Callings, callings everywhere!

After Primary last Sunday, I was packing up my four bags (yes, FOUR bags: two bags of music stuff, one scripture bag, one super cute Coach bag – I feel like a Sherpa on Sundays!) when a guy from my ward came up and asked if he could talk to me. He’s the dad of three of the Primary kids so when I saw him lingering outside the Primary room, I didn’t think much of it. But when he said he wanted to talk, it hit me – he’s on the high council. Oh and FYI, his responsibility is the youth. I immediately thought “Oh NO, he’s going to ask me to speak at Youth Conference.” Instead of running away, I obediently (ha) went along with him to have said chat.

We found a quiet corner in the gym and sat down. We chatted a bit and then instead of asking me to speak at Youth Conference (thank HEAVENS!) he asked if I would serve as the secretary to the Stake Young Women presidency. Wow! That came out of left field!

I knew they had an opening but never expected it to be me. Why not, you ask? Well, one of the counselors already in the presidency is in my ward and they’d never have two people from the same ward in one stake auxiliary presidency, would they? Apparently they would! Then there’s the whole “I have two callings already and that’s enough” thing.

Well, the high council guy told me I would be released from my stake assistant camp director calling for sure. And I will be – just probably not before camp because hello, how do you find another person to do that job with camp less than eight weeks away? And to be perfectly honest, as much as part of me would love to say “here you go – take it all” I don’t know how I could ever in a million years do that. It would quite possibly kill me. I would also hate to leave this sweet group of girls with a brand new leader, mid-stream. Since I would be going to camp anyway with the new calling, I’ll just be good about asking for help when I need it. Oh and I’ll try to keep my head from exploding.

And then there’s my beloved Primary Chorister gig…sigh. Even though there are times when I feel like I am a terrible teacher and not nearly creative enough, it hurts my heart to think of giving up this calling. I love those little kids – they are seriously darling and they fill my cup more than I ever could imagine. But there is no way I can do both (especially once Ward Conferences come rolling around again.)  At least I can sub once in awhile, right?

But the best news of the day is, it IS me who gets to do this fun new calling and I just LOVE that it’s me. I’m so grateful that Heavenly Father told three women I dearly love that it should be me. I’m so grateful to have His trust and that He knows I will love and help lead these young women and their leaders to the very best of my ability. I’m so excited to serve the youth of our stake and especially excited to work with Karla, Lisa and Melanie. This is going to be so much fun!

A mini blog hop

Rather than repeat/copy everything my dear friend Kim put on her blog earlier today, I want all of you to go here and see the pictures from our Biggest Loser finale evening together. 

Please note the following:

• My blank stares in the first couple of pictures. 
• The really bad fake-sleeping. 
• The inappropriate pointing. 
• Koli's stupid pink pants

There is nothing like a good friend, is there???

TV Talk

You all know that I enjoy the TV.  A lot.  Here are some TV-related thoughts I've been having lately:

• The Bachelorette starts tomorrow night!  But here is the even better news:  Holly, Lindsey and I have joined forces this season and each week, one of us will recap the show on our blogs and the other two will send our readers to that particular blog for the update.  I'm SO excited about this arrangement!   The only pressure I will feel is to be almost as funny and clever as these fabulous women and even then I will only feel that every third week.  I can totally handle that!  Holly is taking the first shift but please go easy on her - she's now on pregnancy-induced bedrest so she will need lots of love and compliments (Holly, you're so pretty!) to ward off the annoyance of being stuck in a bed for the next couple of months while her two small children run amok. (I know they aren't really doing that - I just wanted to use amok in a sentence.)
• This is an old thought but did you watch Rielle Hunter on Oprah awhile back?  And did I talk about this here or did I mention it only on Twitter?  I can't recall but I'm still disturbed by that interview and the stupidity of that ridiculous, adulterous woman.  If you want to be as annoyed as me, read more here. So glad we didn't elect John Edwards!
• I think Lee DeWyze is going to win American Idol, even though I've only bought music by Crystal Bowersox. I think he's more Idol'ish than Crystal and you know how the little girls love a cute boy who cries easily. I think it'll be a landslide unless he totally bombs this week.
• I still cannot turn away from watching the Real Housewives.  I think the entire cast of NYC are total nutjobs.  I cannot stand Kelly and Jill!  I love the NJ ladies with the exception of  Danielle.  Do you think she says as she looks at herself in the mirror, "Today I'm going to permanently scar my children and make them hate me forever" because seriously, that's what she's doing.
• I still haven't watched a single episode of this season's Lost.  I plan to, I just haven't. 
• So excited for So You Think You Can Dance! However, I am not excited about Mia Michaels as a judge (love her choreography, hate listening to her talk.)
• And finally, Biggest Loser.  I want Koli to win because I love the Polys and I don't care who knows it. However, I expect Michael or Ashley to win just because they had so much more to lose. I've loved this season because of the minimal game play -- so much more enjoyable to watch.

What are YOU watching these days??

A whole lotta fruit

I took Monday off because, well, it was the day after my birthday and don't I deserve to take the day after my birthday off?  Yeah, I thought so too.  I hung out with Boni and she helped me make some cute cards that I will help the ladies make at a Relief Society meeting this weekend.  At around noon, I got a call from my office telling me a gigantic Edible Arrangement had been delivered there and it was melting so I should hurry in and go pick it up.  So, I did and guess what?  They weren't kidding. 

It really was a gigantic arrangment of fruit -- both plain and chocolate dipped, plus mylar balloons and a teddy bear from my new boss and his family.  Seriously, how cute are these people?  Look what they wrote on the card (and Swiffer is their dog!)

I know it's hard to tell from the pictures but I describe the size of this thing as the line from "Popcorn Popping" that says, "I can take an armful and make a treat."  Put your arms out in front of you as if you were singing that line of the song and that's how big around it was.  

I brought it to my mom's house to take pictures and then we ripped it apart.  I filled four containers with the lusciousness and shared fruity love with anyone who was willing to partake.  My personal favorite were the chocolate dipped apples.  Pure heaven!  The marshmallow looking things were chocolate dipped bananas, in case you were wondering.

And more proof of how incredibly spoiled I am:  here are my friends Michelle, Donna and DeAnne at the 6th of my 10 birthday lunches/dinners (I know, it really is almost embarrassing!)  On this evening I was given Amazon gift cards, a Le Creuset baking dish, a movie and a darling Brighton keychain that I found when we were in Vegas and Michelle sneakily purchased as I stood next to her, oblivious.  Gifts are always great but the best part of the evening was relaxing and laughing with three women I've been friends with for more than 20 years.  Love these ladies!

Attacked!

I came home from a fun day of celebrating my birthday with my family to find Jay, Sharee, Cody, Marilyn, Sean and Mandy heart attacking my front door for my birthday.  As you can see by the hearts made by Sean and Cody, they love it when I talk video games with them. 

Sean leaves today for the MTC - I'll miss that cute boy. 

Sean's older sister Mandy was the one whose talk made me cry last week - love that girl.

This was the first time I've ever been heart attacked - so fun! 

Happy birthday to ME

I'm 43 today.  I know I'm old because this morning I...

• woke up before my alarm clock went off
• took three different vitamin supplements
• had to put on my glasses to read all of my fun facebook birthday wishes on my iPhone

Church was fun because I am not embarrassed to tell anyone who will listen that it's my birthday.  So to get the junior primary kids' attention I told them what today was and they loved it!  Then they all kept asking how old I was.  Rude children!  ;)  They guessed I was 15 but to avoid telling them my true age, I eventually told them I was older than them but younger than one of the other teachers in the room.  One little boy even noticed I was wearing a new (to them anyway) shirt today.  Kids are hilarious.

Yesterday, I thought I was having lunch with Kim before we went out to see 42nd Street at a local theater but she surprised me and had Lynda, Rachel and Joyce there too.  So fun! 

Sign up for Red Robin's email list and you get a free burger for your birthday! Yes you have to put up with them singing to you but you also get a free sundae so totally worth the embarrassment.

The play was pretty good and we decided to subscribe again for next year.  I've loved having a built in date with my dear friend every other month!

After the play, I went to dinner with Lily and then to see Letters to Juliet.  I thought it was just okay.  The scenery was beautiful but the movie was nothing special. Amanda Seyfried's fiance totally annoyed me too.  It's a Red Box, for sure.

Now I'm off to mom's for dinner with the family and then I have five more dinners over the next week or so (birthdays wreak havoc on WW progress but oh well.) 

Oh and finally, because I like to toot my own horn (and hers too!) go read what my sweet little Christina said about me today.  I am so blessed to have her (and her sisters and her mom and her aunts, and her grandma, etc.) in my life!  Kim gave me this cute umbrella (along with a little help from Marcia and Elaine.)  So pretty - I almost can't wait for it to rain!  Almost.

The I's have it...a summary

I haven't done this in awhile but here are some highlights since I last blogged.

I dreamed awful things last night.  Finally, something evil/ghost-like grabbed me and I woke myself up at 3:30 AM when I yelled out loud.  I had to turn on "Pride & Prejudice" to take my mind off of the bad dream and then couldn't wake up when my alarm went off a couple of hours later.

I attended a bridal shower and reception for a darling girl I've known for years.  It was so wonderful to see her so happy and the reception was decorated so beautifully (my favorite was the black and white damask tablecloths -- stunning!)  But more than anything, it was such a fun party.  I love going to receptions where I know 80% of the people there.

I enjoyed attending two camp meetings with my 2nd YCLs.  I cannot express what a difference a year makes.  While it's still hard fitting everything into my busy life, this year's planning is going so much better.  The girls actually show up to the meetings and I think they might even like being there! ;) Kidding...mostly!  Anyway, it's going great and we have wonderful young women who are planning fun things for this summer (um  camp is just over two months away - scary.)

I accepted an invitation to have lunch with Mr. Crushworthy later this week.  I want to figure out how to get a picture of the two of us since this will be the last time I see him before he moves.  Any ideas how I can make this a reality?  It's really for all of you, dear readers...I want you to see just why he is Mr. Crushworthy to me.  I don't expect any of you to start drooling once you see him because hello, he's all mine.  But I know you will because he is just, sigh, dreamy.

I made two pans of manicotti and a brownie trifle for my mom and sisters (and their families) for Mother's Day dinner yesterday.  We had such a nice day being together (and the food was quite fabulous, if I do say so myself.)  I loved getting to do something nice for three of my favorite mothers.  Want to know the other reason why it was such a great afternoon? Well, I'll tell you.  It was because...

I basked in the 70 degree sun both days of the weekend.  It was pure heaven here -- sunny, blue skies and just lovely.  I never realize how much I miss the sun until we have a great sunny day.

I cried throughout Sacrament meeting and into Primary yesterday.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm so much better living in oblivion rather than focusing on what I don't have.  I do just fine on Mother's Day until one of the speakers starts to quote Sheri Dew and then I imagine everyone's looking at me with pity in their eyes so I find something interesting in my scriptures or study the bulletin.  I couldn't do that for long yesterday because one of my former Laurels was one of the speakers and she talked a little about me without mentioning my name.  I kept it together the best I could but then she came into the Primary room afterward to tell me she had in fact been talking about me.  Then she hugged me for like five minutes so of course, I fell apart. I'm grateful -- so grateful for every wonderful opportunity my singleness has afforded me but I will always long for more.  Always.

Thought you'd like to know...

Today I got flowers from Mr. Crushworthy. Don't get excited. It's because I've been helping him with work stuff.

Oh and by the way, he's quitting and moving out of state next month.

So sad. Why do the cute guys leave and the freaky ones stay around forever?

Life is so unfair.

What I don't miss about Utah

I'm home from Utah and too lazy/sleepy to upload my pictures at this moment in time. I do miss Utah and the people there but there are some things about Utah I don't miss. They are:

1. The horrible, foul-tasting water. I don't know how people can drink water from the tap or their fridge dispensers. It is seriously the most soapy, awful-tasting stuff. I had to buy a case of Costco water (bottled here in Washington where the water totally rocks, thank you VERY much) the first day I was there.

2. The snow. Yes, it snowed four of the days I was there. Yes, it was the end of April which I always thought was Springtime. Yes, I had to buy new shoes to wear to Women's Conference because of said snow. Very annoying.

3. The dryness. Being in Utah for any length of time always wreaks havoc on my skin and the inside of my nose. I don't want to get into this any further because it would be seriously TMI. Just know that it's not pretty. At all.

Soon to come...things I do miss about Utah and maybe even some pictures too!