Good day, good week, good life.

I sit here and begin my post at the same time I would normally be wrapping it up...so...this won't be long.

(Does anyone ever believe me when I say that?)

No, really, this won't be long. :)

But, I am glad to be sitting here this late, glad to be tired from the day's activities, glad to be overhearing "Mantracker" from the next room over where JC is enjoying a little downtime himself (hisself? Katie? Monica? Laura?...I defer all grammatical questions to my sisters who have better recollections of their freshman Honors English Class where these things were hammered into our brains...), glad to be tingly-stomached about the idea of sand under my toes tomorrow, glad to be . . . glad.


It was a good week. It started out a little sick-y, as some weeks do.
It turned, for me, into a liver detox I've been meaning to do for a while. Raw foods, then three days of a juice fast, drinking herbal tea, herbal tonics, and orange juice smoothies made with garlic cloves, olive oil, and fresh cut ginger.
One big PAR-TAY, that's what a liver detox is!
It was horrible and amazingly invigorating all at once.

I...feel...so....GOOD! (Orange County, anyone?)

We had long days with JC at work (business booms, who can complain?), grumpy afternoons where Ben refused to nap as is NOT his right yet, at only barely two! Someone tell him!

We had homemade granola bars...it had been a while since we honored our used-to-be-weekly-tradition!

We got A Pomegranate off our tree. :) Yes, one. One this year. But how happy it made us! Oh, and by the way, a worm got it and it wasn't actually any good. But, how happy it made us!




Let's try for two next year, my lovely Queen! (Pomegranate Tree has retained the name Queen Anne. For me at least. JC just looks at me funny when I refer to her as such. Coming from the guy who named his car at one point in time. And is now, as I can plainly hear, watching a recorded episode of Oprah and no longer Mantracker. I'm just saying.)

But, to be fair, he also hunts and grunts and lifts really heavy things.
I wish I could show you all the picture Bethany drew of him today. The stick figure that is Daddy has his arms raised over his head "because he's so strong."
I love you, honey.

We had the wonderful opportunity to go view Mark Mabry's photography exhibit at our stake center. I really thought it important that the kids see this...me too. And it was amazing, of course.
As I walked through this small, profoundly touching display of images portraying the life and spirit of Jesus Christ, I was literally made better, happier, more grateful than ever for Him and the amazing (AMAZING!) opportunity we have every day for the rest of our lives and beyond to utilize Him for what He is - - our best friend, our savior, our brother. To rejoice in His love.
I wanted to stay there, wrapped up in that beautiful display forever. Since James was determined to have actual physical contact with these lovely photographs, we didn't stay too long...instead I decided to try to stay wrapped up in the feeling of the display. :)
Watching my children look into the face of the man portraying Christ in these photographs was perhaps one of the happiest experiences of my life.

I got to go with my sisters and Mom to be pampered a bit by getting our footsies rubbed and toes painted, then on to the Relief Society Broadcast.
Where Bonnie had a laughing fit after I tried to use my mind powers to adjust Sister Allred's necklace (it was crooked and I felt bad for her!) and Katie then made it worse by saying something clever...which, as I'm learning, you just cannot do to poor Bonnie Jean, who has a tendency to end up having to leave church meetings when her giggles get the best of her.
Andrew, you chose well.
She fits right in.
Cannot tell you how many family prayers growing up we had to just plain call off because everyone started laughing too hard.
So, anyway, pedicures, dinner, broadcast...it was great.

I am really really glad to be a part of The Relief Society. I have been thinking about this a lot lately anyway and being at that meeting really drove some points home...perhaps the sharing of which is for another time since it is late and I am tired and you...maybe don't care as much. :) But, anyway, I am glad.

Today, we made it through sacrament meeting, Ben stopped crying after a few minutes of nursery, we taught our sunday school lesson, I felt glad to be there. Went to Relief Society, got paired with the Stake Relief Society President, who was visiting, to do a role play where she was investigating the gospel and I was supposed to answer her questions. Did not as much feel glad to be THERE. Haha, just kidding, it was actually great. I guess I usually end up knowing what to say more so than I think I will. I guess that's what growing up in a great family, being taught by great teachers, and having small children I am trying to constantly teach...it all does me some good. :)

Then, this afternoon, this happened:

We were cleaning the kitchen when James got a special phone call.

From this guy.
From ten feet away.

It was really cute. I liked watching the two of them be silly. Well, I don't think James thought it was silly at all. He held up his end of the conversation with much seriousness.

But soon the phone got passed to another who wanted to talk to him.

And she WAS a bit silly. :)

The trade:

And the continuing of conversation.

SO funny. We loved that.

Anyway, it was a good week.

Our trip to Huntington Beach begins tomorrow and I could not be more excited. I will miss the kids. Like always. But this will be a fantastic couple of days.
Much needed.
Huntington is my happy place. Away from home, that is, of course. :)

So, off I go with my bags packed (yes, I really am packed! Yay!), my toes purple and embellished, my book of choice in tote (a must for any trip), and my camera so I can properly tell of my adventure...or perhaps non-adventure...it is the beach after all...when I return.
Also, my straw cowboy hat.
And flip flops.
And a craving for good seafood.

Anyway, I could keep this going forever but I think the whole point was not to.

So, I will report back next week to tell of another great seven days after we have had our fun. JC has the whole week off and when we get back from our excursion we plan to do some special and fun things with the kids. It will be delightful.

But now it's bedtime. And I'm glad.