These Boots

I hate these boots.

They are big and clunky, dirty and greasy. They track up my floors and carpets. They have really LOOONG laces. The vacuum cleaner eats those laces. Sometimes I trip over these boots in the office. I often find them where they don't belong. They seem to multiply. They are all over the house. They are all over the garage. They are all over the truck. These boots annoy me. They irritate me. They make me cranky.

But...also...

I love these boots. These are the boots that go into live manholes to support Maddie and me. These are the boots that jump waaaay down into dirty trenches. These are the boots that labor in the hot sun for me. These boots walk through mud and muck to make repairs on broken water lines. These boots drag along horizontally through claustrophobic conduits. These boots drive long, long miles and long, long hours to and from the jobs that keep us afloat. These boots protect the feet of the sweetest man I know. These boots represent hard work, sweat, and responsibility. These boots annoy me...but sometimes...when I look at them--I get a lump in my throat and my eyes feel a little wet.

I love these boots.

Posers

If you want a picture of this girl...

Or this one...


You will most likely get a POSE!


This boy just puts up with it all!


Getting ready for Spring Break, which starts tomorrow after school!

I Wish I Were There...

After the holidays last year (harried Christmas preparations, Mt. Pleasant trip to give Grandma S. her quilt that the granddaughters made, 80th birthday party for Grandpa S.) I really needed a vacation. Jeff and I went to San Diego for five days and had a great time. You know how they say, "What doesn't kill you makes you a better person?" (Or something to that effect.)


Jeff tried really hard, but I managed to survive. ;) We went to the Mormon Battallion museum, Old Town, and the SD Temple the first day, but the second and third days were all about ADVENTURE. Two REALLY long bike rides and surfing at the beaches. Many beaches. Many, many beaches. And many, many miles on the bikes. Many, many, MANY miles.


It really was a lot of fun and I am ready for the beach again. And, well, a little Disneyland wouldn't be bad, either!

Pretty, Pretty Princess

I have just been thoroughly beaten in a game of PPP.

(There may have been some cheating going on.)

Why Is It?

...that when I have this...


...and this...

...and this...
...and this...
...and this...

I DON"T want to do...

THIS!

Am I Crazy, or What?

These are what I purchased this week. (The nice man in the big brown truck delivered them to me. He always brings me such nice things!)


And this is what my kitchen looks like.

The more I can't cook, the more I think I want to. (Even though I probably only cook 3-4 times a week when I DO have a kitchen.)


I got a lot of sympathy on Facebook a couple of days ago by saying my smile was getting a little "stiff." What do you think? Does this even qualify as a smile? I'm taking refuge in my former neighbor Lindy's advice. She reminded me "it will all be worth it in the end!" I can't wait to see the finished project!

As Long as We're Replacing Plumbing...

I took a friend to the hospital for some tests this morning and THIS is what I came home to.



And where is my dear husband?

In town, looking at a paddle board he might want to purchase...

PS--Yes, you may have noticed that the refrigerator, microwave, stove and pantry are totally covered and/or blocked by piles of dirt. You would shudder to hear what we have eaten for the past two days...(Beans directly out of a can, anyone?) No, really--we have a fridge in the garage...but no one WARNED me this was happening...or maybe I was just in denial...