HAPPY BITRHDAY MOM!

50 reasons why i love my mom :
1. she is the funniest person I know
2. she loves my cats
3. she talks to me about everything
4. she listens to me
5. she laughs with me
6. she loves to listen to the music I listen to
7. she is becoming a techie!
8. She reads
9. She loves to travel ( I don’t mind going with you ☺)
10. She makes delicious food
11. She is GREEN
12. She watches the OC with me and gets into it !
13. She is friends with my friends
14. She has a wicked serve in tennis
15. That she drives with me ☺
16. She makes boring days fun
17. She makes me lunches
18. She writes letters to everyone
19. She is VERY patient with the boys
20. Her voice
21. That she was my teacher
22. That she gets me
23. She is always thinking of others
24. She loves the gospel
25. That she loves bollywood
26. She tries new things all the time
27. She loves to dance around the house
28. She always trys to pick the cute guys on the team whenever we are at a sporting event ( which is often)
29. That she does yoga
30. That she blogs
31. She keeps her friends close
32. That she gets nervous when the boys are up to bat
33. She always wants a new adventure
34. She wants me to be who I want to be
35. She wants to be an nurse ( you would be a good one )
36. She is so crafty
37. She loves little things
38. She is the best grandma
39. That she wants dad to love his job
40. she leaves me funny messages on my phone
41. she is always there for me
42. that she gets scared easily ☺ very funny
43. she plays word jhong
44. she keeps her word
45. she always asks for a hand rub
46. she has so many talents
47. I love her on sleeping pills ☺
48. That she loves her childhood
49. That she is the best mom I could ever want
50. That she is and will always be my very best friend
I love you to death mom , thanks for all the memories ;) Love , k-ann

may 1959-2009..fifty years give or take

Fifty Things that I definitely Know that I Like and Dislike

1. I don't like driving on the freeway..ever
2. can't stand the name "David"
3. the red-eye flight from Hawaii
4. cheap,plastic toys
5. not having good eyesight
6. the smell of wet dogs
7. guilt
8. air conditioners
9. going to the dentist
10. having to wear socks..they make me hot
11. waking up to a dirty kitchen
12. making appointments of any kind
13. when people freak out over the #13
14. cleaning up barf
15. touching raw meat , cooking it and the smells -gross
16. watching sports on t.v
17. when winter goes on forever..springs last 2 days..then it is 100 degrees
18. I to see the waste weddings and parties generate and no one is recycling
19. meetings that last too long ( i.e when an hour is spent on deciding which tablecloth to use)
20. snakes, and I don't care If they are God's creatures
21. a book or movie that was a complete waste of time
22. prejudice
23. injustice
24. greed
25. did I mention ..raw meat?!

1. ok..things I really like..apparently setting up the computer should be one!! Kerriann..
2. a good rain shower
3. bookstores and having the time to really look
4. cranking music way up loud
5. shelling..and finding an Excellent beach
6. fireflies..real or battery-operated
7. searching for the best flan
8. previews at a movie theater
9. running into deer on my walks
10. my children's birthdays
11. bees-especially the fuzzy, mutant ones
12. streams
13. people-like the Hendersons-who think the #13 is lucky
14. having the windows open (this can include winter if I am in Newport Beach)
15. lilacs in full bloom
16. shades of blue
17. driving the mini FAST on backroads..Oregon was ideal for this
18. I like hibernating in the winter..and I am not going to apologize for that anymore
19. my i-pod and seeing what other people have on their playlists
20. having lunch with my friends ,most definitely includes daughters
21. Tahoe,Sundance,New York,the road to Hanalei
22. black oak trees on Sandhill Road
23. living in Woodside..in Berkeley..Provo in the early 80's..in Reno..it has all been an adventure!!
24. I still love the scent of Oscar de la Renta the best
25. the life I was given..and can I have fifty more good ones please

Here is a shout-out for Chelsie Clarke's 17th birthday. What does it say about me that my very favorite person in the ward ( after my darling fam of ocurse!) is a 17 year old girl?! It says that I am darn lucky!!! Because to know her is to love her. I would only include this heinous picture of myself because Chels ( yes, I am allowed to call her that...she only lets a select few do so ) enjoys it. It was taken at girls camp where the theme was Chinese pink penguins - ergo, the SanPan hat. This picture was taken moments before the vicious
canoe attack that left me in the leech infested Tibble
Fork Resovior fighting for my own survival -but I was able to keep the themed hat on throughout the disaster. Girls's Camp is a hoot, but I am strongly veering off course here.It is truly serendipitous to find such a dear friend that is not even remotely close to ones age. Chelsie is this gorgeous tall,blonde,tennis type of gal ( alas ,no chest..sad ) who SHOULD be full of herself..rightfully so. But she isn't!! Chelsie is awesome. Her humor is unparalleled to any. A funny,funny gal ! She is "going places" that one and she better be bringing me along!!
Happy,Happy Birthday Chelsie. I love you! Bobalin

Winters in Utah...

Is it safe to come out yet ? April will be here in about 30 hours (red-flag number one ) and I am not feeling Spring. I have been on 4 trips to sunnier climes since New Years . I have no true desire to ski or frolick in the snow. When I am home I hibernate and like it. Church members think I am inactive and friends see me as a social misfit. Yes I am taking my zoloft. No I am not suffering from depression. Anncy-oh yeah. Here is the thing..nice,warm temperatures are in my . I can't deny it and ,worse, I can't seem to change that. Allright it is more than weather. I am a California at heart. Yeah I know the 50 birthday thing is right around the corner and I have been pondering over lots of items. But I am not all freaked out over it, honestly it is just another day,another birthday, another fragment in my life. And if the genes that run through my make-up and family tree have anything to say about it, I am just half way around the track!! I grew up where sunshine ( not to be confused with 100 degree heat ) made me happy. Winter was rain storms. Sandals could be worn 10 months out of the year. Accacia trees bloomed in February. Evenings were mild. Everything was mild. Oak trees on softly rolling hills, covered in green grass. The very though makes me want to cry. I love the mountains here, I truly do..but they don't have fog rolling over them! Am I homesick? No, that really isn't the case. Home is my little family of 11 these days. For the past 25 years,and I am more than happy with that ( so don't go reading something that is not there between my lines!) so what am I searching for ,rambling on about ? I want moderation in my life, moderation in everything. It is not all about the weather..it is like the weather.

Tagged Again..

Here are the Rules..
Post rules
Answer the six items
Let each person know by leaving them a comment

8 Favorite TV shows

1.No Reservations
2.Living with Ed
3.The OC reruns boxed set edition
4.Rob and Big
5.ER depending on the season depending on the year..but yeah I am a fan
6.Gilmore Girls
7.Travels with Samantha Brown
8.The Office

8 Things I did Yesterday

1.Got Denver off to his German final
2.Had my visting teachers over
3.Preston got up in my lap and took a nap while us sisters chatted.
4.gathered up the kidlets and toured the Draper Temple
5.Received a little blue and green something from LLBean in the mailbox-hey thanks
6.Made artisan bread and roasted tomato soup for dinner
7.Watched 24 with Kevin but I was lost on several subplots
8.Took a hot bath..of course!


8 Things I am looking forward to

1. Watching the fourth season of The OC with Dallin, will you Hurry up Please
2.Having Kerriann get her drivers license.
3.Having the stress of the Bank of America takeover, through.
4.Going to southern cal with the whole fam-damily next week!
5.Finding my Secret of Roan Inish movie before March 17th.
6.Sleeping with all our windows open again.
7.Making another loaf of artisan bread
8.Getting over this allergy/sinus/unable to wear my contacts, disaster.


8 Favorite Restaurants

1.The Grill Room at Sundance
2.The Deli at Sundance-eaten outside
3.Mamas Fish House
4.The Sugar Shack, sounds healthy, eh?
5.The Mandarin
6.Woodside Deli
7.Petes Harbor
8.Dukes


8 Things on my wish list

1.To radiate health.
2.Raise a little flock of chickens, about half a dozen.
3. To not have to throw any more parties
4.To be in a Bollywood movie or go to India or both.
5.To have Kevin get the dang package from BofA and be Happy
6.Like Devin to live in a warm climate.
7.To sleep like a baby... a good baby one that sleeps through the nigh so that I can wake up one morning and say, WOW..that was the Best night sleep I have ever had!!
8.To have 8 more wishes..of course!

Olivia Walton..my hero

I have been thinking of "passions" and how it is great when someone is able to truly live their own. Individual passions come in So many ways, it is really amazing. I think alot of people would go crazy living so closely with Kevin and hear him go on and on and on and on about financial matters. It is certainly not my thing but I love to see him come alive when he gets into the intricate parts of numbers/money/mortgage banking et al. I enjoy watching him Enjoy! And everyone has their own passions, or are looking for them as Dallin says-but he Has them,oh yes he does. Naively I use to associate passions to careers, as if that was the only way to achieve them. Since I have been "lounging" around for the past quarter of a century..does that mean I am without passion?! Hardly. I believe it started back at Sandy Roberts five-sibling household. I liked the idea very much ( despite the fact that her two brothers were mean.) One of my very favorite movies was ,"Yours,Mine and Ours" with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda-yes, that truly captured my attention! But "The Waltons" drove it home. Ironically I doubt it was a show that I asked other people at school,"did you catch last night's awesome episode?!" I am sure I kept these feelings pretty close to the vest. Olivia Walton had it all. Maybe being poor wasn't my dream, and definitely not having the inlaws live with me was included in the ideal vision. But Liv-as John liked to call her- was great. Even though it was during the depression, their house was cool and the property was so private ( location,locaton,location.) Her children adored her. They respected and listened to her. Darn that Liv, she made motherhood look so easy. They never showed her pregnant, but I bet that was easy for her too. She didn't look frumpy. she didn't look like she had given birth to seven children. She was a mother,yes, but Olivia Walton was feisty and independent. I liked the way John looked at her..he loved Liv deeply and realized that she ran the home.John had a raw -appeal of his own. I was young and probably didn't use those exact words about him..but I knew. Life wasn't without it's problems...Erin was a brat and needed to be slapped, JimBob was a short whiny kid that grew into a stumpy man ( and it was too unbelievable that he could get that cute a wife!) MaryEllen was downright annoying, and Elizabeth was only cute the first two seasons. But they weren't my kids..mine would definitely be better ( and they are!) JohnBoy was quality though ( Dallin is my Johnboy.) My passion was to have lots of children, be home with them, call all the shots and have a husband that looked at me like John looked at his Liv. Others may not want this life, but as for me and Olivia Walton-well,we are content.

Dalboy turned 19. Nineteen great years with the guy. We had a good celebration..alot to celebrate about Dal. I thought about putting on a Bob Dylan soundtract as I rambled on here but I just couldn't bring myself to it. Individual tastes only go so far. And being an individual has to top my list of things that I so admire about Dallin. People who truly know this guy love him to pieces. Others just don't understand him. The Amish have a word for their 18 year olds that go and find out for themselves ifthey want to live the life their parents lead are what they want for themselves..I think it is called "walk-about"..no, duh, that is in Australia. Well, ok then..many cultures have this tradtion. But not this LDS community we live in.Dallin did it anyway and ,you know -good for him. Dallin has to find out things for himself..not because it says so in some manual or because his parents say,"this is going to be the Way it is." Reminds me of his Dad ( or someone...) He is strong, he is honest with his true feelings,he is going to do what is right. Life holds many decisions,trials,deep joy..he is going to be ok. His "walkabout" has not included school or a job...but I have been able to spend a precious year with him. Good-Luck,Bad-Luck?!! Well it has been great luck for me. Happy Birthday..I love you dearly.