our girls. The kids around here are so great!

As she got on the bus all of us mommies talked about how weird it was that they were back in school and summer was over. Then we laughed, gave a big woo-hoo, and went off to celebrate the day. I met some mommy friends for lunch and embraced the freedom that we all have once again. Let me hear a "oh, yeah"!

Just so I don't forget, Ashlyn came home from school ready to spill all the details.

--She was very disappointed that all they did was sit on the rug and learn all of the rules

--She has tons of friends in her class, and met some new ones with great potential {from what I could gather}

--She thinks there are lots of cute boys and that they are old enough to like each other now

--Says she is in the popular group {when I asked her what you have to do to be in the popular group she just said that you have to be cool and can't do things like chase moths around the building...whatever}

--She didn't eat her lunch because she just wanted to go outside and play

--She thought that the dumbest rule was that if you are sick and feel like you have to throw up, you don't go tell your teacher--you just grab the garbage can to throw up in and take it with you all the way to the bathroom. Ashlyn rolled her eyes and said "that would be so embarassing carrying a garbage can through the hall". I told her it was because the teacher didn't want them throwing up on the floor--she said "I don't care, I would rather throw up on the floor than carry a garbage can". I could tell her from experience that the other is more embarassing, but I don't think she gets it. She's so occupied with what other people might think and how she will look--I have no idea where she gets that from????

I'm guessing that we are in for quite a year, but I'm ready for the drama, fun and excitement! {call me crazy}

He's a Genius, After All

I always knew he was smart. But I never knew he was this smart...

{Ken Jennings, Jeopardy Super-Champion}

A Little Reminder...

of why I'm excited for school to start. Every day of the summer {and by that I mean 3 or 4 times per day} my kids are bored enough to drag out every little friend/baby/pet that they own. They can't play anything unless they have their "kids" with them. Even though I hate to wish away the present {and I know that someday I will miss all of these daily messes}, I can't wait for next week when I can walk around my house without stepping on toys or being asked if I can "babysit". Oh, it will be so great!

This month is such a special one...

I love August. I always have. And there are a few reasons why {I can hardly stand it, I'm so excited!}

When I was growing up I was always the girl {usually one of the very few} who looked forward to school starting. I loved summer, don't get me wrong, but I always got anxious for school to start. It meant that fall was on the way--and that's my absolute favorite time of year. I love back-to-school shopping, and getting back to some structure, and in high-school it meant that volleyball was starting again. In college, Shane thought I was such a nerd because I actually starting reading my textbooks before classes started {it never hurts to get ahead, right?} So, while I'm sad in a way that summer with my girls is coming to a close, I'm super excited for both of them to have a new chapter to start. Ashlyn is excited to be in 2nd grade, and she got a great teacher with lots of little friends in her class. Carly is going to pre-school and she could not be more excited to be a "big kid". It's going to be a great year. And I'm going to have lots of peace and quiet around here. And my house just might stay picked up during the day.

This is also the month I will be turning 30 years old. 30! I'm not sure how I feel about it, either. While I have always quite liked my birthdays {and am still looking forward to a fun day}, they just aren't the same anymore. Now they are starting to age me. I swear it feels like yesterday that I was looking forward to the milestone years of 16, 18, and 21. The mark of 30 just seems like I'm getting old. I'm not a hip, trendy, young mom {stop laughing, there was a time, I swear} who can relate to the youth anymore. Now I'm actually a MOM. Who's kind of old. When I'm out about the town and run into the neighbor kids they call me "Sister Belliston". And I hate it. But, the day is coming quickly. My twenties will be behind me. Anything I should do while I'm still in my youth?

And, of course, college football. One of the highlights of the year for me. And my Utes are setting up to thrill me {knock on wood}. I'm counting down to August 30 at 1:30. It's the kick-off of the season, and we're at Michigan and it's going to be awesome. I love football Saturdays, whether they are spent at the stadium or in front of the tv with a yummy fall football spread {I always get the urge to start making things like apple pie a few weeks into the season when it starts cooling down}. GO UTES!

So, everybody, fasten your seatbelts and get ready for the ride. It's going to be an eventful couple of weeks. Happy August!

A Trip Down Not-so-Memory Lane

On Saturday, the girls and I made our way over to meet my parents for the Alpine Days Parade. We missed the Highland Fling, so we were wanting to do one last summer event before school starts. And, we thought it would be fun to re-visit our old stomping grounds, see some old friends and take a trip down memory lane.

My first impression was not a good one. The cute, small town celebration has become not so cute, and not so small. I had to park forever away, and walk a mile {which is not pleasant when stepping over people on the parade route and trying to keep track of two little people}. Back in the good ole' days, we could park, walk over to the park where there would be ample seats in the shade, and all of your neighbors and friends were also sitting there. And you knew everybody you saw, including those in the parade. So it was lots o' fun. Now, there are so many people, you don't know anybody sitting next to you, and hardly anybody in the parade. And forget about finding seats in the shade. It's turned into one of "those" parades where people park their goods out the day/night before.

And, I'm just going to say it. There is a different feel about Alpine now. And a different "look". Frankly, it's rather snooty {yes, snooty, not snotty, snooty. Probably a little snotty, too...} It makes me kind of sad, because it wasn't like that "back then".

The one constant, however, is the candy. There are no other parades that can compare to Highland or Alpine when it comes to goodies. My kids love it {and, thankfully, they are immune to the snooty feeling, they just find the fun} and they are fully prepared to rake it in each and every year. You can see that Carly proceeds to bring in the loot, as her mouth is overflowing with sugar {and don't mind the horse poop in the picture--the one thing I hate about parades}.

And so marks the end of Alpine Days for me, I think. I will look forward to spending many future summer days at the Highland Fling. A little more convenient, and home to our little family. I really hope that my kids will grow up looking forward to their hometown celebration like I did.

{And, on a side-note, I'm really sad that there are only 8 more days until school starts. Summer went by way too fast!}.

Will Swim for Treats

Summer swim lessons with Carly were a whole different story than with Ashlyn. She was still terrified of putting her face and head under water. We used an over abundance of encouragement, threats, and bribes. The first day, when she was mean to her teacher and didn't want to do anything, she was sent to time-out when we got home and could not have cared less.

The next day, I told her if she put her head underwater one time, I would get her any treat she wanted. So she did it, just once, and refused to do it again. All she wanted was her promised treat. I was thinking along the lines of an ice-cream cone or candy bar, but she wanted dessert at Flour Girls and Dough Boys. Since I had promised, we went, and 15 dollars later she was happy.

The next day, she pulled the same old crap, so in a moment of weakness I promised her another treat. Her reply, "only if it's any treat I want". My response, "fine, but you have to put your head under the water 2 times". So she did, but twice and only twice {have I ever mentioned how smart my kids are when it comes to working the system?}. That afternoon, after another 15 dollar trip to Dear Lizzie for cupcakes, she was happy. I was starting to think that swim lessons were going to break me.

The next day, after she had realized that putting her face in and jumping from the side was more fun than trouble, I told her that she needed to do what her teacher told her, and that I was done buying treats. She made the cutest little pouty face that nobody can resist. Half an hour after we got home, the doorbell rings and our cute neighbors Brenda and Ashley were on the doorstep with Smart Cookies for Carly {and Ashlyn}. Brenda couldn't stand the thought of little Carly not being rewarded for a swim lesson gone great! The little peanut still scored some sugar--just for being cute.

The beginning of summer was spent completing 2 sessions of swim lessons. It was great for the girls and a little exhausting for me. We are so lucky to have our friend, Teri, teach at her house just down the street. There is nothing like convenience! And it helps that she's just the best swim teacher ever!

We were there, every morning, cheering for Ashlyn to do her best. She has become the best little swimmer. Last year was kind of the break through year for her when she got over her fear of being on her own in the water. This year was so great because she is a real swimmer. She has learned all of the strokes and now just needs to work on endurance and getting even better. I no longer have to worry about her in the pool! {For all of you {mom} gasping out there, I do still watch her in the pool, I just don't have to worry...}