So this month or week or whatever is the trash pick up week. 

Everyone has stuff outside on the curb. Robbie wakes up this morning at 6:25am, five minutes before I have to go to institute, and he asks me to help him with something. Well, considering I haven't seen my husband for the past two days except in passing, of course I said yes. 

He holds my hand outside, taking me down the street...Yes. We're looking at trash piles. I felt so weird. Really weird. It feels as weird as it sounds...

Almost at the end of the street I see a white picket fence sitting on top of a pile. I'm confused. I've seen this in passing for almost a week now and haven't thought twice about it...He is so excited and I'm so confused...What? Oh. 

In the backyard he wants a dog, and I want a garden. Fence posts like this go for $15 and up, and we got it for free. Yes, it needs to be cleaned up and a new coat of paint, but it should be part of the fence and gate we put in to separate the future dog and future garden.

I got to class like twenty minutes late. Oops. 

I caught a small wiff of something that smelled like Eucalyptus tree today...and a wave of happiness rushed over me. I can't wait to go to the beach.

Nursery Stories

This Sunday's nursery story starts early...Robbie and I went in like 45 minutes before church started to finish decorating what Sister Evenson and I couldn't finish on Wednesday because the activity day girls use the Nursery room on Wednesday nights...and they are louder and have less manners than the 18 months to 3 year old children we see in nursery. Kind of ridiculous I thought...

But to happier news! We were almost done, and then it happened. 

A mouse.

I jumped like three feet in the air! It was crazy how fast that mouse ran and how it climbed up those chairs! I screamed and couldn't stop saying "There's a mouse! There's a mouse!" for like a minute. So I had to get out of there, and of course I told someone, not knowing that my husband was amazing. 

When I got back, he had chased that mouse across the wall and under the door (which I couldn't fit a pencil under), and then out the outside door. He laughed at my face...my face must have been pretty hilarious. 

And now I know that my husband can do anything.

And then we found a needle on the floor. Left from activity days. That was shockingly scary. Really ladies? Really?

Here are the finished products!

I made them a little different, with a little more space in between the petals. It was so adorable seeing the kids put them on their heads and nod up and down, the only problem is the lamination machine is small, so I had to cut them in half and then tape them together. My mom was kind enough to lend me her hot glue gun, because these little kids were strong! And almost every flower was torn in half. I'm hoping hot glue AND tape, double duty, will keep them together. 

And the birds.

They sing good morning!

And we made a legion of them. Robbie helped. My hand was so cramped, because I cut out all the birds, and then all the petals, and all the circles for the flowers. Ouch. But so rewarding, right?

I don't know what my favorite part of nursery was, maybe the tiny little cupcakes I made? Gluton free, because one little girl has a gluton allergy and I couldn't find just one little gluton free pastry, so I made gluton free brownies! One extra egg made it a little more cake like, and with my Aunt Kara's Texas Sheet Cake frosting they weren't too dry. And really, little tiny cupcakes are the cutest things ever. 

I guess my other favorite part was one of the littlest girls, who was the only one who seemed to get chocolate all over her hands and face, loved me. She just wanted to be my friend. I even gave her a piggy back ride and didn't get any chocolate on my white shirt. Miracle? I think so. It took four weeks, and they seem to finally be getting used to us, to like us. 

Fantastic.

Count Your Blessings

I got my first letter from my brother!

I don't blame him for not writing me often, what's to write really. But I was excited. 

And waking up to a wonderful husband who smiles and holds my hand, and seeing sunflowers over the fence dancing in the light? 

Today is a good day. 

Last Sister Day of Summer

I went up the hill this morning to spend time with my sister.

After I put my plant out. Only ten minutes and a droopy, pathetic, dying thing stood straight up.

I had a great time with my sister.

I pretty much love her. And I miss her a lot, I wish I could see her more often.

We went for a good long walk, and loved everything but the grasshoppers, including the pretty dragon flys.

And cats. I love cats. Following the leader...

And here are Sock's newest kittens! One will be mine in...4-7 weeks?

Don't you love the look: "What in the world are you doing taking a picture of this..."

I tried to hold one...

They are still a little two small...almost two weeks old...

And they just get a little psycho...this picture cracks me up every time.

I also read a lot of my brother's letters. And I took a picture of a picture.

He looks so grown up! I miss him.

Shelby and I had a blast...and my mom, once she got home. Hanging pictures was a lot of fun, drawing too. My sister is going to be an artist someday. You should see some of her stuff. She's really good.

We trimmed the roses.

We played with cats.

Decided we loved Anaheim peppers.

Played with more cats...

More flowers...

And last, but not least...more cats. They just make me so happy.

I beat Robbie home by ten minutes, and as soon as he got home we rushed to Costco...and got me a vacuum. We got a Dyson! I'm excited. And now I can recycle my broken one and return my Nana's ancient Orveck which she was so kind as to let me borrow when I called at 7:00 am moving day almost crying because mine kicked the bucket at midnight that morning.

Yep. It was good to visit home, and then good to go home. 
I love my husband.
I love my sister.
I love my family.
I love my home.